Law of Water Management in the Mediterranean – Past, Present, Future

In the context of the 10th Mediterranean Research Meeting, which will take place 25-28 March 2009 in Florence and Montecatini Terme, Italy, UNESCO's PCCP (From Potential Conflict to Cooperation Potential) programme will direct the workshop "Law of Water Management in the Mediterranean - Past, Present, Future" in conjunction with the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. Abstracts submission date extended until 10 September 2008.

This workshop will address the legal aspects of freshwater management in the region of the Mediterranean. The focus will be on customary water law, contemporary national water law systems and bilateral and multilateral international law instruments applicable to the Mediterranean. The influence of the European Community acquis, as well as the roles and activities of UNECE, UN-ESCWA and other authoritative international organizations also shall be on the agenda of the participants.

The workshop will provide an in-depth insight into the complex and varied legal regimes that govern water management in the Mediterranean. It will assess the potential of such legal regimes to address actual challenges, such as the growing demand for water, increasing pressures on water quality and unexpected water-related occurrences (e.g. large-scale floods or droughts) caused by climate changes and human activities. The workshop will finally look in the potential of these legal regimes to peacefully resolve disputes and be resilient to evolving water law development trends.