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Water Diplomacy in Peacebuilding

The e-learning course on "Water Diplomacy and Integration of Water Norms in Peacebuilding" aims to increase awareness of water practitioners, professional negotiators, and university students in the field of water management on the importance of the integration of sustainable water norms in peacebuilding processes.

About This Course

The e-learning course on "Water Diplomacy and Integration of Water Norms in Peacebuilding" explores the intersection between water and peace by looking at why (and how) transboundary waters can create valuable opportunities for cooperation and dialogue.

In particular, the course provides the knowledge and skills to effectively negotiate and integrate relevant considerations for sustainable water management in dialogues and processes linked to conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

Requirements

Everyone, regardless of previous education, can take part in this course. The course is particularly useful for water practitioners, professional negotiators, and university students with a keen interest in water management and its interlinkages with peacebuilding processes.

Course Staff

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Prof. Christian Bréthaut

Prof. Christian Bréthaut holds a PhD in Geosciences and Environment from the University of Lausanne. He has led the Geneva Water Hub’s Education and Knowledge component since August 2014. His area of expertise is the analysis of water policies and the issues associated with the management of cross border rivers. Prof. Bréthaut’s particular focus within the water management domain is the capacity of institutions to adapt, the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus, and the exploration of the link between science and policy.

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Dr. Fatine Ezbakhe

Dr. Fatine Ezbakhe holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalunya in Barcelona (Spain). She specializes in water and environmental data analysis, particularly analysis tools to support decision-making under uncertainty. She has experience in both industry and academia, first as a Technical Engineer at Aigues de Barcelona (SUEZ Water Spain) and then as a Research Support Officer at the UPC. At the Geneva Water Hub, she works as a Senior Research Associate on education and research programmes related to water politics and governance.

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Ms. Léna Salamé

Ms. Léna Salamé graduated from Sorbonne University in Paris as a lawyer in international public law. She specialized in water diplomacy and mediation at a Harvard-MIT-Tufts joint programme and MWI, Boston, respectively. She served in the United Nations’ system for 17 years as the strategic and operational coordinator of its water conflict and cooperation programme. Sensibilization to cooperative water management has been a significant focus of her career: she conceived around 100 training courses and capacity building activities on international law, conflict management, confidence-building and cooperation processes. Her audiences encompass young, mid and high-level professionals, executive officers, media professionals, decision-makers and civil society from all continents.

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Dr. Mara Tignino

Dr. Mara Tignino is a Reader at the Faculty of Law and the Institute for Environmental Sciences at the University of Geneva and Lead Legal Specialist at the Platform for International Water Law of the Geneva Water Hub. She holds a PhD in International Law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies of Geneva. She has been a Visiting Scholar at George Washington University School of Law in Washington DC. In 2017, she was awarded the “Women Peacebuilders for Water” prize from “Fondazione Milano per Expo” for her research in international water law and her dedication to creating new generations of international lawyers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What web browser should I use?

The Open edX platform works best with current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari.

See our list of supported browsers for the most up-to-date information.

How long will the course take?

You can do the courses at your own pace, but we expect that on average the course takes roughly 4 hours to complete.

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