Strategic Studies Quarterly

Abstract Climate change is one of the most important and serious challenges facing the international community and the whole planet, especially the scarcity of water resources which results in drought. In recent decades, this phenomenon has led to a security issue in international relations and the escalation of tensions between some states in water-scarce areas and also has risen disputes over how to manage shared water resources. Therefore, today water is among the factors that disrupt, threaten and harm global security and, therefore, is of great importance in strategic studies. This article attempts to examine the impact of climate change and its effects on international commitments and how transboundary water resources are used. The findings of the article show that climate change and water scarcity in some areas have created a significant security challenge in the international system, especially in the discussion of shared water resources management, which turning it into an opportunity requires strengthening cooperation between governments based on the logic of a win-win game.

Abstract Separation of Crimea from Ukraine has renewed old questions about political or legal nature of self-determination.   This article, focusing on different issues on self-determination, discusses changes in domestic aspect of it and its ambiguities. Author, from an international law approach, tries to answer this question: is self-determination based on political practices or follows legal rules? In response, he argues that because of the lack of unity and dispersion in states behaviors, there is a not still customary international law rule to explain and describe all situations of self-determination. So, in most conditions, political claims are not separable from legal demands, and recognition as the most component of bestowing this right of self-determination is still confined to political will of states and doesn’t follow clear legal standards