Charting the Future of Water and Peace
In collaboration with the Geneva Water Hub, the UN Futures Lab/Global Hub co-hosted, designed, and facilitated a series of in-person multistakeholder workshops to explore how water can influence a more peaceful future. The workshops integrated strategic foresight methodologies with insights from global water and peace narratives, providing inputs to inform the next cycle of the development agenda. The workshops mapped how water influences peace and conflict in current contexts, envisioned how water could foster peace in future scenarios, and developed actionable pathways to inform policies and processes for sustainable change.
- Policy influence: Provided inputs for integrating water into peace agreements and governance frameworks.
- Innovative approaches: Highlighted new technologies and methodologies for water management.
- Collaboration strengthened: Connected diverse stakeholders across water and peacebuilding sectors, fostering global cooperation.
Why it matters
The workshops underscored water’s transformative potential as a catalyst for peace, highlighting its interconnectedness with diplomacy, sustainable development, and resilience-building. By framing water governance through the lens of foresight and peacebuilding, the workshop series addressed systemic challenges and promoted innovative solutions. Insights from the foresight exercises can inform strategies for integrating water into peace agreements, governance frameworks, and development policies while emphasizing equitable sharing and protection.
