The basin rights approach might provide an alternative idea and methodology for establishing a starting point for international river negotiations. The approach takes into account both history and hydrology by reserving human water rights in advance. Additionally, the inclusion of an ecological water requirement as a prerequisite for sustainable use divides the responsibility among all the basin states. This consideration can help to balance the rights and obligations between nature and humankind as well as between upstream and downstream users. If the negotiating parties share several types of basic data such as discharge, runoff contribution, and population, it would be very easy for them to figure out each country’s water quota and make decisions on whether building massive infrastructure in one basin state would exceed its water quota. The water rights, nature rights, and human rights for 276 international river basins, using an older TFDD delineation of basin boundaries, has been calculated an is available.                  

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