Building Peace through Water Governance in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Regions

"There is weak evidence for arguments that water insecurity and climate change lead to conflict. However, there is abundant evidence that conflict leads to water insecurity and climate vulnerability. Fragile and conflict-affected (FCA) Arab and African countries include some of the most water insecure and climate vulnerable people in the world. In drylands, choices made about scarce water resources are highly consequential, and conflict exacerbates the political dimensions of these choices. The humanitarian task of delivering water services can create winners and losers, bringing advantages to some communities and costs to others. And political settlements at the end of conflict can lock-in long-term challenges for both water management and climate vulnerability. Yet even in these most difficult situations there are examples of interventions supporting water security and climate resilience, and examples of water governance enabling security and peacebuilding. In the run-up to COP29 in Baku, this session builds on discussions about climate change, recovery, and peacebuilding at COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh and COP 28 in Dubai. It asks, how can good water governance contribute to climate resilience and peacebuilding in FCA situations, and what are the entry points for good water governance in FCA situations?"