The Shared Waters Partnership (SWP) is a global programme designed to improve cooperation over transboundary waters. The programme is active in regions where water can be a source of conflict – or where water can serve as a catalyst for peace and stability.

The Shared Waters Partnership works with stakeholders such as governments, regional organizations, civil society, media, academia, and young professionals. Through the programme, stakeholders can engage in processes to strengthen cooperative transboundary water management practices that play a critical role in building and maintaining peace within and between countries.

With a strong focus on SIWI’s cross-cutting issues of gender equality, youth empowerment and a human rights-based approach, the Shared Waters Partnership strives to enhance inclusive decision-making through engaging and elevating a diverse cross-section of stakeholders in decisions around shared waters.

SIWI has previously supported initiatives to strengthen women’s participation in water diplomacy, including the Women in Water Diplomacy Network in the Nile. This work brought together senior and mid-career women professionals from ministries and other institutions across the basin, contributing to increased capacity and visibility of women in decision-making and peacebuilding processes.

The Shared Waters Partnership has also contributed to advancing youth engagement in water diplomacy. The working paper Making Waves: Youth Engagement in Water Diplomacy explains why this is so important.

In addition, the programme has supported efforts to strengthen informed and balanced reporting on transboundary water issues, including through journalist networks in the Eastern Nile region.

The programme also acts as a partnership platform for coordination of diplomatic and development efforts.

Our latest report, Confluence Beyond Borders in a Changing Climate: Dialogue for Cooperation in Central Asia and Afghanistan, explores growing water security risks in the region. It examines how rising temperatures, glacial melt, and increasing variability in river flows are intensifying water scarcity and placing pressure on the shared Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins. The report highlights the challenges posed by limited regional coordination, including Afghanistan’s absence from existing governance frameworks and the implications of large-scale infrastructure developments such as the Qosh Tepa Canal. It also identifies opportunities for more inclusive and integrated cooperation to address shared risks and support long-term regional stability.