Exercising a community of interests : a comparison between the Mekong and the Amazon legal regimes

Riparian States share common interests in the use and conservation of international watercourses, which, by virtue of their ecological unity, give rise to a community of interests. As shared natural resources, their use involves transboundary cooperation. In practice, to exercise a community of interests States need to take collective actions aimed at an equitable and reasonable utilisation of an international watercourse. Riparian States from different regions of the world attempt in various ways to achieve that goal and ultimately exercise a community of interests. This article compares in particular the Amazon and Mekong River basins. This comparison shows that the Mekong States have worked more effectively towards an equitable and reasonable utilisation of shared water resources, especially by creating the Mekong River Commission and other organs.