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Freshwater is scarce and does not stop at the borders

of the world’s population will live in water-scarce areas by 2050.

2 in 5 people rely on river basins that cross national boundaries for drinking and domestic purposes.

The freshwater crisis is among the most urgent risks facing our world today.

Our freshwater resources, accounting for only 2.5% of the world’s water, are dwindling fast.

Water does not stop at the borders. 60% of freshwater flows are transboundary.

The management of transboundary basins will have a critical impact on water security and our ability to meet global water needs.

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But cooperation often stops at the borders

There are almost 300 transboundary river and lake basins, spanning almost 150 countries, though less than 30% have joint water management bodies.

There is a clear need for more effective cooperation.

There are over 150 transboundary water aquifers, yet only 9 have joint management bodies.

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What is Blue Peace?

…to foster stability and sustainable development, which will in turn foster greater cooperation.

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Why is Blue Peace important?

1) Underpins progress in many UN SDG areas - not only on water and sanitation, but also on zero hunger, climate change, peace and justice etc.

2) Prevents damage, such as pollution, flooding and drought, that would be hard to prevent with national actions alone.

3) Creates new public goods that no country can achieve on their own.

For example, India and Bhutan’s hydropower cooperation broadened into trade and political cooperation.

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Why did we build an index which measures Blue Peace?

Reliance on stressed transboundary water resources is growing

There is an urgent need to manage these shared resources in a sustainable, equitable and collaborative manner.

Diverse stakeholders need a common framework to boost cooperation

Countries and basins need to know how and where to act

Investors and researchers can use a holistic assessment of water policy environments

The index allows for a holistic exploration of the drivers and necessary conditions for sustainable collaboration over shared water resources.

The index allows stakeholders to identify and understand their countries’ relative strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to address the most relevant challenges.

The index provides stakeholders with a common framework to understand the complexity of the issue and to organise a coordinated response.

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Introduction to the Blue Peace Index

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What is the Blue Peace Index?

A tool which measures the extent to which countries and basins are managing their shared water resources in a sustainable, equitable and collaborative manner

The Blue Peace Index currently covers… 30 countries 7 basins: Amazon Amu Darya Mekong Sava Senegal Syr Darya Tigris-Euphrates

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What does the Blue Peace Index framework consist of?

I. Policy and legal frameworks

II. Institutions and participation

III. Water management instruments

IV. Infrastructure and financing

V. Cooperation context

The extent to which countries have developed robust, yet flexible, legislative and regulatory frameworks at national and basin level.

The extent to which countries have developed institutional arrangements for cross-sector coordination, capacity building, information sharing, and stakeholder engagement.

The extent to which countries and basins have developed and implemented water management mechanisms and methods to put water policies and laws into practice.

How comprehensively and sustainably investment in water management is conducted at a national and international level.

The major drivers and risk factors relating to peace within the chosen environments, such as water stress, exposure to natural disasters, political instability, and economic cooperation and vulnerabilities.

The Index examines 74 qualitative and quantitative indicators across five domains - or groups of indicators. Some indicators are assessed at a national level and others at a basin level.

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What are the key data sources?

Primary sources

Secondary sources

Centralised sources

Key points to remember:

For indicators marked as “country level”, identify federal, nation-wide and large-scale initiatives and policies. These can apply to all freshwater management mechanisms in the country and not specifically to management of the river basin under study.
For indicators marked as “basin level”, consider only management mechanisms related to the basin under study.
Focus on policy developments and on government-led initiatives, but in some instances, meaningful initiatives initiated by the private sector, especially under the fourth domain of infrastructure and finance, could be relevant to consider.

Three main types of sources…

For the qualitative indicators, sources typically include: national legislation on water and the environment, policy documents published by the Ministry of Water or Environment, documents published by the basin-level body, and websites of government authorities.

Where information is not available through primary sources, refer to secondary sources from reputable institutions, such as reports by international organisations including the UN and World Bank, and academic institutions.

For the quantitative indicators, consult the central sources identified, including the World Bank, Climate Bonds Initiative, FAO Aquastat, UN Water, and World Health Organisation.

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Political will:

Move water to the top of the agenda

Stronger institutions:

Build the foundations for cooperation

Developing trust:

Build up the “Momentum of history”

Inclusive decision-making:

Find common ground

Evidence-based decision-making:

Inform & communicate

Finance:

Invest in Blue Peace

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Snapshot of Findings: Amu Darya

Challenges: Basin-level cooperation is mostly limited to water allocation and technical capacity activities. Exaggerated by relatively high levels of political risk and low intra-regional economic integration. Sustainability is not adequately incorporated in national economic development strategies.
Opportunities: Some signs of progress on better engagement between riparians, and market reforms on national level. Increased inclusion of Afghanistan in the dialogue has been encouraging. Key area for improvement is the general institutional and governance capacity at both the domestic and regional level.

Overall Score

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Snapshot of Findings: Syr Darya

Challenges: Basin-level arrangements lack the mandate and capacity to carry out broader transboundary water management. At the regional and national level, water investment and infrastructure remains inadequate, and lack private participation.

Opportunities: Some bilateral and multilateral efforts in areas, such as joint assessment, pollution control, and disaster management exist, but are limited and should be further developed. Existing platforms for data and information publication should be developed further. On national level, overall investment climate has been improving in recent years.