While water security is now being discussed at the highest political level, the debate on how the concept should actually be implemented to improve the management of our transboundary freshwater resources is still in its infancy. Further, the absence of law in much of this debate impedes efforts to utilize water security as a change agent for international water law and diplomacy – an unsatisfactory situation threatening global stability and international security. This article demonstrates that a fresh conceptualization of water security is not only required to bring about the desperately needed change in the underlying perceptions of sovereignty, but that it is also possible. However, this will only work if international law plays its part in turning the buzzword into a meaningful concept. By supporting the contemporary understanding of water security through strengthening normative developments regarding the concepts of common concern and cooperative sovereignty, these concepts of international law could simultaneously be better employed to tackle other increasingly complex global challenges.

中文翻译：

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水安全：国际法的试金石

虽然目前正在最高政治级别上讨论水安全问题，但关于如何实际实施这一概念以改善对我们的跨界淡水资源的管理的辩论仍处于起步阶段。此外，本次辩论的大部分内容都没有法律，这阻碍了利用水安全作为国际水法和外交的变革推动者的努力–这种令人不满意的局势威胁着全球稳定和国际安全。本文表明，不仅需要对水安全进行全新的概念化，以使迫切需要的根本主权观念发生变化，而且这也是可能的。但是，这只有在国际法将流行语变成有意义的概念的过程中起作用。