Integrative Highlands to Oceans (H2O) Action:
Proposed Governance Structure for a UN Convention on
Conserving River Deltas (UN CCRD) Asim Zia
Professor of Public Policy and Computer Science
Director, Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security
University of Vermont
Transboundary Indus and Mekong river basins face glacial melt and
rainfall variability in highlands and sea level rise and salt water
intrusion in ocean-facing deltas across 9 riparian countries
Transboundary Amazon and Jordan river basins: Differences in
ocean-facing vs. inland deltas
Transboundary Niger, Nile and Congo river basins are highly
vulnerable to sea level rise induced migration of and from deltas
Governance structure of UN-CCRD
•Multi-level governance
–Global climate change: sea level rise, global warming
–Highlands: Dams, glacial melt, rainfall variability
–Lowlands: shifting deltas
•Network of Networks across all deltas
–Transboundary Water-In Cooperation Network (TWIN)
–Track-1 (political), Track-2 (science), Track-3 (public)
diplomacy
–Mainstreaming early warning early action systems
encompassing integrative H2O action
–Global standards for access to clean water
Figure 1: Illustration of Different Lead Times in Different Types of Early Warning Early
Action Systems ( Zia and Oikonomou 2023) where, (a) Tsunamis; (b) Earthquakes; (c)
Chemical and Nuclear Accidents; (d) Floods; (e) ENSO; (f) Heat Waves and Human Health; (g)
Reservoirs; (h) Weather; (i) Soils; (j) Crops, Prices, Reserves, Food Aid; (k) Urban, Industry,
Infrastructure Design; (l) Conflict, Migration, People Exposed; (m) Snow Pack, (n) Land Use
Planning; (o) Environmental Management & State; (p) Energy Security; (q) Climate Change.
Next generation multi-hazard early warning early action
systems account for tipping points, and generate drought,
flood, water quality & conflict forecasts at high resolutions
Globally distributed deltas require a UN-CCRD
Forty largest ocean facing deltas!
