Water systems crossing national boundaries make riparian countries of a basin linked in a complex network of environmental, political, economic and significantly security interdependencies. Water insecurity is emerging as a massive challenge for the global community and governments of shared basins where each riparian state has its own agenda filled with ambition, preferences, challenges, and threats. Transboundary water cooperation as one of the primary pillars for achieving sustainable national, international and regional water security, acts as capacity building measures to boost political, social and economic cohesion by providing peace and development. Notably, the complexity of interactions among population, geographic, and uncertain climatic conditions for transboundary cooperation over shared waters is mirrored by the complexity of governance arrangements.
In order to collectively develop a better understanding of the current water governance challenges, and how it may be enriched in practice, this session provides the opportunity for participants to share, explore and test their ideas, knowledge, and experiences, reveal new insights and address concerted actions in governing water resources towards a water secure world under the shadow of climate change and future uncertainties.
Keywords: Transboundary management, Basin-wide water security, Benefit-sharing, Governance, Cooperative decision-making
Objectives
Reach an insightful overview of the governance challenges that are associated with climate adaption and water scarcity
Address risks identified
Address possible solutions to prevent conflict and to foster basin-wide strength and security
Determine strategic role of transboundary water resources management, descriptions of innovative thinking and tools applied to promote transboundary cooperation to enhance water security for all
Session Plan
Reach an insightful overview of the governance challenges that are associated with climate adaption and water scarcity
Address risks identified
Address possible solutions to prevent conflict and to foster basin-wide strength and security
Determine strategic role of transboundary water resources management, descriptions of innovative thinking and tools applied to promote transboundary cooperation to enhance water security for all
Moderation: Léna Salamé
Thematic Keynote
Janos Bogardi | Center of Development Research, University of Bonn
Transboundary water governance and benefit sharing: a trust based imperative
Oral Presentations
Gift, Renée | UNESCO, France UNESCO-IHP: Fostering Peace through Water Security (341)
Dombrowsky, Ines | German Development Institute (DIE), Germany Hydropower Projects and Benefit Sharing on the Nile River: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Rusumo Falls (264)
Yasuda, Yumiko | International Centre for Water Cooperation (under auspices of UNESCO); The Hague Institute for Global Justice; Stockholm International Water Institute; Uppsala University A Zone of Possible Effective Cooperation (ZOPEC) in Transboundary Water Cooperation (274)
