Water During and After Armed Conflicts : What Protection in International Law?

Armed conflicts damage water installations and limit access to the resource. It was only in the 1970s, however, that international humanitarian law (IHL) established norms to limit the impact of armed conflicts on water resources. This monograph contends that the protection provided by IHL norms should be expanded to take into account the wide range of existing principles and rules relating to water enshrined in human rights law and international water law. Although these rules are designed for distinct purposes, ranging from regulation of hostilities and the uses, management and protection of water, they are not distinct legal regimes to be interpreted and applied independently. Accordingly, the monograph argues and concludes that protection of water resources in times of armed conflict must be assessed against an extensive and holistic set of principles and rules of international law