Wednesday 15 April 2026 | 14:00–15:30 CEST | Online (Zoom) | Webinar no. 75

Water is under increasing pressure around the world. As demand grows across agriculture, energy, industry, ecosystems, and domestic use, competition for water is intensifying – and with it,  so is the potential for conflict. So how do we move from competition to cooperation?

After a record-breaking first session with more than 581 participants worldwide, IWRA and UNESCO-IHP’s Water Cooperation Webinar Series returns for its second edition, focusing on a critical question: How do we manage growing competition for water fairly, sustainably, and without conflict?

The series is organised by IWRA jointly with UNESCO IHP within the framework of UN-Water and in collaboration with UNECE, FAO, AIDA, IAH, SIWI, the Geneva Water Hub, including other key partners.

Opening remarks:

• Cristiane Collet Battiston, Brazilian National Water and Sanitation Agency / UNESCO-IHP Chairperson

Panellists:

• Sofía Espinosa, FAO – Global dialogue on water tenure for water and food security.
• Conchita Marcuello, Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Spain – How can competing water demands and needs be reconciled? The example of Spain.
• Blanca Jiménez Cisneros, Ambassador of Mexico to France – Managing water conflicts: a case study on indigenous people’s water rights.
• Gabriel de los Cobos, UNECE Implementation Committee member – Trust and incentives to respond to competing demands: the Genevese aquifer.
• Deborah Mochotlhi, former Department of Water and Sanitation, South Africa – How should climate change scenarios be contemplated to respond to different demands? The example of South Africa.
• Mariana Nogales Paez, AIDA – Human right to water and International Water Law: fostering cooperation between competing demands to secure inclusive and equitable access to water.

Facilitators:

• Alice Aureli, IWRA
• Tatiana Dmitrieva, UNESCO-IHP
• Mara Tignino, Geneva Water Hub

Rapporteur:

• Gettie Shiinda, University of Leeds

Context

As underscored in the United Nations World Water Development Report 2023, “nearly every water-related intervention involves some kind of cooperation.” From local water supply systems to transboundary river basins, collaboration underpins sustainable, equitable, and peaceful water management.

Water cooperation has gained growing international attention in recent years. It was a central theme at the UN 2023 Water Conference and will feature prominently on the global stage at the UN Water Conference in December 2026.

Against this backdrop, the webinar series will provide a timely platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and practical insights on advancing cooperation across  scales, sectors,  and borders.

About the webinar series

The quarterly webinar series “Water Cooperation: Overcoming Challenges, Showcasing Achievements, Shaping the Future” comprises four interconnected sessions, each addressing a different dimension of water cooperation:

1. Introduction to Water Cooperation (21 January 2026)
2. Water Cooperation: Prevent and Reconcile Conflicts Between Competing Water Users (15 April 2026)
3. The Role of Science in Fostering Water Cooperation
4. From Dialogue to Action: Enabling Transboundary Water Cooperation for Peace and Prosperity

Together, the webinars trace a clear journey from foundational concepts to action-oriented discussions, drawing on real experiences and innovative insights to show how cooperation can be applied in practice across different contexts and scales.

The series is organised by IWRA jointly with UNESCO IHP within the framework of the UN-Water and in collaboration with UNECE, FAO, AIDA, IAH, SIWI, the Geneva Water Hub, including other key partners.

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IWRA Webinars constitute an additional resource designed to help our members, academics, dedicated practitioners, and policy professionals further explore these and other timely themes engaging in fruitful discussions, also aligned with the international water agenda and in close collaboration with key partners.