This book critically examines the numerous bilateral and trilateral agreements in North America concerning the trans-border issues of managing water resources, energy and also the flora and fauna that know no borders. These collected essays are not easy to read, but will be invaluable to policy makers as to how the US, Canada and Mexico - states so vastly different in language, culture and economic development - arrived at agreements on complex issues that were not only concerns of the federal governments but in most cases involved the states (provinces in Canada) and local governments. The essays highlight the fact that in such complex issues merely coming to an agreement amongst countries will not suffice. There should be autonomous implementation mechanisms. Further, agreements and mechanisms may not themselves achieve the intended objectives unless there is a political will on the part of the particiating states to enforce what they have agreed upon.
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