Regional initiatives

Tailored solutions: Unveiling the mechanisms of the Blue Peace initiative

The multi-year development projects of Blue Peace cover a spectrum of activities, from basin-wide management plans to high-level policy dialogue, capacity building, education and awareness-raising. Blue Peace emphasises the need for context-specific approaches and engagement beyond the water sector to foster sustainable development. Thus far, the Blue Peace initiative has developed tailor-made projects in Central Asia, the Middle East and in West Africa.

Since 2011, regional Blue Peace approaches have been established to strengthen a more focused geographic vision for water resource management and engage political leaders, the media and the wider public on issues relating to transboundary water cooperation.

Blue Peace Central Asia

Central Asia — home to over 83 million people across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — relies heavily on its water and energy resources. Water is a key economic, social and ecological factor of the Aral Sea Basin, which is formed by the two major transboundary rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya. Strengthening cooperation between neighbouring countries is therefore essential to meet the region’s needs for water, energy, food and environmental (WEFE) security.

Blue Peace Central Asia enables populations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to benefit from equitably shared and effectively managed water resources. The initiative facilitates platforms for transboundary water cooperation and engages with policymakers and experts to help ensure reliable water quantity and quality. It combines policy dialogue with technical assistance and best practice to demonstrate the benefits of water cooperation in enhancing transparency and trust among the countries concerned.

Projects include the use of remote sensing and digitalisation for hydro-meteorological services, addressing critical issues such as monitoring water flows amidst melting glaciers, and facilitating data exchange to forecast water availability and prevent hazard. In addition, the initiative invests in empowering young people in the region to drive change and develop sustainable water management solutions.

Visit the website of Blue Peace Central Asia

Blue Peace Middle East

The Middle East is one of the most water-scarce regions in the world. Over 70% of the region’s water resources are transboundary. Regional cooperation and management of shared resources is therefore essential for stability, prosperity and peace, as well as offering an opportunity for greater regional integration. The mission of Blue Peace Middle East is to transform water from a potential source of conflict into an instrument of cooperation and peace through dialogue, capacity building and concrete action.

The initiative is led by a regionally owned structure composed of representatives from the member countries — Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Türkiye — with Iran participating as an observer country. A Regional Mechanism, consisting of a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), a Managing Committee (MC) and a Coordination Office (CO), facilitates political and technical dialogue on water. It supports the implementation of regional projects, as well as knowledge exchange and capacity-building activities in the member countries.

Since January 2023, the Regional Mechanism has broadened the scope of its activities to include the intersection between water, energy, food and ecosystems, bringing them together under the umbrella of the Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus Programme and WEFE Hub.

Visit the website of Blue Peace Middle East

Blue Peace West Africa

Blue Peace West Africa fosters water cooperation for peace and sustainable development through partnerships, such as the Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS), through which it supports the African Network of Basin Organizations (ANBO) in the global dialogue on water. It has also established the so-called ‘Pôle Eau Dakar’, a reference centre of competence for water in Africa.

Africa is the continent which has the greatest part of its territory covered by transboundary basins or aquifers. Its economy and stability highly depend on transboundary water courses. Developing the potential of water resources, including transboundary rivers, basins and aquifers, is critical to addressing these challenges.

Blue Peace has further strengthened regional cooperation on the Senegal-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin (SMAB) and supported innovative financing mechanisms in Sierra Leone and Gambia. It also facilitated an agreement between Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania to enhance transboundary water cooperation.

Within the Senegal River Basin, Blue Peace supported the „Voice of the River, Path of Peace“ initiative which brought together riparian populations, artists, basin organisations and water and climate change experts to promote a strategic and creative reflection on water.