Amman to host int’l conference on means to prevent use of water for war, suppression

AMMAN — Around 80 regional and international water experts, lawmakers and academics are scheduled to convene in Amman on Wednesday to share experiences on water cooperation and propose solutions to prevent water sources from becoming tools of war, organisers said on Monday.

The International Conference on Exploring the Water-Peace Nexus - Blue Peace in West Asia will be held at the King Hussein Club and co-hosted by the Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) and West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Institute, in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the GIZ.

During the two-day conference, participants will also seek ways to draw the attention of the international community to the plight and suffering of marginalised and vulnerable people, SFG President Sundeep Waslekar said on Monday.

Two reports compiled by SFG — “The Hydro-Insecure: Crisis of Survival in the Middle East” and “Water and Violence: Crisis of Survival in the Middle East” — will be formally launched at the conference on Thursday, Waslekar added.

The reports will be launched under the Blue Peace Initiative, an endeavour to encourage countries in the Middle East to cooperate in turning water from a cause for war into an opportunity for peace and prosperity.

Maysoon Zu’bi, a member of the Blue Peace core group and former secretary general of the Water Ministry, told reporters that the conference will provide lawmakers and experts in the field with a platform to share experiences on water cooperation.

In addition, the participants will also discuss how water is being used as a tool of war and suppression, Zu’bi said, noting that they will propose ways to avert that.