instead it fosters the establishment and implementation of such agreements as well as their further development the convention establishes principles and rules that form the basis for countries working together to protect and sustainably use their shared freshwater resources such measures include undertaking environmental impact assessments and other means of assessment preventing and reducing pollution at its source licensing and monitoring wastewater discharges and developing and applying best environmental practices to reduce inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances from agriculture and other diffuse sources parties are obligated to use water resources sustainably taking into account the ecosystem approach