Abstract
Freshwater, the source of life, is a natural resource with a unique character. It is a constant quantity with changing states. Access to and management of this resource must be equitable, both nationally and internationally. International law first focused on international rivers, then progressively on other sources of water. At the heart of many human activities, water is in demand from all sides. It has many facets. International law addresses all of them, while at the same time responding to the imperative of access to water for all, as well as to environmental degradation and the vulnerability of water as a resource.
