This book was originally published by Claeys and Casteels, now formally part of Edward Elgar Publishing. Energy has always been a potential positive European cooperation and integration factor. Providing zero-carbon power to homes and businesses across the EU will require an open market in electricity, underpinned by both upgraded and new trans-national transmission networks. Building this network in time to meet the 2050 challenge will require action now. Supergrid will allow Europe to transform its present energy system, still mainly based on fossil fuels, to one that is sustainable since it will not only be able to optimise all generation (energy mixes) of the Member States but will also be able to integrate all renewable energy sources that Europe wishes to exploit. This book will show that the above could be implemented today if there was the political will do so followed by the implementation of the necessary regulatory instruments. The different chapters will lead us through the period when the idea of a European Supergrid was just a vision to the reality of the technological developments that make it possible to have such a transformed energy system in the near future. Europe can afford a transformed energy system. Investing in all these new technologies that can limit global warming to 2 DegreesC has, of course, a cost but the cost of doing nothing would be much higher and not only in terms of money.

This book analyses the nexus between land access and the extractive industries in Africa, specifically highlighting the gaps in energy, land and mining laws and the practical solutions needed to settle the increasing number of land disputes in resource-rich areas. Access to land is essential for the successful operation of energy and mining projects. However, there are often social, environmental and economic issues associated with acquiring land for these projects. Socially, many people are relocated; economically, local communities are not given adequate compensation; environmentally, pollution negatively impacts on the agricultural and fishing industries relied on by over 80% of the local communities. Against this stark background, and drawing from the author's fieldwork research, this book addresses the important question of whether the different land tenure systems, coupled with administration and registration procedures, are adequate to address the increasing land disputes in oil and mineral-rich African countries.

Cross-border pipelines provide a relatively safe but economic tool for transportation of large quantities of oil and gas across international borders. Nowadays the international oil and gas pipeline network is expanding millions of kilometers worldwide. Meanwhile, just like any other industrial activities, pipelines cannot be kept completely safe from accidents. In the case of crossborder pipelines, unless appropriate measures have been taken by the parties involved for the prevention of such accident, the risks of such accidents are greater since control and monitoring are shared and it is more difficult to attribute blame for any transboundary damage.This book addresses the impact and application of various policy instruments and regulation at the international level, which may be considered as an appropriate instrument to guarantee the safety of cross-border oil and gas pipelines. Furthermore, this book addresses the issue of international responsibility for significant damage which may be caused by the cross-border pipelines, with an emphasis on the roles of states. The author provides answers to questions such as: What are the potential harms associated with cross-border oil and gas pipelines? What is the international legal regime applicable to cross-border pipelines? What are measures used to prevent and reduce damage which may be caused by crossborder pipelines? Is the current international legal regime applicable to crossborder and cross-country pipelines designed in such a way that it enables an effective prevention of trans-boundary damage? Under which conditions can states be held responsible for trans-boundary damage caused by pipelines?An economic analysis of safety and environmental regulation in relation to cross-border oil and gas pipelines in providing actors with adequate incentive to internalize pollution cost complements the book. Moreover, a detailed study of provisions of international and regional instruments in prevention of transboundary damage and compensation of such damage caused by crossborder pipelines will be provided. As a result this book contains the latest update of international and regional instruments with respect to prevention and compensation of transboundary damage caused by pipelines.

International Energy Governance: Selected Legal Issues covers some of the most interesting and pressing areas of international energy law and policy. Eastern-Mediterranean, WTO and energy, external EU energy policy and the promotion of renewable energy and its various effects on market institutions are just examples of legal issues selected for this book. The authors provide a comprehensive account of these areas under a common theme of energy, trade and environment. This is recommended reading for international lawyers dealing with these topics.' - Kim Talus, University of Eastern Finland, FinlandIn a world that is hungry for energy security, the legal components at the junction of interstate energy cooperation have become increasingly important. International law as it stands today is not equipped to handle international energy governance issues fully, negatively affecting our aim to meet energy security. Selected legal deficiencies relating to international energy governance are identified in this salient book. The currently fragmented and multi-layered international energy governance regime is exposed and reviewed. If governance were streamlined for legal cohesiveness and international political and economic cooperation, it would promote energy security. The book offers a broad perspective on interstate energy cooperation in areas such as energy transit, energy market liberalization and energy investment. A more specific approach is presented in areas of cooperation such as trade and energy; trade, environment and energy; and energy exploration and maritime delimitation disputes. Finally, International Energy Governance considers energy as a special sector within the World Trade Organization and presents an analysis of European Union energy governance and renewable energy systems. This book would primarily be of interest to students, scholars, lawyers, policymakers, and think tanks dealing with the legal aspects of energy, as well as those communities relating to other energy-related disciplines. Contents: Introduction Part I. Interstate Energy Governance: Selected Legal Issues from Trade, Environment and Law of the Sea 1. A fragmented Global Energy Governance 2. Energy as a Special Sector in the World Trade Organization 3. Trade, Environment and Energy: Implications for the Conservation of Oil Resources 4. Energy and Law of the Sea: Eastern Mediterranean Basin Scenarios Part II. EU Energy Governance: Selected Legal Aspects 5. EU Energy Security 6. The EU and its Systemic Relationship to the Energy Community and the Energy Charter Treaty Part III. Renewable Energy in the WTO and EU: Selected Legal Aspects 7. Renewable Energy in the World Trade Organization 8. Renewable Energy in the European Union Part IV. Looking Forward: Bridging the Policy Objectives of Energy, Trade and Environment 9. Sustainable Development and Mega-regionals: The TTIP and TPP Index

This book assesses stability guarantees through the lens of the legitimate expectations principle to offer a new perspective on the stability concept in international energy investments. The analysis of the interaction between the concepts of stability and legitimate expectations reveals that there are now more opportunities for energy investors to argue their cases before arbitral tribunals. The book offers detailed analyses of the latest energy investment arbitral awards from Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic, and reflects on the state of the art of the legitimate expectations debate and its relationship with the stability concept. The author argues that, in order to achieve stability, the legitimate expectations principle should be employed as the main investment protection tool when a dispute arises on account of unilateral host state alterations. This timely work will be useful to both scholars and practitioners who are interested in international energy law, investment treaty arbitration, and international investment law.

This is a unique book written by one of the leading scholars in the field. It uses detailed case studies to analyze the successes, failures and challenges of renewable energy initiatives in developing and emerging countries.Incorporating the insights and perspectives of researchers who come from the respective countries covered, the study compares some of the most exciting success stories, including: China's meteoric rise from near zero use of renewable energy to being the world leader in solar thermal, solar photovoltaic and wind energy; Brazil's success in becoming the world s top ethanol producer and exporter; and India's pioneering use of a hedge plant to produce biodiesel and its use of animal and human wastes for rural electrification. The book also describes Indonesia s disastrous palm oil program which cut down its forests and excavated its peat bogs. It concludes that good leadership is the largest factor in success, but that it is also critical to include public participation, training, transparency, environmental consideration, fair labor practices, protection against exploitation and enforcement. This book is designed to be helpful to other countries seeking to initiate renewable energy programs. It will appeal to local administrators and policymakers, field personnel from UN agencies and NGOs, and renewable energy funders, as well as to academic researchers. Contents: Preface Introduction 1. Case Studies of Renewable Energy in China with Chen Yitong, Long Xue and Zheyuan Liu 2. Nuclear Power in China: Successes and Challenges with Jingru Feng 3. Renewable Energy in the Philippines with Alvin K. Leong 4. Case Study of the Implementation of the Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Pilot Plant in Ain Beni Mathar, Morocco with Alexis Thuau 5. Case Study of Biofuels in India with Sayan S. Das 6. Case Study of Renewable Energy in Brazil with Douglas S. Figueiredo and Lia Helena M.L. Demange 7. Case Study of Indonesia's Palm Oil-based Biodiesel Program with Christopher J. Riti 8. Case Study of Renewable Energy in Pakistan with Shakeel Kazmi 9. Conclusion Index

Deep in the heart of the southern West Virginia coalfields, one of the most important environmental and social empowerment battles in the nation has been waged for the past decade. Fought by a heroic woman struggling to save her tiny community through a landmark lawsuit, this battle, which led all the way to the halls of Congress, has implications for environmentally conscious people across the world. The story begins with Patricia Bragg in the tiny community of Pie. When a deep mine drained her neighbors' wells, Bragg heeded her grandmother's admonition to "fight for what you believe in" and led the battle to save their drinking water. Though she and her friends quickly convinced state mining officials to force the coal company to provide new wells, Bragg's fight had only just begun. Soon large-scale mining began on the mountains behind her beloved hollow. Fearing what the blasting off of mountaintops would do to the humble homes below, she joined a lawsuit being pursued by attorney Joe Lovett, the first case he had ever handled. In the case against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Bragg v. Robertson), federal judge Charles Haden II shocked the coal industry by granting victory to Joe Lovett and Patricia Bragg and temporarily halting the practice of mountaintop removal. While Lovett battled in court, Bragg sought other ways to protect the resources and safety of coalfield communities, all the while recognizing that coal mining was the lifeblood of her community, even of her own family (her husband is a disabled miner). The years of Bragg v. Robertson bitterly divided the coalfields and left many bewildered by the legal wrangling. One of the state's largest mines shut down because of the case, leaving hardworking miners out of work, at least temporarily. Despite hurtful words from members of her church, Patricia Bragg battled on, making the two-hour trek to the legislature in Charleston, over and over, to ask for better controls on mine blasting. There Bragg and her friends won support from delegate Arley Johnson, himself a survivor of one of the coalfield's greatest disasters. Award-winning investigative journalist Penny Loeb spent nine years following the twists and turns of this remarkable story, giving voice both to citizens, like Patricia Bragg, and to those in the coal industry. Intertwined with court and statehouse battles is Patricia Bragg's own quiet triumph of graduating from college summa cum laude in her late thirtie and moving her family out of welfare and into prosperity and freedom from mining interests. Bragg's remarkable personal triumph and the victories won in Pie and other coalfield communities will surprise and inspire readers.

The management of natural resources is directly associated with climate change. On the one hand, most of the greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere originate from the production, transformation and use of natural resources such as coal, natural gas and oil. On the other hand, climate change affects natural resources such as forests and agricultural produce. These interactions illustrate the two-way relationship between climate change and the commodities sector. This paper analyses the ways in which the management of natural resources may impact climate change, and how climate change impacts the adaptation strategies of countries, industries and farmers that extract or produce primary commodities. Resource management is analysed from the perspective of a capital conversion-based model of development. One important conclusion of the paper is that integrating climate change concerns into resource management implies that some natural resources will need to be stranded in order to meet mitigation commitments compatible with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursuing efforts to limit the increase in the average value of global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Regulating Offshore Petroleum Resources makes a unique comparison between the main regulatory characteristics of the Norwegian and British models for petroleum exploration, production and supply. Leading scholars explore the extent to which these models are relevant for the design of regulatory models in countries with significant existing petroleum resources. The applicability of these regulatory models to countries with potential petroleum resources is also assessed. Providing a profound understanding behind the evolution of the British and Norwegian petroleum regimes, this innovative book investigates why these countries followed different paths and analyses the resultant outcomes. Key features include examination of the historical evolution of relevant petroleum regimes, lessons learnt, and an interdisciplinary approach from a range of recognised experts. This comprehensive book will be of great value to regulation and environmental law scholars. Inspection of the ways in which these models can be applied to other countries will also be of interest to government officials and practitioners.

Gas represents a pivotal element of the European energy architecture. New elements such as the evolution of the EU Energy Union, the international climate agreement reached at COP-21, the EU-Russia gas relations in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis and the supply potential emerging in the Eastern Mediterranean, are rapidly reshaping the European gas markets. This book seeks to provide an insight into these developments, with the ultimate aim of contributing to the current European gas debate. The book provides a balancing act between two issues-decarbonisation of the European energy system, and security of gas supply-that are usually conceived as different but actually represent two sides of the same coin.

The book ties together much of the existing work on the history of oil and gas regulation in Iran and builds on that foundation to propose a coherent and balanced approach within the framework of the NCC.

Transparency in the regulation of water utilities is essential in order to ensure quality and fairness. This book explores and compares different regulatory arrangements in the water utilities sectors in three jurisdictions to determine which regulatory and ownership model is most transparent and why. The three jurisdictions considered are England (UK), Victoria (Australia) and Jakarta (Indonesia). Following an introduction to the importance of transparency in water utilities regulation, the book provides an overview of the three chosen jurisdictions and their legal and institutional frameworks. Through a comparison of these the author explores the contested and difficult terrain of "privatization", as (often) opposed to public ownership, in which it is shown that the relationships between transparency and ownership models are not as clear-cut as might be assumed. Chapters consider various aspects and outcomes of the regulatory process and the role of transparency, including topics such as regulators' internal governance mechanisms, utilities corporate governance, licensing and information flow, freedom of information and transparency in tariffs and pricing, as well as customer service. The book concludes with a summary of lessons learned to inform the refinement of transparency in utilities regulation.

The energy industry is a key source of growth stimulation for developing states. Understandably, developing states are eager to enter into petroleum investment contracts with international investors, with the expectation that this will benefit their countries. The domestic law of some developing states provides a welcoming investment environment in the form of guarantees and stability, while other states provide these opportunities by agreeing to investment contracts or treaties drafted by international organisations established to facilitate such agreements. This book identifies the political risks, particularly of indirect expropriation, that arise from the unilateral actions of host governments during the lifespan of energy investment projects. Focusing on stabilisation clauses as a political risk management tool, this research-based study draws on comparative empirical evidence from Turkey and Azerbaijan to determine what influences host states to consent to the insertion of stabilisation clauses in long-term host government agreements. Proposing a framework for the role to be played by both internal forces and external forces, it examines political regimes and state guarantees to foreign investors in Azerbaijan and Turkey from a comparative perspective, assessing how effective internal factors in Azerbaijan and Turkey are in facilitating contractual stability in their energy investment projects. Providing a comprehensive analysis of stabilisation clauses and the internal and external factors that compel host states to commit to them, this book will appeal to practitioners, students and scholars in international investment law and energy law.

Democratization, globalization, and increased environmental awareness have had a profound impact on the regulation of industry in the energy and natural resources sector. This book analyses the changes in character of the way this industry is regulated, and seeks to make connections with theoretical perspectives on regulation as a major part of the modern legal system. Part I examines the emergence of alternatives to regulation, such as 'soft law' in developing countries, the European Electricity and Gas Directives of 1996 and 1998, the idea of regulation of company structure as opposed to performance, multi-faceted government alternative regulatory instruments, and market mechanics. Part II analyses conventional methods of regulation, and how they have evolved, including case studies from the Netherlands, the USA, Singapore, New Zealand, and the UK. Part III looks at regulatory innovations such as environmental audit, self-regulation, the 'Voluntary Action Plan', private-sector standard setting, and certification. Part IV examines the role of non-state actors, and their response to national and supranational regulatory changes, and globalization. Recent shifts in the perception of energy security, failures in energy company corporate governance, and evolving self-regulatory frameworks renders this a timely and worthy examination of the issues facing the energy and natural resources industry today.

This book analyzes the development policies behind the evolution of various arrangements for international petroleum exploitation. By studying examples of the principal categories of petroleum arrangements in four representative developing countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil and China), this study examines in particular the issues of recent trends and new directions in contractual development and environmental sustainability that are reflected in both the structure and substance of the modern petroleum contracts that have emerged since the 1950s. Modern petroleum contracts are generally able to achieve a greater commerciality and mutuality of interests, but they have failed to produce a necessary balance between resources extraction and environmental sustainability. The future direction for petroleum agreements is that they must explicitly recognize the inherent interdependence of commercial viability and sustainable development.

This book examines the latest developments of the European Union's energy policy and particularly the way security of energy supply is taken into account and handled. As one of the three objectives of the EU energy policy, security of supply emerged as a central element of the policy after the January 2009 gas crisis, and now with the consequences of the events in Fukushima. The contributions to the book are made by the most informed people on the various subjects given their professional position. It analyses the extensive developments of the concept toward energy security, the impact of the third internal market package on its reinforcement and the major role to be played by infrastructures in ensuring physically the security of supply. The book comments on the most recent and relevant instruments adopted by the European Union; in the field of oil, the so-called Oil stocks directive; and gas, the Regulation on Security of Gas Supply. In the field of electricity, it will report on the experience of the Transmission System Operators working together in the European Network (ENTSO-E) to guarantee security of supply. The external dimension of the EU energy policy will be explained in as far as it aims at security of supply. Three illustrative cases are particularly studied: the Southern gas corridor development, the January 2009 gas crisis, and the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan. The relevant EU legislative texts and the recent communications of the Commission on the subject are appended, to offer the direct references of what is discussed in the various sections.

Innovation and Disruption at the Grid's Edge examines the viable developments in peer-to-peer transactions enabled by open platforms on the grid's edge. With consumers and prosumers using more electronic platforms to trade surplus electricity from rooftop solar panels, share a storage battery, or use smart gadgets that manage load and self-generation, the grid's edge is becoming crowded. The book examines the growing number of consumers engaging in self-generation and storage, and analyzes the underlying causes and drivers of change, as well as the implications of how the utility sector-particularly the distribution network-should/could be regulated. The book also explores how tariffs are set and revenues are collected to cover both fixed and variable costs in a sustainable way. This reference is useful for anyone interested in the areas of energy generation and regulation, especially stakeholders engaged in the generation, transmission, and distribution of power.

Nuclear Power Plant Development covers the intricacies of developing a nuclear power plant project from a construction and legal standpoint. It deals with structuring, drafting, and negotiating a wide range of standard and specialised contracts relating to the development of nuclear power-generation projects and also covers the other forms of power-generating facilities. It covers the forms of contract, the law involved internationally, and potential areas of pitfalls and how to avoid them in a systematic format covering various forms of projects. It is suitable for solicitors and barristers involved in the contracting for such facilities and the handling of litigation related to them, government officials involved in the commissioning and development of nuclear facilities for regional governments, and engineers and contractors involved in the actual work of design and contract administration and dispute resolution.

The present energy economy, with its heavy dependence on fossil fuels is not sustainable over the medium to long term for many interconnected reasons. Climate change is now recognized as posing a serious threat. Energy and resource decisions involving the carbon fuels therefore play a large role in this threat. Fossil fuel reserves may also be running short, and many of the major reserves are in politically unstable parts of the world.
Yet citizens in nations with rapidly developing economies aspire to the benefits of the modern energy economy. China and India alone have 2.4 billion potential customers for cars, industries, and electrical services. Even so, more than half of the world's citizens still lack access to energy. Decisions involving fossil fuels are therefore a significant part of the development equation.
This volume explains how the law can impede or advance the shift to a world energy picture significantly different from that which exists today.
This book first examines the factors that create the problems of the present carbon economy, including environmental concerns and development goals. It then provides international and regional legal perspectives, examining public international law, regional legal structures, the responses of international legal bodies, and the role of major international nongovernmental actors. The book then moves on to explore sectoral perspectives including the variety of renewable energy sources, new carbon fuels, nuclear power, demand controls, and energy efficiency. Finally, the authors examine how particular States are, could, or should, be adapting legally to the challenges of moving beyond the carbon economy.

Many businesses profess to be voluntarily taking steps to protect the environment, and going beyond compliance with environmental regulations to do so. Kurt Strasser evaluates these claims in this timely and cutting-edge inquiry.The author begins by analyzing whether firms with business environmentalism programs have better environmental performance records than others. He finds that the record is mixed and complex. Yet these kinds of programs are important, he argues, even if to date they have been only partially successful. He goes on to explore what policies should be adopted to promote and channel business environmentalism. The book concludes with a case study of the business community s efforts to mitigate climate change. A nuanced look at an issue of growing concern, this volume will be of great value to anyone concerned with corporate social responsibility, whether it be from a law, business, NGO or government perspective. Contents: Preface 1. Introduction 2. Business Environmentalism: What are Companies Doing and How is it Working? 3. Why Business Environmentalism is Important to Environmental Policy 4. New Governance Theory and Business Environmentalism 5. Supporting Environmental Management Systems with Regulatory Rewards 6. Regulating Information About Business Environmentalism 7. Business Environmentalism and Climate Change the Elephant in the Room 8. Conclusion Bibliography Index

Transparency in the regulation of water utilities is essential in order to ensure quality and fairness. This book explores and compares different regulatory arrangements in the water utilities sectors in three jurisdictions to determine which regulatory and ownership model is most transparent and why. The three jurisdictions considered are England (UK), Victoria (Australia) and Jakarta (Indonesia). Following an introduction to the importance of transparency in water utilities regulation, the book provides an overview of the three chosen jurisdictions and their legal and institutional frameworks. Through a comparison of these the author explores the contested and difficult terrain of "privatization", as (often) opposed to public ownership, in which it is shown that the relationships between transparency and ownership models are not as clear-cut as might be assumed. Chapters consider various aspects and outcomes of the regulatory process and the role of transparency, including topics such as regulators' internal governance mechanisms, utilities corporate governance, licensing and information flow, freedom of information and transparency in tariffs and pricing, as well as customer service. The book concludes with a summary of lessons learned to inform the refinement of transparency in utilities regulation.

'This book can be a guide for regulators as they make decisions about issues such as affordability and access to special programs that may have been deprived of the attention they merit in the past.' - Ashley Brown, Harvard University, US Energy Justice: US and International Perspectives is a pioneering analysis of energy law and policy through the framework of energy justice. While climate change has triggered unprecedented investment in renewable energy, the concept of energy justice and its practical application to energy law and policy remain under-theorized. This volume breaks new ground by examining a range of energy justice regulatory challenges from the perspective of international law, US law, and foreign domestic law. The book illuminates the theory of energy justice while emphasizing practical solutions that hasten the transition from fossil fuels and address the inequities that plague energy systems. Among the first edited volumes to focus wholly on the emerging field of energy justice, this book takes a multidisciplinary approach that examines energy law and policy through the lens of environmental justice, climate justice, indigenous rights, human rights, and energy democracy. Contributions from prominent scholars and practitioners demonstrate how energy justice frameworks can be applied in theory and practice. With a foreword by Dr Robert Bullard, Energy Justice is a critical resource for: law students and professors; researchers, students and faculty of graduate and undergraduate courses in the area of energy and the environment; and advocates and policymakers in the area of energy and the environment. Contributors include: S.H. Baker, A. Brown, R. Bullard, R. Colton, M. Dworkin, S. Foster, C.G. Gonzalez, E.A. Kronk Warner, D.S. Olawuyi, O. Outka, R. Salter, C. Sandoval, D.N. Scott, A.A. Smith, P. Sheppard, E. Stein, J. Wolfley

This book was originally published by Claeys and Casteels, now formally part of Edward Elgar Publishing. Recent developments both in Turkey and its immediate neighbourhood have brought into sharp focus Turkey's pivotal role in a region that has become increasingly challenging to the EU. These developments, for example, have prompted Ankara to declare more of an independent course of action both domestically and regionally and hasten into a detente with Russia. As a result, considerations of Turkey's European future have been eclipsed by concerns about Ankara's preference to aspire to being an independent regional power. Along with those about Turkey's orientation, time-honored existential questions are being raised again: Is Turkey a border, a buffer, or a bridge between the EU and the Middle East? This book moves beyond the 'identity' debate between Turkey and the EU, and offers a guide at this critical time for drawing lessons from a rigorous examination of divergence and convergence between the EU and Turkey in three significant policy areas. The result of a focused research project conducted by a team of international policy experts from the Central European University (Budapest) and Sabanci University (Istanbul), the studies included in this volume suggest alternative scenarios regarding how Turkey and the EU might jointly develop effective energy, transport, and competition policies, regardless of Turkey's EU candidacy status. These studies show how geo-strategic realities ultimately require Turkey to cooperate with the EU on a number of policy issues, despite Ankara's rhetoric to the contrary. Turkey's role as an energy supplier to the EU has never been dropped from Ankara's policy agenda. More recently, the Turkish government has been announcing how its investments in the third bridge across the Bosporus would help to release untapped potential of land-based trade between Europe and Asia. Regardless of the current divergence of political visions, Turkey's policy aims, at least in the three policy areas examined, foresee coordination, if not cooperation, with the EU.

This research collection examines writings from leading water law experts in the world to assess the law applicable to the uses, management and protection of water resources. Exploring the diverse aspects of this, from human rights to international economic law and peace and security, International Water Law comprehensively covers the multi-level facets of water resource management and protection in its wider scope.

An international river basin is an ecological system, an economic thoroughfare, a geographical area, a font of life and livelihoods, a geopolitical network and, often, a cultural icon. It is also a socio-legal phenomenon. This book is the first detailed study of an international river basin from a socio-legal perspective. The Mekong River Basin, which sustains approximately 70 million people across Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, provides a prime example of the socio-legal complexities of governing a transboundary river and its tributaries. The book applies its socio-legal analysis to bring a fresh approach to understanding conflicts surrounding water governance in the Mekong River Basin. The authors describe the wide range of uses being made of legal doctrine and legal argument in ongoing disputes surrounding hydropower development in the Basin, putting to rest lingering caricatures of a single, 'ASEAN' way of navigating conflict. They call into question some of the common assumptions concerning the relationship between law and development. The book also sheds light on important questions concerning the global hybridization or crossover of public and private power and its ramifications for water governance. With current debates and looming conflicts over water governance globally, and over shared rivers in particular, these issues could not be more pressing.