Transboundary River Basin Euphrates-Tigris: International Legal Regulation

Countries all around the globe have shown a strong desire to restrict the utilization of international water channels for non-navigational uses since they are important to human civilisation. This is to avoid issues that may occur because of the usage purposes of international water bodies such as rivers and streams. This research covers a narrow scope, which is limited to legislation addressing the use of international water channels to effectively settle international water disputes, to cover the lawful use of international watercourses. It also provides an overview of transboundary water interactions in the Euphrates-Tigris River basin, followed by a discussion of key topics. From the standpoint of international law, this study discusses the connections among Turkey, Syria, and Iraq regarding their shared water, the Euphrates and the Tigris. Finally, the paper concluded that Iraq must review its entire water policy and identify its flaws, including irrigation methods, dam maintenance, and the management of water resources by international standards. Iraq’s deviation from these matters constitutes a violation of the international obligations to which it is bound by international treaties, particularly the framework agreement. This study concludes that Iraq’s evaluation of its internal legislation and all of its projects built on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers adds significantly to the resolution of these issues.