Food-Water-Energy

Enhancing Security in Afghanistan and Central Asia through Regional Cooperation on Water

The report, Enhancing Security in Afghanistan and Central Asia through Regional Cooperation on Water: Amu Darya Consultation Report, is the product of an international consultation held on December 7, 2010, at the European Parliament, organized by EWI, the Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention, Wageningen University and the Amu Darya Basin Network.

The report’s recommendations call for the five countries that depend on the Amu Darya – Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan – to pursue an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) approach to the river at the local and basin level.

The Water-Energy Nexus in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Overview

The EastWest Institute and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will host a roundtable discussion titled "The Water-Energy Nexus in Southeast Asia and the Pacific: Promoting Regional Stability and Economic Security" on Monday, June 24, 2013, 12:30-2:00 p.m. at EWI’s New York Office. Stephen Groff, ADB’s Vice President for Southeast and East Asia Operations, will kick-off the discussion.

The Asia-Pacific region is the global leader in clean energy development, but there is much more that can be done to raise the level of clean energy deployment. The win-win of the water-energy nexus is that saving energy saves water, and vice versa. Lessons can be learned from existing best practice in the water and energy sectors as a jumping off point for a discussion on strategies that also consider cross-sectoral and trans-boundary impacts.

The main objective of the event is to provide a space for engaging discussion on policy and institutional mechanisms to address the inter-related energy and water resource challenges, including their geopolitical implications in Asia and the Pacific.

A light lunch will be served.

For more information, please contact Alex Schulman at communications@ewi.info.

Ways to Integrate Efforts in Furthering Water Dialogue and Cooperation

Overview

The EastWest Institute, the Water Friends Group and the Permanent Missions of Finland, Hungary, Tajikistan and Thailand are hosting “Ways to Integrate Efforts in Furthering Water Dialogue and Cooperation,” a U.N. side-event on Friday, February 22, at 10:00 a.m at the North Lawn Building of the UN Headquarters in New York City. This event underlines UNGA resolution 65/154 declaring 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation (IYWC).

History shows that the vital nature of freshwater is a powerful incentive for cooperation and dialogue, compelling stakeholders to reconcile even their most divergent views. Water more often unites than divides people and societies, yet there is still a great need for more effective and coordinated measures, coupled with a stronger political will at all levels. Governments, international and regional organizations, business communities, scholars, and civil society must effectively address current and emerging freshwater problems.

In this context, the International Year of Water Cooperation is intended to unify all efforts, both undertaken and planned by the UN system, other international and regional organizations, governments, civil society and entrepreneurs, in order to increase people's awareness of freshwater-related problems and ways to resolve them. This follows the 2012 UNGA adopted resolution (A/Res/67/204) on the implementation of the IYWC, through convening a series of global high-level events. 

 

Speakers:

H. E. Mr. Rahmat Bobokalonov
Minister of  Land Reclamation and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan; Office of the President of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (tbc)

Mr. Michael Jarraud
Chair to UN-Water

Mr. John Edwin Mroz
President and Chief Executive Officer of the EastWest Institute

 

Moderator:

Dr. Zafar Adeel
Director of the United Nations University, Institute for Water, Environment and Health

 

Panelists:

Ms. Josefina Maestu
Coordinator of the UN-Water Decade Programme of Advocacy and Communication

Mr. Olcay Ünver
Coordinator of the United Nations World Water Assessment Programme of the UN-Water and Director of the UNESCO Programme Office on Global Water Assessment

Mr. Sanjay Pahuja
Senior Water Resources Specialist of the World Bank

Ms. Ursula Schaeffer-Preuss
Chair of the Global Water Partnership

 

To RSVP and secure your U.N. pass, please contact:

Mr. Raymond Karam, email: rkaram@ewi.info, mobile: +1 646-243-2319

Prospects of the East Africa Energy Market

Overview

The EastWest Institute and Gallup are hosting a panel discussion "Prospects of the East African Energy Market" on Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. at 901 F St NW, Washington, DC.

Panelists will discuss the implications of East Africa's emergence as a leading oil and gas producer, the result of fresh discoveries that have brought new hope to the region. The steady flow of positive news regarding these findings is a clear testament to the commercial opportunities that exist in East Africa. As exploration intensifies and production continues to increase, investment in the region will expand further. This could transform East Africa into one of the world's fastest growing markets.

The panel will feature Tewodros Ashenafi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, SouthWest Energy and member of the EastWest Institute's Board of Directors; Jon Clifton, Partner, Gallup Government; Raymond Gilpin, Director, Center for Sustainable Economies, United States Institute of Peace; and Abdeta Dribssa Beyene, former Director for African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Participants will discuss East Africa's complex operating environment. While the threats might not be as grave as those in other parts of the continent, companies must navigate a number of challenges ranging from political risk to physical insecurity. To take full advantage of these opportunities, the region must drive through reforms across a diversified economy covering energy, services, manufacturing, tourism, mining and construction, and quickly improve infrastructure while creating better functioning institutions and legal systems. Without such progress, investors may still shy away from the region.

To RSVP and for further information, please contact Raymond Karam at rkaram@ewi.info or +1(646)243-2319.

 

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Cleo Pascal on "Global Warring: How Environment, Economics, and Political Crises Will Redraw the World Map"

Overview

Cleo Pascal will come to EWI's New York offices to discuss her book on climate change: "Global Warring: How Environment, Economics, and Political Crises Will Redraw the World Map."

If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to Tracy Larsen at (212)-824-4119, or tlarsen@ewi.info.

 

Accelerating Responses for Climate Security

Overview

This session on climate security, held at the European Parliament in Brussels on 16 February 2010, is part of EWI’s Worldwide Security Conference. It will not be a typical conference with formal presentations but rather an open roundtable involving free exchange of ideas by approximately 60 leading policy-makers, specialists, business executives, community leaders and journalists from around the world.

EWI’s climate security initiative is focused on preventive responses to potential destabilization caused by climate threats. Questions of political will, social psychology and long term policy planning will be central to this analysis. The initiative will, as opportunity permits, also engage on broader, related issues such as global regimes for energy security and carbon emissions, and a more rapid transition to lower carbon economies. This year’s main focus will be made on EU-U.S.-China cooperation in Africa.   

This consultation is an invitation-only event for high-level participants. If you would like to participate, please contact us for more information.

 

Improving Regional Cooperation on Water: A Key Opportunity for Preventive Diplomacy

Overview

Parliamentarians from around the world came together in Amman, Jordan to develop a global action agenda for cooperative management of water resources. In a three-day event, "Improving Regional Cooperation on Water: A Key Opportunity for Preventive Diplomacy," EWI brought together parliamentarians to begin a process to prevent conflicts caused by water shortages.

“Water can be a source of conflict, but equally an opportunity for cooperation in mutual interest,” said Guenter Overfeld, Vice President and Director of Regional Security and Preventive Diplomacy at the EastWest Institute. “The parliamentarians coming together in Amman can help ensure that water becomes a cause for cooperation, not of conflict.”

The process is beginning the generate media attention with coverage in the Jordan Times, which also quotes Overfeld.

This session was hosted under the patronage of Prince El-Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. Also attending were water specialists from civil society and international and regional organizations around the world including the Arab Water Council, the Jordan Valley Authority, UNESCO, U.N.D.P, and the World Bank.

Among the parliamentarians:

  • Abdullah Abdullah, Palestinian Territories
  • Najat Al-Astal, Palestinian Territories
  • Asha Hagi Amin, Somalia
  • Angelika Beer, former member of the European Parliament from Germany
  • Hazim El-Naser, Jordan
  • Glyn Ford, former member of the European Parliament from the United Kingdom
  • Abu Holy, Palestininan Territories
  • Zitto Kabwe, Tanzania
  • Fouad Lahssaini, Belgium
  • Luisa Morgantini, former member of the European Parliament from Italy
  • Oshita Oshita, former member of the Nigerian Parliament; Director of the Department of Research and Policy Analysis at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Nigeria
  • Sahar Qawasmi,Palestinian Territories
  • George Savage, Northern Ireland
  • Jafar Shah, Pakistan
  • Alaaden Yaghi, Palestinian Territories

Preventing Conflict by Improving Regional Cooperation on Water

Overview

EWI's Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security and the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy’s Regional Center on Conflict Prevention will convene parliamentarians and experts from water-stressed regions to build capacity and develop new strategies to enhance regional cooperation on water.

The meeting will focus on overcoming challenges posed by potential water conflicts and develop recommendations for parliamentarians to play a bigger role in strengthening trans-boundary cooperation. It is part of EWI’s preventive diplomacy work, aimed at reducing tensions and increasing trust and cooperation in potential zones of conflict.

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