Stay informed
SIWI newsletter
Receive SIWI’s latest news, events, reports and jobs directly in your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
SIWI works to strengthen cooperation over shared waters within countries and across international borders. Our priorities are to advance cooperation that supports peace and conflict prevention, and to strengthen the governance arrangements through which shared waters are managed. We connect scientific understanding with dialogue to help participants address common challenges and negotiate competing interests.
Learn about shared waters and transboundary water cooperation
Why these priorities matter now
Water scarcity increases pressure on shared resources and makes cooperation more urgent. When demand exceeds the water available, decisions about its use can have serious consequences for neighbouring countries and communities. Climate change can intensify these pressures, while political tensions make joint responses harder to negotiate.
SIWI works to help participants address competing demands through cooperation. We support dialogue informed by scientific understanding and help strengthen arrangements for managing shared water, including where wider political disagreements remain unresolved.
Where we drive change
SIWI’s work centres on two priorities that will shape the future of cooperation around shared waters.
1. Promoting water as a vehicle for peace and conflict prevention
Shared waters can be powerful catalysts for cooperation — but only when countries have the trust, dialogue, and governance arrangements needed to manage shared risks. As climate pressures increase, fragile countries and regions face heightened tensions, making early action even more important.
We help position water as a pathway to peace by:
- identifying shared climate-related security risks and potential hotspots
- strengthening dialogue and diplomacy between countries, communities, and sectors
- contributing to conflict prevention and supports peace and security across the full conflict cycle — from prevention and crisis management to resolution and peacebuilding
Treating water as a vehicle for cooperation — not competition — is essential to preventing conflict and building long-term stability.
2. Strengthening transboundary water cooperation
Many transboundary rivers, lakes, and aquifers lack strong agreements or institutions to govern effectively. Climate change amplifies uncertainty, making coordinated planning, shared information, early warning, and flexible governance systems critical for all countries involved.
We help strengthen transboundary cooperation by:
- supporting the development or modernisation of legal and institutional frameworks
- improving data sharing, joint monitoring, and coordinated basin planning
- ensuring shared ecosystems and water allocations are managed equitably
- facilitating dialogues sectoral and political borders to increase joint understanding or shared water and climate-related challenges
Cooperation that is durable and climate-resilient gives countries the stability they need to plan, invest, and thrive together.
