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Access to clean water and sanitation is not only a fundamental human right but also a prerequisite for social stability. The 2024 World Water Day theme ‘Leveraging Water for Peace’ reminds us that cooperation, rather than conflict, offers the best hope for a water secure future. By embracing water diplomacy, investing in water infrastructure and prioritizing equitable access to water resources, we can use water, not as a source of division, but as a pathway to peace and prosperity.
Electricity trade between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt is proposed as a mechanism for alleviating Nile water disputes. Simulations show potential benefits, including reduced water deficits, lowered emissions and increased financial returns.
This work reveals that international agricultural trade eases water scarcity yet exacerbates inequity, disproportionately favouring more affluent populations, thus emphasizing the necessity for pro-poor policies for inclusive sustainable development.
This paper explores legal processes for penalty setting in water theft cases in transboundary water systems and develops ideas to identify differences and potentially drive consistency between jurisdictions.
Access to clean water is a fundamental human right, yet over two billion worldwide lack this essential resource close to their homes. This scarcity fuels conflict and hampers development globally. Despite the situation’s gravity, I am steadfast in my belief that these challenges can be overcome.
Water commons are water resources collectively managed and utilized by communities as common property to support their food security, traditions, and livelihoods. Water commons are under increasing pressure of acquisition, privatization, and grabbing. This Comment analytically defines the water commons, examines their vulnerability to grabbing, and discusses the associated water justice and environmental implications.
Water can be a tool for peace and prosperity. But water can also create tensions if usage is unfairly shared. World Water Day 2024 focused on the importance of working together to make water a catalyst for a more peaceful society.