Qatium
This year’s World Water Day theme, Water for Peace, serves as a poignant reminder that peace and water are inextricably linked — that water can act as a catalyst for both peace and conflict.
When water is scarce or polluted, or when people struggle for access, tensions can rise. On the other hand; when water is managed collaboratively and equitably, it has the potential to foster cooperation, build trust, and promote stability among nations.
They consider several water strategies and tools that can facilitate peace, including the use of digital tools to break down siloes and foster collaboration, nature-based solutions that can boost our existing infrastructure landscape, and improved communication to society at large about the value of water.
Water as a tool for peace, Dragan Savic
Whenever I think of water and peace, I also think about security. Water security is very important, and of course, important for peace. And cooperation on water lays the groundwork for cooperation on various other challenges.
Take this example: When upstream countries generate hydropower electricity on a shared river, they can also share those benefits with downstream countries either by delivering much-needed electricity to them or by other financial mechanisms. Regulating water flows by upstream countries can also aid in mitigating flood risks downstream.
A nexus-based approach is required to explore cooperation opportunities for better management of water, food and energy in shared river basins, while considering system operation and coordination under uncertain hydrologic river regimes. Our research shows that it is possible to cooperate and bring substantial benefits to all involved. Those benefits can be in the form of river regime improvements, better resource management, advanced regional economic development and integration, and can help promote regional stability.
It is therefore essential for us to be able to use water as a tool for peace rather than focusing solely on the potential drawbacks of shared water resources.
Redefining water infrastructure boundaries, Newsha Ajami
The boundaries of the water sector’s infrastructure are gradually expanding.
Firstly, this expansion is fueled by the growing recognition among communities of the myriad of benefits offered by nature-based solutions and green infrastructure, such as horizontal levees, recharge ponds, wetland restoration, and permeable pavements. These solutions are becoming increasingly viewed as essential components of the solutions portfolio, appreciated for their potential to improve both climate adaptation and water resilience. As a result, efforts to integrate these solutions into the existing infrastructure landscape — alongside traditional gray, once-through, and centralized infrastructure systems — are gaining momentum as a collaborative approach to working with nature.
Secondly, the sector is beginning to embrace the digital revolution. An abundance of digital tools, ranging from sensor and data systems to data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning tools, IT infrastructure, the Internet of Things (IoT), and innovative models like digital twins, are starting to integrate into the water infrastructure network. This digital transformation holds the promise of revolutionizing traditional water systems, transforming them into intelligent, interconnected networks that enhance operational efficiency and break down internal industry silos by seamlessly connecting water supply, flood protection, and wastewater sectors.
Water in its natural state serves as a powerful connector and unifier, intertwining landscapes, ecosystems, and communities and binding them together in a complex web of interdependence. However, our 20th-century water infrastructure strategy often overlooked this inherent interconnectivity. By expanding the boundaries of water infrastructure and integrating both nature-based and digital solutions, we can restore and enhance this natural interconnectedness and manage our diverse and hybrid infrastructure network more efficiently. In doing so, we have the opportunity to use water as a catalyst for peace, fostering cooperation and collaboration among communities and nations that share water resources through nature, data, and transparency.
Shifting the Narrative on Water: Creating Real Abundance, Will Sarni
To solve water challenges we must first change the narrative from a perception of abundance to real abundance.
We must start by clearly communicating the value of water to humanity and our ecosystems. The relatively low price for water masks the value of this precious and finite resource to civil society. It sends the message that water has little value and it is essentially free.
This is so far from the truth. Access to water and ensuring good quality requires a long-term commitment and investment which is not, at present, communicated to the layperson.
Water professionals — along with the media and the public sector — frame water scarcity as the result of droughts and embrace terms such as “day zero.” Many parts of the world are experiencing “aridification” which is the result of climate change. Short-term rainfalls will not mitigate the impacts of aridification.
The rampant use of the term “day zero” suggests to the layperson that there will be no water and that this wasn’t preventable. Neither is true. Water will be available but only to those who can pay a higher price for it. Most importantly, “day zero “ is preventable, but requires strategic planning and investment.
We need to be clear that we can achieve universal access to water, but that this requires valuing water, ecosystems, and long-term investment in infrastructure and our workforce that supports the delivery of water.
We can create real water abundance through vastly improved communication and engagement with civil society, investment, and innovation.
#QatiumExperts
Dragan Savic, CEO at KWR Research Institute, Newsha Ajami, Chief Strategy and Development Officer for Research at Berkeley Lab Earth and Environmental Sciences Area (EESA) and Will Sarni, CEO of Water Foundry are #QatiumExperts.
Qatium is co-created with experts and thought leaders from the water industry. They are some of many experts that we co-create with at Qatium.
