Main page content

Environment
Conflict
Cooperation

Global Issues
Water

Water diplomacy: Facilitating dialogues

13 August, 2019

SIWI

Growing water scarcity and climate change effects are having a profound global impact resulting in an urgent need for increased dialogue and cooperation over shared water resources. In this policy brief, the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) highlights the potential of water diplomacy as an approach for forwarding peace and the better management of transboundary waters.

Increased pressure on transboundary water resources resulting from growing economic and population demands, amplified by climate change processes, can have devastating effects in regions affected by armed conflicts and internal water mismanagement. The brief looks into current opportunities and entry-points for dialogues, formal and informal diplomacy tracks and the constellation of actors that play a central role in water diplomacy.

The SIWI also hosts the anual World Water Week in Sweden. Find out more.

Related content

©Matt Hardy/pexels

Global Issues
Water

The Global Challenge of Water’s Weaponization in War: Lessons from Yemen, Ukraine, and Libya

©Matt Hardy/pexels

The world’s water is in trouble. Freshwater pollution, coupled with climate change, population growth, and increasing demand, threatens water quality and...

Global Issues
Water

Water and Conflict: A Toolkit for Programming

This practical toolkit provides guidance for implementing partners, USAID staff, and other stakeholders who support the Global Water Strategy and White House...

Global Issues
Water

Partnerships and cooperation for water

The 2023 United Nations World Water Development Report on Partnerships and Cooperation assesses the nature and role of partnerships and cooperation among...

Global Issues
Water

Water action is climate action: Opportunities for peace post 2023 UN Water Conference

There cannot be climate action without water action. The acknowledgement of this at this year’s UN Water Conference could represent a "once in a generation...

Global Issues
Water

Water is the new carbon

Global water security is increasingly threatened. Accounting for water use and risk ought to have the same urgency with which we address carbon.

Global Issues
Land and Food

State of the climate: How the world warmed in 2021

The climate data for 2021 is now mostly in, and it has proved to be another noteworthy year across the oceans, atmosphere, cryosphere and surface temperature of...

Global Issues
Water

Handbook on water allocation in a transboundary context

The first-ever ‘Handbook on Water Allocation in a Transboundary Context’ explains the various phases, benefits and challenges of transboundary water allocation...

Bangladesh, water, bridge, collapse, boat

Global Issues
Water

‘Improve climate data’ to tackle water security

Improved water security is critical as climate change worsens. Local climate data is needed to mitigate risks for vulnerable communities.

Global Issues
Water

Navigating trade-offs between dams and river conservation

Connected and healthy rivers deliver many important benefits, but if all currently proposed hydropower dams are built, over 260,000 km of rivers will lose free...

Newsletter subscription Sign up for news on environment, conflict and cooperation.

First name

Surname

Privacy policyWhen you are asked to submit personal information while using our services, you are free to choose whether or not to provide this. Your personal details will be stored and used in accordance with German data protection regulations. Any personal details collected as part of this newsletter subscription will be used for the purpose of processing the subscription and dealing with your enquiries. Your details will not be passed onto third parties. No use will be made of your details for consulting purposes, for advertising or for market research. If you cancel your subscription, all your personal details will be deleted from our database.

I agree with the delivery of the newsletter.

You can revoke your consent to the site operator at any time by unsubscribing from the newsletter. An unsubscribe function is also at the bottom of every newsletter.

Leave this field blank

Go to newsletter archive