Climate change and its disruptive impact on water resources are increasingly recognised as threat multipliers that exacerbate conflict in areas around the world. The workshop will gather practitioners from the MENA region to discuss the role that civil society can play in fostering environmental cooperation and increasing the resilience of their communities vis-à-vis climate change and conflict.

The European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) is a European-wide initiative to stimulate and make visible activities, projects and events that promote sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On this occasion, the Federal Foreign Office and 23 international embassies in Berlin, Germany, are engaging with the 2030 Agenda on the theme "Diplomacy for Sustainability" and will present their work on the SDGs.

The workshop is offered by EcoPeace’s Program for Water Security to connect EcoPeace’s experience in the Middle East with the capacity building needs of civil society organizations coping with conflict, poor governance and water insecurity worldwide. Through the Program for Water Security, EcoPeace seeks to create long-term partnerships with civil society organizations worldwide and create a global network of environmental peacebuilders.

The “Environment, Conflict and Cooperation” (ECC) exhibition visualizes the dramatic and growing impact of global environmental change. It demonstrates how climate change can threaten the security of the Asian continent, and showcases how climate, environment and sustainable development cooperation can contribute to stability and peace. Dealing with themes such as water, natural resources and climate change, the exhibition shows how environmental degradation and resource scarcity can spark conflict and create new security risks.

The Exhibition on Environmnent, Conflict and Cooperation (ECC) highlights the unprecedented environmental pressures and climate extremes that the world faces today. It was recently updated to encompass topical issues of sustainable development and peace, including the 2030 Agenda. adelphi's ECC Exhibition is shown during the HLPF 2018 by the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations with support by the German Federal Foreign Office as part of the Climate Diplomacy Initiative.

The World Water Forum is the world’s biggest water-related event. Its mission is “to promote awareness, build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels, to facilitate the efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, management and use of water in all its dimensions on an environmentally sustainable basis for the benefit of all life on Earth”.

This panel event will provide an overview of the environmental peacebuilding field and highlight, frame and analyze the efforts of three conservation organizations whose efforts in this area underscore the benefits of this approach to achieving rights-based conservation outcomes.

WSCC 2017 aims to build a bridge between disciplines, sectors and different groups of stakeholders, the conference will serve as a platform for discussions towards water secure societies by providing a stimulating environment with the intention to yield innovative ideas and grounds for implementation.