This book - which contains the inaugural address presented at the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands) on June 5th, 2008, for acceptance of the Chair of European and Dutch Water Law - discusses water law from the perspective of the protection of water rights granted in European and Dutch water law, with a focus on a fair distribution of water rights. The book looks for a connection between classical protection and regulation of water and new governance approaches. Special attention is paid to the legal consequences of the transnational river basin approach, especially the formulation and scope of water rights, the allocation and granting of powers, existing and new control mechanisms to protect water rights, joint responsibilities, and conflict management. This is a bilingual book, with the complete text published in both English and Dutch.