Tackling the MENA region’s escalating water crisis, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council), in partnership with the Blue Peace Middle East Initiative and Geneva Water Hub, hosted a high-level roundtable on water diplomacy and governance on Sept. 28-29 in Doha. The event was supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Qatar.
The two-day forum convened policymakers, scholars, and international experts to confront the region’s acute water scarcity, which is exacerbated by climate change, shrinking rainfall, overuse, and growing political tensions.
Environmental stress on water resources is compounded by diplomatic disputes, weak resource management, and ongoing conflict, threatening already vulnerable aquifers, lakes, and rivers throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Participants identified three core themes for advancing cooperation: water’s role in peacebuilding, the necessity of regional diplomacy, and effective water governance.
The roundtable’s overarching aim was to set a joint agenda, define shared policy goals, and examine holistic approaches to strengthen management and cooperation on transboundary water issues.
Nader Kabbani, senior fellow and program director at the ME Council, underscored the importance of developing resilient water governance frameworks.
Experts at the event called for practical, confidence-building strategies – like collaborative studies and technical partnerships – to gradually foster trust and regional collaboration despite ongoing political sensitivities.
Attendees reviewed case studies from across the MENA region, emphasizing how coordinated action on water management can underpin not just agricultural and energy planning, but also broader diplomatic and political processes.
Discussions stressed the need for multi-sectoral solutions and highlighted the vital role of international cooperation in addressing both current shortages and future risks.
Organizers announced that a comprehensive report documenting key insights and policy recommendations from the roundtable will be produced.
The forthcoming publication aims to offer governments, institutions, and civil society detailed guidance for advancing water diplomacy and regional stability, amidst one of MENA’s most complex and urgent challenges.
