Version 1
: Received: 22 April 2021 / Approved: 23 April 2021 / Online: 23 April 2021 (09:53:07 CEST)
How to cite:
Loodin, N.; Wolf, A. Comparison and Contrast of Islamic Water Management Principles with International Water Law Principles: A Case Study of Helmand River Basin. Preprints2021, 2021040624. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202104.0624.v1
Loodin, N.; Wolf, A. Comparison and Contrast of Islamic Water Management Principles with International Water Law Principles: A Case Study of Helmand River Basin. Preprints 2021, 2021040624. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202104.0624.v1
Loodin, N.; Wolf, A. Comparison and Contrast of Islamic Water Management Principles with International Water Law Principles: A Case Study of Helmand River Basin. Preprints2021, 2021040624. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202104.0624.v1
APA Style
Loodin, N., & Wolf, A. (2021). Comparison and Contrast of Islamic Water Management Principles with International Water Law Principles: A Case Study of Helmand River Basin. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202104.0624.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Loodin, N. and Aaron Wolf. 2021 "Comparison and Contrast of Islamic Water Management Principles with International Water Law Principles: A Case Study of Helmand River Basin" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202104.0624.v1
Abstract
Considering the negative impacts of climate changes along with the rapid increase in population in Islamic dominated states, e.g., the Middle East, water tension among upstream and downstream states is increasing. Despite the importance of water management in Islamic culture, the role of religion has been under-valued and under-emphasized by the scholars. The paper has sought to compare and contrast Islamic water management principles (IWMP) with international water law principles (IWLP).
The findings from this analysis show not only that IWMP are in conformity with IWLP, but that in many cases, IWMP can be more effective. For instance, where international water accords between riparian states of a shared river basin are poorly developed and lack enforcement mechanisms under IWLP, those upstream states can abuse their geographical locations depriving those downstream-ers. In contrast, IWMPs stress the equitable and reasonable use of water resources among upstream and downstream users of a shared watercourse. Moreover, although IWLPs emphasize the conservation and preservation of ecosystems and the environment at the basin level, the inter-basin states especially those upstream can pose significant harm to the ecosystems. On the other side, Islam as the religion of peace, has placed much emphasis on the preservation of nature. For example, the verse, “.... And waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters” [Quran, 7:31], illustrates the importance of the sustainable use of water and the environment.
It is argued that if Islamic Water Management Principles are incorporated into the management instrument of Islamic States, the issue of equitable and sustainable use of water among Muslim-dominated riparian states (e.g., Iran, Afghanistan, etc.) will be solved.
Keywords
Islamic Water Management Principles (IWMP); International Water Law Principles (IWLP); Helmand River Basin; Upstream State; Downstream State
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
