Abstract

Transboundary waters play a significant role in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region. From the 56 countries in the region, all but the three island states share water resources with one or more other countries. Transboundary basins cover more than 40 per cent of the European and Asian parts of UNECE. Sometimes, these basins extend outside the region. They link populations of different countries, are a major source of income for millions of people, and create hydrological, social and economic interdependencies between countries. The Aras River lies in the Kura-Aras River Basin and affects the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey. Certainly all the riparian countries in the Aras River Basin are desirous to purify the river from all pollutants and agree to cooperate on sustainable development, but there is no specific management system in this region to guide organizations on environmental improvement. In fact, all riparian countries are contributing to Aras River contamination. Nevertheless, the portion of each country’s role in wastewater disposal and river contamination is different. Underdeveloped legislation at a regional level, fragmented water monitoring and the lack of regional co-operation mechanisms—none of which can be resolved independently—make water pollution a severe problem for all four countries.