The legal frameworks of the Nile Basin: Opportunities and challenges / Cadres juridiques du bassin du Nil : opportunités et obstacles

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 185-203
Author(s):  
Dereje Zeleke Mekonnen

The use of shared natural resources is a difficult task and the use of trans-boundary freshwater resources poses an even greater challenge, with a higher propensity for conflict. The belated development of international law in the area has contributed considerably to the difficulties. The essence of the international legal regime governing the use of shared water resources is anchored in the twin principles of equitable and reasonable use and no significant harm. Concluding a lasting deal governing the use and protection of shared freshwater resources by taking all relevant factors into account within an inclusive legal and institutional framework is the standard approach. The Nile Basin exhibits peculiar features that make equitable and sustainable use of the water resources a daunting task, depriving the Basin states of the opportunity for cooperative development and shared use. Ensuring the equitable and sustainable use of the Nile waters has been an elusive objective pursued by the riparian countries for over half a century. The existing legal frameworks, especially the colonial and early postcolonial ones, still constitute a formidable challenge to the new cooperative legal framework that began to take shape in the late 1990s, thus keeping the Basin in a legal and hydro-political stasis that has stalled progress and might even undo hard-won achievements. L’utilisation des ressources communes est une tâche difficile et l’utilisation transfrontalière des ressources en eau douce pose encore un plus grand challenge avec une grande propension au conflit. Le développement tardif du droit international dans la région a considérablement contribué aux problèmes. L’essence du régime juridique international régissant l’utilisation commune des ressources en eaux est soutenue par le double principe de l’utilisation équitable et raisonnable et pas de préjudice significatif. L’approche standard est de conclure un accord durable régissant l’utilisation et la protection des ressources communes en eau douce tenant en compte tous les facteurs importants dans un cadre juridique et institutionnel inclusif. Le Bassin du Nil présente des caractéristiques particulières qui rend l’utilisation équitable et raisonnable des ressources en eau une tâche ardue privant ainsi les États du Bassin de la possibilité d’un développement coopératif et d’une utilisation partagée. Assurer l’utilisation équitable et durable des eaux du Nil est un objectif illusoire poursuivi par les pays riverains depuis plus d’un demi-siècle. Les régimes juridiques existants, ceux spécialement coloniaux et post coloniaux, constituent toujours un énorme obstacle pour le nouveau régime juridique coopératif qui a commencé à prendre forme vers la fin des années 1990, maintenant ainsi le Bassin dans une stagnation juridique et hydro-politique qui a freiné les progrès et pourrait même éventuellement défaire les accomplissements durement acquis.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marium Sara Minhas Bandeali

Water governance and management are important challenges for the River Indus Basin in Pakistan. Water governance refers to social, political and economic factors that influence water management. The water scarcity and water security are a major concern for the state to control its water resources. The study aims to give Sindh water policy by exploring the challenges to Indus Basin in managing water resources and to identify opportunities Indus Basin can look to improve water management. Interviews were conducted from water experts and analysts having 5 years’ experience or more in the water sector of Pakistan through a semi-structured self-developed questionnaire using purposive sampling technique and transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings show that increasing population, climatic change and rising demand of water are major challenges Indus is facing and Indus with time is getting water-scarce therefore need strong institutions, civil society and legislatures to ensure equitable distribution of water and maintain the ecosystem. The study emphasizes that water governance and management are necessary for sustainable use of water. Pakistan, the water stress country needs to address ‘governance’ at a wider scale to solve problems in the Indus Basin for the livelihood of people. The research will benefit the state, water experts, institutions as well as civil society to promote efficient use of water in Indus Basin.


Author(s):  
Sayyid Mohammad Yunus Gilani ◽  
K. M. Zakir Hossain Shalim

AbstractForensic evidence is an evolving science in the field of criminal investigation and prosecutions. It has been widely used in the administration of justice in the courts and the Western legal system, particularly in common law. To accommodate this new method of evidence in Islamic law, this article firstly, conceptualizes forensic evidence in Islamic law.  Secondly, explores legal frameworks for its adoption in Islamic law. Keywords: Forensic Evidence, legal framework, Criminal Investigation, Sharīʿah.AbstrakBukti forensik adalah sains yang sentiasa berkembang dalam bidang siasatan jenayah dan pendakwaan. Ia telah digunakan secara meluas dalam pentadbiran keadilan di mahkamah dan sistem undang-undang Barat, terutamanya dalam undang-undang common (common law). Untuk menampung kaedah pembuktian baru ini dalam undang-undang Islam, artikel ini, pertamanya, konseptualisasikan bukti forensik dalam undang-undang Islam. Kedua, ia menerokai rangka kerja undang-undang untuk penerimaannya dalam undang-undang Islam.Kata Kunci: Bukti Forensik, Rangka Kerja Guaman, Siasatan Jenayah, Sharīʿah.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Austin Bow

The reduction in costs associated with performing RNA-sequencing has driven an increase in the application of this analytical technique; however, restrictive factors associated with this tool have now shifted from budgetary constraints to time required for data processing. The sheer scale of the raw data produced can present a formidable challenge for researchers aiming to glean vital information about samples. Though many of the companies that perform RNA-sequencing provide a basic report for the submitted samples, this may not adequately capture particular pathways of interest for sample comparisons. To further assess these data, it can therefore be necessary to utilize various enrichment and mapping software platforms to highlight specific relations. With the wide array of these software platforms available, this can also present a daunting task. The methodology described herein aims to enable researchers new to handling RNA-sequencing data with a streamlined approach to pathway analysis. Additionally, the implemented software platforms are readily available and free to utilize, making this approach viable, even for restrictive budgets. The resulting tables and nodal networks will provide valuable insight into samples and can be used to generate high-quality graphics for publications and presentations.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 793
Author(s):  
Abdul Razzaq Ghumman ◽  
Mohammed Jamaan ◽  
Afaq Ahmad ◽  
Md. Shafiquzzaman ◽  
Husnain Haider ◽  
...  

The evaporation losses are very high in warm-arid regions and their accurate evaluation is vital for the sustainable management of water resources. The assessment of such losses involves extremely difficult and original tasks because of the scarcity of data in countries with an arid climate. The main objective of this paper is to develop models for the simulation of pan-evaporation with the help of Penman and Hamon’s equations, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and the Artificial Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). The results from five types of ANN models with different training functions were compared to find the best possible training function. The impact of using various input variables was investigated as an original contribution of this research. The average temperature and mean wind speed were found to be the most influential parameters. The estimation of parameters for Penman and Hamon’s equations was quite a daunting task. These parameters were estimated using a state of the art optimization algorithm, namely General Reduced Gradient Technique. The results of the Penman and Hamon’s equations, ANN, and ANFIS were compared. Thirty-eight years (from 1980 to 2018) of manually recorded pan-evaporation data regarding mean daily values of a month, including the relative humidity, wind speed, sunshine duration, and temperature, were collected from three gauging stations situated in Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia. The Nash and Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and Mean Square Error (MSE) evaluated the performance of pan-evaporation modeling techniques. The study shows that the ANFIS simulation results were better than those of ANN and Penman and Hamon’s equations. The findings of the present research will help managers, engineers, and decision makers to sustainability manage natural water resources in warm-arid regions.


Author(s):  
Violeta Cabello ◽  
David Romero ◽  
Ana Musicki ◽  
Ângela Guimarães Pereira ◽  
Baltasar Peñate

AbstractThe literature on the water–energy–food nexus has repeatedly signaled the need for transdisciplinary approaches capable of weaving the plurality of knowledge bodies involved in the governance of different resources. To fill this gap, Quantitative Story-Telling (QST) has been proposed as a science for adaptive governance approach that aims at fostering pluralistic and reflexive research processes to overcome narrow framings of water, energy, and food policies as independent domains. Yet, there are few practical applications of QST and most run on a pan-European scale. In this paper, we apply the theory of QST through a practical case study regarding non-conventional water sources as an innovation for water and agricultural governance in the Canary Islands. We present the methods mixed to mobilize different types of knowledge and analyze interconnections between water, energy, and food supply. First, we map and interview relevant knowledge holders to elicit narratives about the current and future roles of alternative water resources in the arid Canarian context. Second, we run a quantitative diagnosis of nexus interconnections related to the use of these resources for irrigation. This analysis provides feedback to the narratives in terms of constraints and uncertainties that might hamper the expectations posed on this innovation. Thirdly, the mixed analysis is used as fuel for discussion in participatory narrative assessment workshops. Our experimental QST process succeeded in co-creating new knowledge regarding the water–energy–food nexus while addressing some relational and epistemological uncertainties in the development of alternative water resources. Yet, the extent to which mainstream socio-technical imaginaries surrounding this innovation were transformed was rather limited. We conclude that the potential of QST within sustainability place-based research resides on its capacity to: (a) bridge different sources of knowledge, including local knowledge; (b) combine both qualitative and quantitative information regarding the sustainable use of local resources, and (c) co-create narratives on desirable and viable socio-technical pathways. Open questions remain as to how to effectively mobilize radically diverse knowledge systems in complex analytical exercises where everyone feels safe to participate.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viola Clausnitzer ◽  
John P. Simaika ◽  
Michael J. Samways ◽  
B. A. Daniel

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianclaudio Malgieri

Purpose This study aims to discover the legal borderline between licit online marketing and illicit privacy-intrusive and manipulative marketing, considering in particular consumers’ expectations of privacy. Design/methodology/approach A doctrinal legal research methodology is applied throughout with reference to the relevant legislative frameworks. In particular, this study analyzes the European Union (EU) data protection law [General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)] framework (as it is one of the most advanced privacy laws in the world, with strong extra-territorial impact in other countries and consequent risks of high fines), as compared to privacy scholarship on the field and extract a compliance framework for marketers. Findings The GDPR is a solid compliance framework that can help to distinguish licit marketing from illicit one. It brings clarity through four legal tests: fairness test, lawfulness test, significant effect test and the high-risk test. The performance of these tests can be beneficial to consumers and marketers in particular considering that meeting consumers’ expectation of privacy can enhance their trust. A solution for marketers to respect and leverage consumers’ privacy expectations is twofold: enhancing critical transparency and avoiding the exploitation of individual vulnerabilities. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to the European legal framework scenario and to theoretical analysis. Further research is necessary to investigate other legal frameworks and to prove this model in practice, measuring not only the consumers’ expectation of privacy in different contexts but also the practical managerial implications of the four GDPR tests for marketers. Originality/value This study originally contextualizes the most recent privacy scholarship on online manipulation within the EU legal framework, proposing an easy and accessible four-step test and twofold solution for marketers. Such a test might be beneficial both for marketers and for consumers’ expectations of privacy.


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