Main page content

"Water Linking People" - The Potential for Water-Related Cooperation

Although shared water resources can lead to competition, confrontation and even escalate into violent conflict, there is nonetheless considerable potential for cooperation in water management. There are international as well as local examples of water linking people. A KOFF/swisspeace Roundtable on "Water Linking People" in mid-June facilitated development cooperation practitioners and researchers to exchange experiences and to achieve a better understanding of positive water management. Christine Bichsel and Willi Graf held presentations on water management, in Central Asia and Bolivia respectively. Christine Bichsel, who earned a doctorate on the basis of her work with NCCR and swisspeace in the Ferghana Valley in Central Asia, presented sections of her PhD study. Willi Graf, who works in the Natural Resource and Environment Section of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), shared insights from the "Water, Land and People" working group (SDC 2006, with support from Intercooperation). The focus was on how people manage water resources, the mechanisms for conflict resolution, and the key elements of successful water management.
The following discussion focused on how international development actors integrate local conflict resolution mechanisms in their strategies. Since local water management systems reflect societal systems, changes in water management patterns often indicate changes in power structures. And since water management is always highly political, it is important for international development actors to understand the complicated underlying societal power structures and to support solutions appropriate to the specific context. In this regard, conflict-sensitivity-tools such as "Do no Harm" and "Conflict Sensitive Programme Management" can help to more efficiently assess the risks and opportunities involved in internationally supported programmes.
KOFF-swisspeace is planning the temporary opening of a thematic learning platform within the Community of Practice "Water for Food" in July and August, to be moderated by Helvetas. Furthermore, the swisspeace annual conference on 13 November 2007 will be themed: "Environmental Peacebuilding: Managing natural resource conflicts in a changing world". (KOFF – Center for Peacebuilding)

A list of specific links to this article can be found in the corresponding KOFF Newsletter Nr. 59 at http://www.swisspeace.ch/typo3/index.php?fid=1067&id=502

 

Published in:ECC-Newsletter, August 2007