In regions where water stress is high and vulnerable communities and their livelihoods are exposed to the impacts of climate change, population growth and water mismanagement, conflicts can emerge.
Dialogue can be a crucial tool to ease tensions and address inequalities in access to and distribution of water. It creates a space for open communication and trust-building between groups in disputes over water and wider political and socio-economic grievances.
At the same time, inclusive consultation processes over water resources and how they are managed provides a platform for marginalised communities to voice their needs towards responsible authorities. Dialogue and consultation can also help to improve citizen-state relations and build the foundations for people to cooperate on water insecurity.
What is the paper about?
This paper explores what facilitated dialogue and consultation can achieve, as well as their limitations, by presenting lessons from Kenya’s Turkana county, southern Iraq, Ethiopia’s Omo-Gibe Basin, and the Inner Niger Delta in Mali.
For dialogue to be effective in tackling challenges of water distribution, management and conflicts, there are several key factors to consider. Our latest research with the Water, Peace and Security Partnership outlines six key lessons for effective dialogue and consultation approaches to resolve water-related conflicts.
What to expect
- A deep dive into what makes dialogue and consultation valuable tools for managing water-related conflicts, including its limitations
- Practical examples from four countries facing water stress and related conflict and where dialogue methods helped to address them
- Critical insights into key factors for success, including the key role of trusted facilitators to ensure locally led processes, access to reliable and accurate water data and different water conflict and management institutions and mechanisms
The research is based on interviews and reflection workshops across four locations from 2020 to 2024: Omo Gibe Basin (Ethiopia), southern Iraq, Inner Niger Delta (Mali) and Turkana county (Kenya).
Who is the paper for?
The paper is aimed at policymakers and practitioners from the peace, security and water development sector, who work on water insecurity in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. It provides insight and guidance on how dialogue can identify successful interventions, foster communication and enable cooperation, and support more sustainable and effective solutions to water-related conflicts.
