Search

The Geneva Water Hub's legal research spans various domains, including International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights Law, International Environmental Law, and International Water Law.-

Water for Peace Research builds on the Geneva Water Hub’s work on transboundary and local water management and its collaboration with academic and policy partners, including university-based research networks and the UNESCO Chair on Hydropolitics. As a focused research stream under the Hub’s broader research agenda, it examines how water-related interactions generate risk, tension, or cooperation in politically complex and asymmetrical contexts. Grounded in social science approaches, our research analyses how power relations, legal and institutional frameworks, and scientific knowledge shape water governance outcomes across borders and between communities or sectors. Attention is given to interactions between different governance systems and policy frameworks, the application of international norms in practice, and the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms in shared river basins. Closely linked to the Hub’s science–policy interface, Water for Peace Research translates empirical research into comparative insights and forward-looking assessments that inform public discourse, support policy and diplomatic processes, and strengthen peace-oriented water governance.-

In partnership with the ICRC, the Geneva Water Hub conducts research on the cascading consequences of armed conflict on water systems.-

The Geneva Water Hub operates at the dynamic intersection of science and policy, serving as a pioneering ‘boundary organization’ on water for peace. Recognizing the fluid nature of the science-policy interface, we adapt different strategies in our work - ranging from the vulgarization of scientific research, to facilitating science-policy exchanges, to policy advocacy and knowledge co-creation. While much of our work operates at the science policy interface, more information on some of our tools dedicated to science-policycan be found below.-

The Geneva Water Hub's annual Summer School on "Water Governance: Frameworks and Negotiations," held since 2015, is a blended training program designed for professionals acting at strategic levels.-

The Geneva Water Hub offers specialized e-learning courses and programs tailored to water professionals. Our online courses are designed for small groups of participants, ensuring personalized attention and interactive learning experiences.-

The Geneva Water Hub has played a pivotal role in conceiving, developing, and delivering three Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs). With a collective enrollment surpassing 58 000 students on the Coursera platform, our commitment to expanding both our offerings and impact remains unwavering. We continue to shape the landscape of online education, empowering a diverse global audience with knowledge and insights that contribute to a sustainable and peaceful water future.-

The Geneva Water Hub, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, is offering a specialized training course on "Environmental Peacebuilding" in Geneva.-

The Geneva Water Hub also responds to specific training requests and develops and implements high-quality customized programmes and courses which fit the training needs of its partners. Course content, programme, training material and assessment activities are developed in close consultation with the organisation requesting Geneva Water Hub expertise. In addition, we can also take care of any evaluation and reporting required. -

Upon completion of Geneva Water Hub courses, participants are invited to join our alumni network, a vibrant community dedicated to advancing water for peace initiatives worldwide. We take great pride in witnessing our alumni go on to become ambassadors for water for peace, leveraging their knowledge, skills, and networks to effect positive change in their respective fields and communities. Are you an alumnus looking to connect? Start by joining our groups on LinkedIn and on Facebook! (link to each).-

The Geneva Water Hub, through its Platform for International Water Law, supports a better understanding of the principles and norms of international law regulating the utilization of shared water resources, including surface and groundwater. International relations and legal studies are used as conceptual frameworks to support the development, interpretation and application of normative frameworks, with the aim to prevent and settle water and water-related disputes and therefore support peace.-

The Group of Friends on Water and Peace (GoFW&P) serves as an open and informal platform, providing representatives from interested countries with a space for dialogue, outreach, engagement, and dissemination among the broader international community on topics related to water and peace. The GoFW&P was established in 2016 at the recommendation of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace. The Geneva Water Hub acts as the Secretariat of the GoFW&P. Membership in the Group of Friends on Water and Peace is open-ended, welcoming all Permanent Missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG). If you are interested in joining, please use the Contact form to inform us of your interest.-