Steering Transboundary Water Cooperation in the ASEAN Region: What Role for International Law?

This is an in-person event.

Monday, 2 June 2025 from 15.00 until 16.30

The ASEAN Region is incredibly diverse, with a wide range of cultures, economies, legal systems, political structures, and environmental landscapes. Despite this diversity, certain shared normative frameworks have shaped inter-state relations, including the Ten Principles of Bandung, and the “ASEAN Way.” The region is also home to significant transboundary water resources, which serve as a crucial lifeline for regional economies and millions of people. However, despite the vital role of these water resources and the growing challenges posed by climate change, few states in the region are parties to global water conventions. Additionally, recent SDG 6.5.2 reporting highlights relatively low levels of transboundary water cooperation across Asia. Focusing on the ASEAN region, comprised of its 10 member States and 5 States at its periphery, this presentation will explore regional-specific approaches to international law through the lens of transboundary water agreements. By analyzing these agreements, it will identify key similarities and differences in how states engage with international legal frameworks, providing insight into the broader legal and diplomatic practices of the region. It will conclude by identifying ways we might better steer transboundary water cooperation across this dynamic region, and the role that international law can play.

Keywords: Transboundary Water; ASEAN; Asia; International Law; Water Governance

Speaker:

David J. Devlaeminck is an Associate Professor at the School of Law, Chongqing University (China), where he teaches and conducts research on international environmental law with a particular focus on the law of international watercourses. He has published extensively on the subject, and his monograph, Reciprocity and China’s Transboundary Waters: The Law of International Watercourses (Routledge) was published in 2021. David is also an Associate Research Fellow at UNU-CRIS, Co-Chair of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) Asia-Pacific Interest Group, lead of the International Water Law Academy’s Emerging Scholars Initiative, and Member of the World Bank Global Forum of Law, Justice and Development Water Law Working Group.

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