If the Friendship Bridge – which connects Foz do Iguaçu, in Brazil, to Ciudad del Este, in Paraguay – collapses, both countries would have to pay for the reconstruction. This is what the agreement between the two nations established at the time of the construction of the structure, when it was also defined that each one would take care of the maintenance services in its respective half of the bridge. When two countries are partners in an undertaking of this type, there is always an agreement establishing the responsibility of each party, which may vary from case to case. But, time and time again, water issues between nations are a matter of discussion, as you can see below.
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NET FRONTIER
When the border between two countries is delimited by a river, there are two main ways of establishing the demarcation. Either it follows an imaginary line that divides the watercourse exactly in half, or it follows the thalweg, a sinuous channel that runs through the deepest points of the river bed.
SISTERS DIVISION
In general, in cases where the river is divided between two nations, a principle called concurrent sovereignty prevails. On the Paraná River, for example, Brazil and Paraguay share the right to navigate and, as security in the area interests both of them, they can act together against crime.
SEPARATE BUSINESS
When there are no pre-established agreements between two countries regarding water, legal fights are constant. The International Court of Justice, the body that resolves these disputes, has several cases in its curriculum. Türkiye and Greece, for example, are constantly fighting over larger slices of the Aegean Sea.
ON MY SIDE, NO!
If it believes that its waters are at risk, a country can even complain about works outside its territory. In 2006, for example, Argentina went to the International Court to prevent Uruguay from building pulp mills on the banks of the Uruguay River. The Argentines, who feared that pollution would reach their portion of the river’s waters, won the case and blocked the work.
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