The Geneva List of Principles on the Protection of Water Infrastructure: An Assessment and the Way Forward

Protection of water infrastructure is fundamental to the protection of civilians during armed conflicts; they provide water for drinking, sanitation, agriculture and energy. Unfortunately, they suffer not only from incidental damages inherent in conflicts, but also from deliberate targeting and weaponization by the belligerent parties.

In The Geneva List of Principles on the Protection of Water Infrastructure, Tignino and Irmakkesen provide a detailed overview of the rules and practice on the protection of water infrastructure during and after armed conflicts. This overview is presented in a set of principles derived from different branches of international law and enriched with international practice, making the monograph a first in taking a holistic approach in the study of the subject.

Mara Tignino, Ph.D. (2008), Graduate Institute (Geneva), is a Reader at the University of Geneva and the Lead Legal Specialist at the Geneva Water Hub. She has published extensively on international water law, including monographs and articles on water in armed conflicts.

Öykü Irmakkesen, is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Geneva. She is a Teaching Assistant at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and a former Researcher at the Geneva Water Hub.