About Blue Peace
Learn about the threats to freshwater around the world and how Blue Peace turns competition over limited freshwater resources into collaboration, resulting in more peaceful, cohesive and sustainable societies.
Who We Are and What We Do
What is Blue Peace?
Water is a powerful peace building tool.
Blue Peace refers to water cooperation among borders, sectors and generations to foster peace, stability and sustainable development. This can be in the form of shared institutions and legal frameworks which bring countries together in commitment to resolve differences peacefully – and to use their shared water as a foundation for wider economic and diplomatic collaboration. Blue Peace turns competition over limited freshwater resources into collaboration, resulting in more peaceful, cohesive and sustainable societies.
The Blue Peace approach:
Reduces or averts conflicts over water and;- Provides opportunities for further cooperation among countries, sectors and communities by using water as an entry point to encourage broader dialogue and increase mutual trust.
This growing global movement aims to develop a culture of peace and preserve precious freshwater resources, while achieving equitable and sustainable use of water across boundaries, sectors and generations.
We promote solutions from international organisations, governmental agencies, the private sector, NGOs, research institutes, artists and young people.
Using a variety of diplomatic, political, technical and financial tools, we advocate for creative and innovative thinking on how to use, manage and invest in water resources.
What is Blue Peace in practice?
In practice, Blue Peace is advanced when different stakeholders come together to make equitable decisions about and invest in shared water resources to promote peace.
Blue Peace uses various instruments to reduce tensions over shared water resources and build on water cooperation to support peace and stability such as:
Diplomatic: Creating a safe space for dialogue, encouraging exchange, promoting inclusiveness
Political: Enhancing a common understanding of transboundary water resources management, and encouraging transparency, accountability and data-driven decision making across all levels of government.
Technical: Building capacity and sharing data that feeds into decision making processes as well as providing new techniques and technologies
Financial: Developing innovative financial tools that facilitates cross-sectoral and transboundary investment in water
This ensures that decision-makers have the technical expertise, political support and financial investments required to manage water in a peaceful, equitable and sustainable way.
