Stefano Burchi is an expert in comparative and international water law. From 1983 to 2008, he served in the Development Law Service of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization where he concluded his ...
IUCN WCEL Water and Wetlands Law Specialist Group

Overview and description
- Description:
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Water and Wetlands Law The IUCN WCEL Water and Wetlands Law Specialist Group leads initiatives for the development and application of water law to achieve ecosystem protection at national, regional ...
Group leadership
Mr Stefano BURCHI
Dr Michael HANTKE-DOMAS
Goals of the Specialist Group
- Research and publishing initiatives
- Providing water and wetlands-related comments and advice to a number of IUCN-based and externally organised initiatives
- Contributing to international meetings and fora, including ongoing participation in the World Water Forum
Projects of the Specialist Group
The CCLSG is currently working on four main projects, as approved by the WCEL Steering Committee, over the programme period 2022-2025:
1. Commentary to the Brasilia Declaration of Judges on Water Justice
The commentary will assess the value and relevance of the Brasilia Declaration of Judges on Water Justice (Brasilia, 21 March 2018) (http://www2.ecolex.org/server2neu.php/libcat/docs/LI/MON-093474.pdf) to members of the Judiciary, and to lawmakers and policymakers, in the exercise of their respective functions and powers relating to water resources.
Lead persons: Antonio Benjamin and Stefano Burchi
2. Reverberations in domestic and in international law of the ecosystem support function of groundwater
The project aims to shed light on the much neglected ecosystem support function of groundwater, from the perspective of (a) domestic legislation as regards domestic aquifers, and (b) international law as regards transboundary aquifers.
Lead persons: Laura Movilla and Robyn Stein
3. International liability for environmental damages caused in transboundary waters
This project will explore international environmental liability for the environmental damages endured by one country because of the action (or omission) by another country upstream or downstream.
Lead persons: Micheal Hantke-Domas and Owen McIntyre
4. Commentary to the Manifesto for National Integrated Legal Frameworks for Water Resources Governance
A Manifesto for National Integrated Legal Frameworks for Water Resources Governance https://www.aida-waterlaw.org/2022/03/21/manifesto-for-national-integrated-legal-frameworks-for-water-resources-governance/ has been developed by the International Association for Water Law (AIDA), in collaboration with the Environmental Law Institute (ELI). This project aims to further develop and promote the Manifesto.
Lead persons: Jessica Troell and Stefano Burchi