A new study by Griffith University researchers reveals significant inequities between upstream and downstream countries sharing the same river basins. The research, led by Dr. Caitlin Kuempel and Dr. Andres Felipe Suarez-Castro from Griffith’s Australian Rivers Institute, emphasizes the need for better international agreements to manage shared water resources and calls for increased collaboration among neighboring countries.
The study focuses on transboundary watersheds—main river basins crossing multiple national borders—and investigates how sediment export from one country affects its downstream neighbors. Dr. Kuempel noted that while global biodiversity targets drive national conservation efforts, issues like water quality do not adhere to political boundaries. The research identified about 1,050 transboundary watersheds worldwide, affecting more than 85% of countries. In over 25% of these countries, all watersheds were transboundary.
In 112 of these watersheds, over 70% of sediments were produced in one country but discharged in another. Additionally, sediment from 117 watersheds could reach coastal areas, where pollutants might cross Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). The study found that in 118 countries, more than 10% of coastal sediment runoff entered another country’s EEZ, with over 500 Mt (36%) of sediment traveling across multiple EEZs.
The research highlights the impact of land use practices in one country on downstream environments in another. The authors recommend that for global conservation agreements to be effective, cross-border coordination and collaboration are essential. They propose leveraging the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to support solutions for shared resource challenges and align with UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.5 to enhance transboundary cooperation and reporting.
