Features of groundwaters in basins shared between Ethiopia and Kenya and the implications for international legislation on transboundary aquifersCaractéristiques de nappes dans des bassins partagés entre l’Ethiopie et le Kenya et les implications au regard de la législation internationale sur les aquifères transfrontaliersAspectos de las aguas subterráneas en cuencas compartidas entre Etiopía y Kenia y las implicancias para la legislación internacional de los acuíferos transfronterizos埃塞俄比亚和肯尼亚共有含水层的地下水特征及对跨国界含水层国际立法的启示Características das águas subterrâneas nas bacias partilhadas entre a Etiópia e o Quénia e as implicações para a legislação internacional sobre os aquíferos transfronteiriços

The implementation of laws relating to transboundary aquifers necessitates field knowledge so that the laws can be coincident with reality on the ground. The definition of ‘shared aquifer’ is more complex than the mere physically shared body of groundwater flowing from country A to country B. The border between Ethiopia and Kenya is characterized by low-volume groundwater storage and low transboundary flows. However, groundwater has visible environmental, social and economic functions. The characteristics of groundwater flow and storage in aquifers shared between Ethiopia and Kenya are different from those used in setting the foundation of the international legal framework on shared aquifers. By describing the characteristics of the groundwaters that are shared between Ethiopia and Kenya, this work demonstrates that the international legal framework is inadequate when applied in this region. The main inadequacies are: (1) international law does not specify the minimum volume of transboundary flow in an aquifer for it to qualify to be treated under the law, and (2) the physical aspects of water get more emphasis than the functions of groundwater. A more adequate international legal framework would be one that considers specific types of groundwater and local needs.