transboundary water

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

freshwater resources — rivers, lakes, and aquifers — shared between two or more countries; management of transboundary water requires international cooperation and is a common source of geopolitical tension; the Nile, Mekong, and Indus basins are among the world's most diplomatically contested transboundary water systems

Examples

• Negotiations over transboundary water from the Nile have strained relations between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
• The UN Watercourses Convention provides a legal framework for managing transboundary water equitably.

Synonyms: shared water resources, international watercourses, cross-border water