Mark Zeitoun featured in EPFL's Dimensions Magazine

The latest issue of Dimensions, EPFL's flagship magazine, dedicates its cover story "L'eau dans tous ses états" (Water in all its states) to one of the most pressing challenges of our time: water. Within this special feature, Mark Zeitoun, Director General of the Geneva Water Hub, offers an in-depth interview exploring the geopolitical stakes surrounding freshwater resources.

Under the striking headline "Aujourd'hui, le changement climatique est une vérité qui arrange" (Today, climate change is a convenient truth), Mark Zeitoun discusses how water can act both as a source of conflict and as a tool for peace. Drawing on his experience — from his early work as an engineer with the ICRC to leading the Geneva Water Hub — he reflects on cases ranging from the Senegal River cooperation model to tensions along the Tigris and Euphrates, the weaponization of water infrastructure in Ukraine, Gaza, South Lebanon, and Iran, as well as the growing pressures on shared basins worldwide.

The interview also highlights the Geneva Water Hub's core missions: promoting international water law and the UN Water Convention, strengthening hydro-diplomacy, and advocating for the protection of water in armed conflicts through the Global Alliance to Spare Water from Armed Conflicts.

Mark Zeitoun further addresses Switzerland's own vulnerabilities as Europe's water tower, the risks posed by emerging pollutants such as PFAS and microplastics, and the role of innovation, science, and regulation in ensuring a sustainable water future.

A must-read contribution that underscores the Geneva Water Hub's commitment to building peace through water.

Read the full interview in Dimensions, Summer 2026 issue, EPFL.