Texas A&M University School of Law professor Gabriel Eckstein recently returned from a trip to Uganda where he co-lead a workshop on international water law and transboundary waters negotiations in a first-ever course organized by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the European Union.
Approximately 16 students were part of a three-day session held at the Makerere University School of Law June 25-28. The session included presentations by Eckstein and other water policy experts, small break out groups and concluded with a mock negotiation of a treaty over an international river.
“The region of Eastern Africa needs support and advice on transboundary water management and transboundary water law,” Eckstein said, adding that the focus of the workshop was on helping the countries develop their own capacity to empower them to manage these issues on their own.
The newly established and developing Environmental Law Center at the School of Law of Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, was selected to serve as a regional center for water law and policy and provide specialized training to officials from Eastern Africa, according to an article on the Makerere University’s website.
Eckstein hopes to help establish these programs and develop their agenda as well as become further involved with follow-up meetings on related topics, including water law and policy negotiations, management of transboundary aquifers and data sharing.
Following the workshop, Eckstein spent some time in his element, rafting a portion of the Victoria Nile – a major source and tributary to the Nile River. View photos from the sessions and Nile rafting.
Learn more about Professor Eckstein or view his scholarship on SSRN.