CAREC at the International Symposium on Water Diplomacy
November 16-17, 2016, Stockholm hosts the International Symposium on Water Diplomacy. The Symposium has brought together researchers, diplomats, decision-makers, thought leaders and practitioners to discuss international cooperation over shared water resources and water diplomacy as an approach to conflict transformation, peace-building and regional security. Discussion topics include environmental peacebuilding and grassroots diplomacy, and the role of women in these issues.
Background
Increasing climate variability resulting in more flood and drought disaster events and an increasing demand for water as populations grow and require access to reliable quantities of quality water, add a sense of urgency to water management. This is an international issue, when water resources are shared between two or more countries, and at the sub-national level where the burdens of inadequate water are felt the hardest. Moreover, international water diplomacy and transboundary water cooperation is needed when resources are, or are perceived to be in short supply or when access to water is restricted or confined
«Approximately 276 river basins cross international borders and serve as a primary source of freshwater for approximately 40 % of the world’s population. Globally about 30-50% of the world’s population depend on groundwater sourced from 608 transboundary aquifer systems» (UNESCO-IGRAC 2014).
CAREC participated in «A regional approach to water diplomacy» session on the 1st day and «Environmental Peacebuilding & Grassroots Water Diplomacy» session on the 2nd day as a panelist.
«A regional approach to water diplomacy» session with participation of Dr. Iskandar Abdullaev, Executive Director of CAREC, covered the issues of effective water governance, benefit sharing in the international river basin context. This approach explicitly articulates the options for water sharing and their trade-offs with the ultimate goal of promoting the sustainable use of transboundary water resources.
«Environmental Peacebuilding & Grassroots Water Diplomacy» session with participation of Ms. Ekaterina Strikeleva, Smart Waters project manager, included the topics on a peace-building that can contribute to a sustainable, long-term solution to conflict in water sectors. It can help to improve of living conditions and it fosters the building of confidence and trust among adversarial groups. The mutual ecological dependence across territorial borders on a resource such as an international river basin or aquifer can encourage and catalyse cooperation.
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The International Centre for Water Cooperation (ICWC) at SIWI has organized the event in collaboration with the International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change (Germany).
Photo from the main page: http://internationalwatercooperation.org