WPS shares knowledge on #WaterandPeace with African Union In November 2024, efforts to disseminate the outcomes of the Water, Peace, and Security (WPS) projects in #Africa (#Ethiopia, #Mali, and #Kenya), gained momentum with key meetings in Addis Ababa. On 8 November, WPS coordinator Yasir Mohamed met with representatives from the African Union’s Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (SEBE) Directorate, including Dr. Harsen Nyambe, Ms. Fareeda, and Dr. Ahmed Khalid. The discussions emphasized the critical role of water 💧 and peace 🕊️ in SEBE’s work. The Directorate asked for assistance from WPS to develop their policy paper, and contribute to an upcoming stakeholders' discussion planned in Kenya. A second meeting took place on 22 November 2024, with H.E. Amb Frederic Gateretse-Ngoga, Senior Advisor for International Partnerships under the Political Affairs, Peace, and Security Commission of the African Union. Ambassador Ngoga highlighted the importance of addressing water-related conflicts in Africa, including localized and cross-border disputes. He also outlined potential areas of collaboration between IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, WPS and the African Union. #WaterPeaceSecurity #WaterSecurity #EarlyWarningTool #waterandpeace #blueeconomy #
About us
Water-related risks to global security are linked to conflict, instability, migration, water and food insecurity, and waterborne illness, affecting the lives of billions of people around the world. Data is fundamental to understanding how water shortages translate into social consequences, where water-related risks are highest, what drives these risks, and what solutions exist. The Water, Peace, and Security (WPS) Partnership was founded in 2018 to pioneer the development of innovative tools that identify and address water-related security risks. WPS’ Global Early Warning Tool employs machine learning to forecast conflict over the next 12 months in Africa, the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia. Through cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, human responses modeling, and remote sensing, the Global Early Warning Tool raises awareness of the risks of water-related security threats. WPS is working on regular updates to the platform to improve its model and extend its geographic coverage. National governments, actors from the global defense, development, diplomacy, and disaster relief sectors, and other stakeholders can use the tool to identify conflict hotspots before violence erupts, begin to understand the local context, and prioritize opportunities for water interventions. Based on this information, evidence-based actions can be taken to mitigate human security risks, which WPS facilitates through capacity development and dialogue support.
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http://waterpeacesecurity.org
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Updates
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During a Water, Peace and Security training workshop 5-6 November 2024 in Bamako, Mali on the theme ‘Strengthening the link between knowledge, planning and practice in conflict-sensitive water management’, stakeholders followed sessions on: - Strengthening the capacity of stakeholders, including WPS partners, to facilitate and maintain peace and cooperation between competing/conflicting water uses and users. - Focussing on Inclusivity and gender in conflict-sensitive water management and governance - Understanding the policy environment in which WPS actors work and identify areas for policy intervention using WPS evidence and experience. - Co-learning strategies for effective accountability mechanisms and processes for conflict-sensitive water management and governance. - Learning (practical) skills in integrated data analysis and dashboard use for evidence-based decision-making and stakeholder engagement. The workshop follows a recent WPS meeting in Mali to address water-related conflicts within the Inner Niger Delta. The sessions included WPS experts from IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Wetlands International. Since 2020, Water, Peace & Security has actively engaged with stakeholders in the Inner Niger Delta in #Mali, including local governments, and farmers, fishermen, herders, who often compete over the ecosystem services of the delta. Together with local communities, WPS contributed to #conflictresolution of water-related conflicts in the #delta through system analyses, trainings, awareness raising and dialogue. Read the blog: https://lnkd.in/dky6KSbw Yasir Mohamed Charles Iceland Audrey Legat Svenja Wolter Charlie Avis Laura Birkman World Resources Institute Deltares International Alert HCSS - The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies #InnerNigerDelta #IND #WaterforPeace #SDG6 #WaterandSecurity #WorldScienceDayforPeaceandDevelopment
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Although #waterwars are uncommon, the global monthly average of water security incidents increased by 230% between January 2019 and May 2024. And it is set to increase. At the #WorldWaterWeek in Stockholm in August, #WPS hosted an online session titled "Water, Peace, and Security: Innovation to Action – Lessons Learned". The session explored the intricate relationship between water management and conflict, emphasizing the potential for water to serve as both a source of tension and a catalyst for #peace. Read more on lessons learned at WPS' World Water Week session: https://bit.ly/4e9HUos #WaterPeaceSecurity
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WPS' Laura Birkman (HCSS - The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies) will speak at the upcoming @Humanity Hub event on Understanding Climate Violence in #TheHague - City of Peace and Justice Yasir Mohamed Charles Iceland Audrey Legat Svenja Wolter Charlie Avis IHE Delft Institute for Water Education World Resources Institute Deltares International Alert Wetlands International
🎤 Meet the speakers for our upcoming event on Understanding Climate Violence 🎤 Journalist Peter Schwartzstein will share many of the key themes and examples from The Heat and the Fury, his recently published book and the first in-depth exploration of climate-related violence for the casual reader. He has spent more than a decade documenting how climate stresses are bleeding into violence big and small, including ISIS’s exploitation of collapsing agricultural conditions to bolster its ranks in Iraq––and the impact of rising seas levels on Bangladeshi piracy. He will be joined by leading profiles in climate security to explore the issue from both global and local perspectives. In what promises to be an engaging conversation, the speakers will dive into real life examples from all around the world. Speakers: Peter Schwartzstein - journalist and author of The Heat and The Fury Peter Schwartzstein is an award-winning environmental journalist and researcher, who has reported on water, food security, and particularly the conflict-climate nexus across more than thirty countries in the Middle East, Africa, and occasionally further afield. Emanuele Fantini - IHE Delft Institute for Water Education Emanuele is a political scientist exploring the intersection between water distribution and conflict, competition and insecurity and how to foster practices of collaboration under such challenging circumstances. Nynke Schaap - PAX Nynke is a project manager at PAX, the Netherlands’ largest internationally operating peace organisation. She will highlight the intersection between climate change and conflict, as well as the intersection between environmental degradation and socio-economic challenges — particularly those affecting women — in fragile and conflict-affected settings like Iraq, Yemen, and South Sudan. Laura Birkman - HCSS - The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies Laura Birkman is a Senior Strategic Analysist at HCSS and leads a range of projects focusing on the security implications of climate change and is an expert on the water-food-energy nexus. She is a management team member of Water, Peace & Security, an award winning partnership that looks to pioneer the development of innovative tools and services that help identify and address water-related security risks in fragile contexts. Secure your spot: https://buff.ly/3YwhRTP 🗓 November 4 ⏰ 17:00 - 19:00 📍 The Hague Humanity Hub #ClimateChange #Violence #COP29 #ClimateSecurity
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Last week, WPS joined The Hague Academy for Local Governance in a tailor-made-training for key Yemeni leaders from the Ministry of Water and Environment. The WPS partnership was invited to give a presentation on the WSP approach by the partnership’s Sundus al-Ogaidi and Laura Birkman. They explained how to negotiate the best options for interventions based on their experience in Iraq. IHE Delft Water and Development Partnership Programme’s Maria Kennedy gave insights on desalination, leaders are equipped to drive impactful change, ensuring local ownership and sustainable investment. The objective of this programme was to assist the Ministry in establishing a roadmap for desalination programming, broaden technical expertise to improve ownership and take the lead in decision making for future investments. HCSS - The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies IHE Delft Institute for Water Education #WaterforPeace #SDG6 #WaterandSecurity
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Svenja Wolter of WPS is speaking at upcoming International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - IFRC #WaterandPeace event on fostering peace and resilience through water. She will share her International Alert experience of using water cooperation as a tool for peace in Mali and Kenya. Svenja Wolter Laura Birkman Charlie Avis Charles Iceland Yasir Mohamed Audrey Legat
Regional Head of Health, Disasters, Climate & Crises (HDCC) Unit - Middle East & North Africa at IFRC
📣Water Side event: Water As An Ally For Peaceful, Inclusive, And Resilient Communities water insecurity is increasing worldwide, and so is the recognition of its role as a multiplier of threats for instability and tensions within communities. At the upcoming 34th International Conference, a side event will be organized to address this challenge; through interactive panels, experts will share insights on fostering resilience and peace around water. Please join us on the 31st of October 2024! 🕕12:15 – 13:15 PM 👉Venue: ROOM LAUSANNE 👉Language: English 👉Moderator: Mr. Danilo Turk, Former President of Slovenia and Lead Political Advisor of the Geneva Water Hub 👉Speakers: H.E Ms. Shahad Matar, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the UN Ms. Svenja Wolter Climate, Environment, and Peacebuilding Advisor Alert International Prof. Mark Zeitun, Director Geneva Water Hub Mr. Mutlaq El Hadeed, Head of DM Jordan RCS Ms. Nathalie Semoroz, Senior Water Policy Advisor Blue Peace Initiative Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Natasha Carmi, Lead Geneva Water Hub's "Building Peace Through Water" Program Radhya Almutawakel, Chairperson Mwatana for Human Rights Itonde Kakoma, President Interpeace 👉Special Guests Iran Red Crescent, Yemen Red Crescent, KOICA/Korean Mission in GVA. ICRC Water and Habitat Hub, Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the UN in Geneva. For more details: https://lnkd.in/dWMwrABn International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - IFRC Maria Pinzon Hiba Abu Al Rob #RCRC24
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Water, Peace & Security reposted this
The #Water, #Peace, and #Security (WPS) initiative, in collaboration with Water Food Energy (WFE), is making significant strides in the Omo-Gibe Basin Ethiopia! By utilizing advanced #hydropower reservoir #optimization and #WFE modeling, we're finding ways to alleviate #waterscarcity, enhance #energymodeling, mitigate #floodrisks for downstream communities, and reduce conflicts over valuable resources. During this week's workshop in Hawassa (Oct 21-25), we partnered with local experts to share knowledge, explore the WEF nexus, and train technical staff on these modeling techniques. We also discussed how the outcomes can support productive dialogue among sectoral stakeholders, ensuring fair and equitable management of competing water demands. Together, we’re shaping a future where water is managed sustainably and justly for everyone! We are immensely grateful for our partnership with International Alert, VITO, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, as well as for the invaluable contributions of our dedicated speckers and trainers Seleshi G. Yalew Gofran Ahmed Abebe D. Chukalla Lea Tatry Mohammad Amin Tahavori 👉 https://lnkd.in/dQdA3nTP
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Last week, Yasir Mohamed and Laura Birkman presented the Water, Peace and Security (WPS) partnership to the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Reinette Klever | Minister BHO during her visit to IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. Her visit underscores the importance the Dutch government places on the water sector in general and in particular to its crucial role in water cooperation as a tool to mitigate tensions and potential conflict. “During our conversation we highlighted the importance of reducing water-related tensions and conflicts in countries – many of which are located in Europe’s Southern Neighbourhood — facing increased competition over water and the work the WPS consortium is doing to manage these risks and support stabilisation and peace,” said Laura Birkman WPS partner HCSS - The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies Tensions and conflicts over water are likely to increase in the coming years, driven by a heightened competition over water resources, especially in the southern border region of Europe where water stress levels are among the highest in the world. The global average monthly number of security incidents related to water increased by 230% between January 2019 and May 2024. The WPS consortium brings in interdisciplinary expertise that supports early warning and regional interventions to help governments and communities manage tension, instability, and even conflict related to increased competition over water. We do not do this alone. WPS works with an extensive network of organisations and experts working in the #development #diplomacy, #disasterrelief and #defence sectors in climate- and water-stressed countries. Key collaborators include the Dutch Embassy network and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - IFRC. HCSS - The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies Deltares Wetlands International International Alert World Resources Institute Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken Inclusive Green Growth Department
The Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Reinette Klever, visited IHE Delft this week. She was briefed by Rector Eddy Moors about the Institute's work to create a better #water 💧future for all through #education, #research and institutional strengthening. IHE Delft staff shared information about the IHE Delft Water and Development Partnership Programme , the Water, Peace & Security partnership and the WaterPIP Knowledge and Action Network. During a quick tour of our laboratories, Minister Klever was introduced to two methods to treat water: Richard Bruins, CEO of Ferr-Tech, explained how his company developed a new green chemical to treat water in a more sustainable way. Ferr-Tech and IHE Delft are part of a project in #Taiwan to apply and further develop this product for drinking water treatment. At the new IHE Delft #algae lab, she was briefed on how algae clean water in a #sustainable way while recovering resources. Minister Klever’s areas of responsibility include international trade, development aid (inclusive Sustainable Development Goals) and international environment and climate policy. Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken
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💧WPS Quarterly Update: Water-related challenges are intensifying across several regions, increasing the risk of violent conflict and humanitarian crises. Key areas to watch include: 🌎Africa: Flooding in Sudan and South Sudan has displaced over 1.2 million people. Central and West Africa face severe rainfall, while Southern Africa's drought continues to affect millions. 🌎Middle East: Water scarcity and extreme temperatures hit Iran and Dubai, with escalating conflicts over water in the West Bank and Lebanon. Climate change is pushing global temperatures to new highs, with 2024 on track to be the hottest year ever recorded. On the other hand, current conflicts show the link water crises and conflict clearer than ever. Discover the latest regions at risk of conflict linked to water in our quarterly update: https://lnkd.in/erguvrwg #WaterPeaceSecurity #WaterSecurity #WaterConflict #WaterRisk #EarlyWarningTool #WaterCooperation