The geometric adjudication of water rights in international rivers

Abstract

We study the adjudication of water rights in international rivers. We characterize allocation rules that formalize focal principles to deal with water disputes in a basic model. Central to our analysis is a family of geometric rules that implement concatenated transfers downstream. They can be seen as formalizing Limited Territorial Sovereignty, as suggested in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. We apply our rules to the case of the Nile River, with a long history of disputes between downstream and upstream nations