Business in water-stressed areas: The importance of conflict-sensitive water management strategies
Water Partner Foundation co-financed and participated in the above Round Table event at the The Hague Peace Palace on the 29th of March 2016. The round table presentations and discussions focused on corporate business operations in water- stressed areas, considering that if water management is not dealt with properly, access to water might be threatened and even conflicts can be exacerbated.
Adequate corporate water management strategies are essential components of mature business strategies, when taking into account risks associated with water-stress in conflict-sensitive areas. The Round Table discussions particularly focused on the concerns about water-stress expressed raised at the World Economic Forum that ranked water as the top global risk for the next decade. It was noticed that the United Nations endorsed Sustainable Development Goals, in particular the urgency of ensuring the “universal access to safe and affordable drinking water” (SDG 6) by 2030, as a way to ensure sustainability, thus peace and prosperity.
In line with the UN Appeal to all stakeholders to contribute to sustainability, the Water Round Table brought together entrepreneurs, diplomats, experts and researchers to share insights, experiences and ideas on water management in water-stressed areas, who discussed possible mitigation strategies and methodologies.
The Round Table was organized by the UPEACE Centre The Hague in partnership with Water Partner Foundation, the United Nations Global Compact in the Netherlands (UNGC), the World Business Council for a Sustainable World (WBCSD) and the Water Diplomacy Consortium.
For more information on the minutes of this meeting, please see the related Upeace website, or contact Henk van Schaik