Legal and Economic Implications of Aras River Governance

This paper examines the legal and economic implications of the absence of a comprehensive basin-wide governance regime for the Aras River, a transboundary watercourse shared by Turkey, Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Drawing on international water law, hydropolitical theory, and economic risk analysis, the study evaluates how fragmented bilateral arrangements and upstream development policies affect downstream economic security in Iran. Empirical evidence from FAO AQUASTAT and UNESCO reports indicates increasing water stress and declining reliability of transboundary flows, while regional assessments highlight rising pollution and institutional fragmentation (FAO, ۲۰۲۰; UNESCO, ۲۰۱۹). The analysis applies key principles of the United Nations Watercourses Convention (۱۹۹۷), including equitable utilisation and the obligation not to cause significant harm. It finds that weak coordination mechanisms increase economic risks in agriculture, energy, and industry, while raising investment uncertainty. The paper proposes a phased governance strategy combining legal reform, technical cooperation, and economic adaptation. It concludes that incremental institutional development is essential to reduce hydropolitical asymmetries and economic vulnerability.

کلیدواژه ها:

Implications.Economic .Governance