Vízügyi Közlemények, 1997 (79. évfolyam)

3. füzet - Szlávik L.-Buzás Zs.-Illés L.-Tarnóy A.: A Tisza-völgyi nemzetközi vízgazdálkodási együttműködés

332 Szlávik L.-Buzás Zs—Illés L.—Tarnóy A. International cooperation for managing the water resources of the Tisza River Valley by Dr. Lajos SZLÁVIK, Zsuzsa BÚZÁS, Lajos ILLÉS and András TARNÓY Civil Engineers Renewal of the regional cooperation of the Tisza river catchment (Table I) in the field of waterand environmental management must primarily be based on the jointly recognized interests of the riparian countries. Such interests might rise from common problems which can not be solved solely by the means of national management or the solution woulkd be inefficient. Other interests might be related to compensation services, to personal and scientific endeavours and last but not least to enforcement of international regulations or to the desirability of such regulations. Due to the geographical and hydrological situation of Hungary, and thus that of the Hungarian part of the Tisza valley, the Hungarian interests in international cooperation in the field of water management relate to the joint use of finite water resources and to the conflicts that stem from upstreamdownstream controversies. Therefore the objective of international cooperation in water management might be the reducing of the adverse consequences of this situation and to launch joint development projects, wherever possible (Figure I.). Factors of cooperation relate generally not directly to natural conditions but to human interventions (Figure 2.) and to the different demand and options of the societies concerned. These factors should be considered and analyzed as those of the initial settings and interests of the cooperation. In formulating the professional content of the Hungarian proposal for the development of cooperation in water managament (Tables III—IV.) the interests and special aspects of the riparian countries have been considered, right in the first phase. In setting these professional targets special attention was given to tasks that require multilateral international cooperation (Figures 2-5.). Bilateral transboundary water agreements form the most important elements of the present system of international cooperation in water managament (Table VI.). However, the recent European trends in international water- and environmental cooperation favour the multilateral agreements. Consequently the Hungarian „water diplomacy" should put more emphasis on achieving multilateral solutions. Nevertheless, the two approaches should serve a united water management policy, making use of the advantages of both approaches and eliminating their particular disadvantages. The authors consider the participation of Hungary in all such international programs which serve the multilateral cooperation of the riparian countries of the Tisza River Valley a justifiable action. Efforts should be made on the development of multilateral project proposals (either for the cathment as a whole or to individual problem areas that concern smaller regions) which might expect support from the countries of the Sofia and Helsinki conventions, from that of the EU, from the relevant organizations of the UN (ECE, UNESCO, WMO, UNEP, WHO and UNDP), from other integovemmental bodies, international financing agencies, foundations, and also from non-governmental organizations (Annexes 1—2). The Tisza River basin is not yet in the focus of international cooperative efforts in the field of water- and environmental management, in spite of the fact it includes five countries. A major feature of the River Tisza is that it is the largest tributary of the River Danube and consequently all international cooperative efforts of the Tisza Basin should join one of the Danube programs, this giving a better chance for international acceptance and support. Cooperative water management efforts of the Tisza basin should fit into the legal frames of international water management, more concretely to the cooperative system of the ongoing water and environmental Danube projects. In respect to the professional content, organization, management and the maintenance of relationships the proposals and guidelines of the UN and the ECE should be followed. The means and solutions of similar European projects could be considered as examples for the Tisza River Basin cooperation. In respect to the international legal frames those of the Sofia Convention should be adhered to as it takes over the tasks and obligations of the Bucharest Declaration, has a detailed professional plan and the its frames of organizations are also being developed. The authors suggest the fitting of