https://lawjournals.celnet.in/index.php/jel/issue/feed 2026-02-12T08:05:06+00:00 Mr. Gagan Kumar (Associate Editor) [email protected] Open Journal Systems <p>National Journal of Environmental Law invites the legal practitioners, academicians and scholars seeking to make a positive impact on the universe through environmental concerns, through their efforts. Maintenance of a healthy environment is a key concern for the world of today. Through this Journal, a light is thrown on major issues related to environment, steps taken to mitigate the misuse of natural resources and the laws framed by the authorities to restore a healthy environment for the present as well as upcoming generations.</p> https://lawjournals.celnet.in/index.php/jel/article/view/1992 2026-02-12T08:05:06+00:00 Aaisha Hasan [email protected]

<p>India, which accounts for 18% of the global population but possesses only 4% of the world’s freshwater resources, faces increasing water stress in 2025. “Per capita water availability has dipped below 1,500 cubic meters, and 163 million individuals lack access to safe drinking water, exacerbating health risks, food insecurity, and social unrest.” This paper explores how water<br>rights have evolved from ancient communal views to constitutional guarantees under Article 21, yet enforcement lags amid market-driven policies and pollution.<br>It examines transboundary tensions over rivers like the Indus and Ganges, where bilateral treaties promote equity but falter against climate change, dams, and disputes—such as India&amp;#39;s 2025 Indus suspension amid Pakistan's threats. Drawing on literature, history, and current dynamics, the study highlights gaps in fragmented governance and unequal access, disproportionately hitting women, farmers, and marginalized groups. Recommendations urge a human rights-based approach: ratify global conventions, form river basin authorities, ensure free basic access, and foster regional cooperation. Recognizing water as a shared heritage may help bridge disparities, enhance resilience, and support equitable access for future<br>generations.</p>

2026-02-12T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2026 National Journal of Environmental Law https://lawjournals.celnet.in/index.php/jel/article/view/1974 2026-01-13T10:35:45+00:00 Swarnima Gorani [email protected]

<p>The proposal to recognise ecocide as a fifth international crime, prosecutable by the International Criminal Court, represents a paradigmatic shift in environmental governance and international criminal jurisprudence. This article critically examines the multifaceted impediments to institutionalising ecocide prosecution, focusing on epistemological challenges in defining environmental harm and jurisdictional constraints inherent in the Rome Statute framework. Through an analysis of doctrinal evolution, comparative criminological frameworks, and geopolitical dynamics, this study argues that while ecocide criminalisation possesses normative legitimacy, its operationalisation confronts substantive legal, evidentiary, and political obstacles that necessitate a fundamental reconceptualisation of the architecture of international criminal law.</p>

2026-01-13T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2026 National Journal of Environmental Law