Abstract
Armed conflicts jeopardize people's access to drinking water, and can lead to contamination of water resources. One of the latest examples is the conflict in Ukraine where, according to estimates by the UNGlobal WASH Cluster, in November 2022, direct and indirect attacks on water infrastructure affected around sixteen million people in Ukraine. The aim of this seminar is to present the principles and rules of international law that protect water infrastructures and the natural environment. The application of the norms of international humanitarian law is not sufficient to adequately protect access to water for the civilian population. The seminar will illustrate, through the List of Geneva Principles on the Protection of Hydraulic Infrastructures, the need to apply the principles of human rights law and international environmental law in a way that complements the provisions of international humanitarian law during and after armed conflict.
