Managing Transboundary Water Conflicts: The United States and Its Boundary Commissions

The management of transboundary water resources between the united states, Mexico and Canada is changing. For about 100 years the governments have depended on two institutions --the International Joint Commission (U.S.-Canada) and the International Boundary and Water Commission (U.S.-Mexico). Forces for change in the roles of the IJC and the IBWC involve the policy movements reflected in the phrases Environmental Management, Ecological Processes, Bio-Diversity, sustainability of Renewable Resources, and Global Climate Change. with Ford Foundation support, a tri-national working conference was convened to consider; Emerging Boundary Environmental Challenges; Improving Management Capacity Of Governments And Commissions; Commissions Relation To States And Provinces; Improving Public Participation; Ecosystem Management; How To Accommodate An Uncertain Future. Summaries are presented with initial thoughts on responses to the issues. Analysis is tentative; conclusions preliminary. The project is still underway and comments are invited. Commissions Relation To States And Provinces and the resulting effects on issue resolution and implementation are examined in more detail here to illustrate the tentative nature of the work. This topic is examined in relation to decisions for local water and related resource use at transboundary areas; and to how changes are affecting the way governments are approaching some classes of international boundary issues.