This book provides a fresh conceptualisation of water security, developing an operational methodology for identifying the four core elements of water security which must be addressed by international law: availability; access; adaptability; and ambit.

Bjørn-Oliver Magsig is a research fellow at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Environmental and Planning Law (Leipzig, Germany), focusing on international environmental law, water diplomacy, and the link between natural resources and international security. His research critically assesses the current legal regime of transboundary watercourses against the backdrop of regional security and instability and aims to contribute to the evolving body of public international law. Bjørn-Oliver has extensive project experience on law and transboundary river basins, serves on the Managing Board of the European Environmental Law Forum (EELF) and is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law.

1. Introduction 2. Water Security: Conceptualising a Buzzword 3. International Law in the Water Security Discourse 4. Hydrosolidarity: The Answer to State-Centrism? 5. Regional Common Concern: The Legal Foundation for Common Water Security 6. Water Security in Himalayan Asia 7. Conclusion