Setting the Legal Basis in International Law for Liability for Transboundary Rivers Plastic Pollution

Abstract

This article examines the issue of plastic pollution in rivers, studying various perspectives to provide a comprehensive understanding of the problem. Data on the volume of plastic pollution are presented, including the sources and consequences of this pollution in rivers. This research demonstrates the magnitude of the problem of river plastic pollution, and the challenges associated with conducting reliable research. Furthermore, the various measures adopted by countries to reduce plastic production, use of disposable plastic products, and the sealing of plastic management processes have been identified. Two types of legal acts are identified at the international level: those that address river management issues, the most important being the 1992 and 1997 Conventions. However, these conventions are not global and their geographical application is limited. Conventions with a global dimension, such as the Basel Convention or the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), partially address the issue of plastics.

This article proposes that solving the problem of river plastic pollution requires coherent solutions (at the national and international level) and efficient management of trans- boundary rivers – at the transboundary level and extended to the global level. The development of legal regulations in these areas will likely contribute towards strengthening the basis for bearing responsibility for plastic pollution. Examples of such responsibility are cited in the article, but they refer to national laws.