Geneva Peace Week 2021 - Navigating the Waters of Environmental Peace Negotiation

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15:30 - 17:00
Under the theme "Creating a climate for collaboration: Ways forward for environment, climate change, and peace"
REGISTER HERE

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This interactive workshop is co-organized by the Geneva Water Hub and the GISA Environmental Committee of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID).

As pressures increase on water resources due to climate change and human activity, countries' growing interests provoke geographical and geopolitical competition between users and uses. Pressure to extract more out of existing sources (river, lake, groundwater) pushes countries to move further out and tap additional sources without necessarily considering neighbors' needs and environmental repercussions. While more and more hydric stresses have been emerging since 1995, cooperation has prevailed over conflicts internationally. Within this context, we offer you a creative simulation of negotiations on water management challenges.

The session will build an immersive experience and give the opportunity to participants to become actors of an imaginary narrative, based on real-life events. NO PRIOR WORK IS REQUIRED. Participants will have to find a consensus with their team to adopt a solution in order to maximise their interests, while taking into account the impacts of their choices on nature and natural resources. By challenging participants to immerse themselves in an environmental peacebuilding simulation and collaborate with others, our session will provide a safe space to apply, or interrogate the peacebuilding concepts they have gained in other GPW21 sessions.

Data and insights provided by experts from the Geneva Water Hub will allow participants to critically reflect on the decisions they took during the simulation, and leave the session with a deeper understanding of how environmental peacebuilding best practices should be adapted to real-world situations.

Speakers

Christian Bréthaut
Assistant Professor at University of Geneva, Department of Geography and Environment, Scientific Director of the Geneva Water Hub & Co-Director of the UNESCO Chair on hydropolitics

Léna Salamé
Jurist in International Public Law, Mediator and specialist in conflict resolutions

Clara Danbakli
Environmental Commitee member, IHEID

Khaliun Purevsuren
Environmental Committee member, IHEID

Ryan Maia
Environmental Committee Vice President, IHEID

Hugo Brandam
Environmental Committee President, IHEID