This document discusses transboundary waters and provides examples from the La Plata Basin in South America. It notes that the La Plata Basin is unique in that over 45% is located in Brazil while significant portions are also in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Uruguay. The basin is home to over 110 million people and accounts for 70% of the GDP of the countries it covers. While cooperation over use of waters has occurred, issues still include extreme weather events from climate change, lack of water quality standards, land use changes, and lack of integrated management.

1. P P G H - U S P
T R A N S B O U N D A R Y
W A T E R S , C O N F L I C T S
A N D I N T E R N A T I O N A L
C O O P E R A T I O N –
E X A M P L E S O F T H E L A
P L A T A B A S I N
I S A B E L A B A T T I S T E L L O E S P Í N D O L A
1 9 D E J U N H O D E 2 0 1 8

2. W A T E R
Natural resource
Human history
Conflicts and disputes
Celebration
Human right

3. T R A N S B O U N D A R Y W A T E R S
Rivers that are shared by two or more
States according to WWAP - United
Nations World Water Assessment
Programme and UN-Water (2018)
260

4. T R A N S B O U N D A R Y W A T E R S
of the world population are affected by
these rivers that covers more than half of
the land surface according to WWAP -
United Nations World Water Assessment
Programme and UN-Water (2018)
40%

5. T R A N S B O U N D A R Y
W A T E R S
Unique type of resource
Highly political
Complex
Heterogenous
Huge potential for
cooperation and conflict
generation

6. Are considered as a unique type
of resource because, although
they belong under the
sovereignty of two or more
States, they cannot be
considered exclusive and are,
therefore, collective and should
be equally shared
T R A N S B O U N D A R Y W A T E R

7. LA
PLATA
BASIN
Stands out for
its cooperation
in the use of
transboundary
water in South
America

8. 45.6% of it is in Brazil, 30.9% in
Argentina, 12.8% in Paraguay, 7%
in Bolivia and only 4.9% in
Uruguay
With a population of more than 110
million people, it covers an area of more
than three million square kilometers
and is responsible for the production of
70% of GDP of the countries that share it
L A P L A T A B A S I N

9. L A P L A T A
B A S I N
There are several economic activities developed along the La
Plata Basin. Most of the activities are related to urban services
and agriculture, but also to the livestock, industrial, mining,
energy transport (navigation), ecosystem protection and tourism
sectors.
According to CIC (2017), agriculture is the main economic
activity developed in the La Plata Basin.

10. Extreme hydrological events related to
variability and climate change;
Lack of common standards,
instruments and parameters for water
quality, control and monitoring;
Changes in land use;
Lack of capture protection methods;
Lack of an integrated management way
with surface resources and climate.
Lack of a global vision and capacity to
generate participatory processes with
the actors involved for a balanced
resolution;
-Intense floods;
-Long periods of drought;
- Loss of water quality;
-Water contamination by organic and
chemical agents;
-Limitations in the control and
monitoring network;
-Sedimentation of water bodies and
courses;
-Limitation of waterways and ports;
- Increasing erosion and land
degradation;
- Loss of vegetal cover.
Critical
transboundary
issues
Possible
consequences

11. CONFLICTS
IN THE LA
PLATA BASIN
According to CIC (2017, p.
13), even with its water
richness, diversity,
biological productivity and
economic
representativeness, is one
of the "most affected
socially and economically
by cyclical floods and
persistent droughts".

12. CONFLICTS
AND
PROBLENS
IN THE
LA PLATA
BASIN

13. T H A N K Y O U
I S A B E L A B A T T I S T E L L O E S P Í N D O L A