Download all RésEAU Brief editions below:
RésEAU Brief 6 - Water and Peace
RésEAU Brief 5 - Water management solution
pathways under climate change
in the Middle East
RésEAU Brief 4 - Why political economy matters in the water sector
RésEAU Brief 4 Annex - Key questions to guide a Political Economy Analysis in the water sector
RésEAU Brief 3 - Developing sustainable rural markets for resilient sanitation: lessons from Bangladesh
RésEAU Brief 2 - Promoting Social Water Entrepreneurship
RésEAU Brief 1 - Water: the key to sustainable food systems globally
Editorial
Dear colleagues,
It is with great pleasure that we present the sixth edition of
the RésEAU Brief series, a medium to share SDC’s learnings
from water-related projects and programmes at the global
level. This edition addresses water as a vector for peace.
Water is a vital element, not only in the fight against poverty
but also for peace and political stability. In the
future, water will be of more geopolitical importance than
any other resource, including crude oil, with demand set
to rise more than 50% by 2030 (World Resource Institute,
2021). This will also increase the risk of conflict over water.
Competition over access to water resources and related services
affects people across the globe in their daily lives,
from anxiety whether the family’s daily drinking water can
be secured to struggles over water allocation between rural
and urban water users.
Most of the world’s water resources are shared between
countries. These transboundary waters create social, economic,
environmental and political interdependencies that
make cooperation a precondition to sustainable development
and peace (United Nations and UNESCO, 2021).
SDG target 6.5 calls for the implementation of integrated
water resources management at all levels, including
through transboundary cooperation, by 2030.
Against the backdrop of these challenges, this RésEAU
Brief shares project experiences and tools to approach
water as a vector for peace, including strategies that can be
used to strengthen cooperation on water at different levels.
The current edition contributes learning from concrete
projects to this year’s global attention and dialogues on
water for peace. In 2024, the World Water Day focused on
Leveraging Water for Peace. Moreover, the International
Cooperation Forum Switzerland 2024 poses the question
“What is peace?” and provides space to exchange on Water
and Peace. Lastly, Switzerland as an elected member of the
UN Security Council from 2023 to 2024 focuses on building
sustainable peace, protecting civilians in armed conflict
and addressing climate security. In all these areas, water and
water-related infrastructure is often a key piece of the puzzle.
We wish you a good read and welcome your feedback
and comments!
Read the full Brief here: RésEAU Brief n.6.pdf
Daniel Maselli, SDC RésEAU Focal Point
