Interactive Online Session: International Water Law and Climate Change

GWP and Wuhan International Water Law Academy are co-organizing an interactive online series called the "Transboundary freshwater security governance train". The series of online engagements sessions is conducted in an approach of a ‘train’ stopping at various locations in the world, with focus on topics related to transboundary freshwater security. At each of the stops, a different topic from the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for Governance for Transboundary Freshwater Security is explored. In the 4th session, the topic is "International Water Law and Climate Change”, and it takes place on 20 April.

The central question that will be discussed in the interactive session is: What strategies are there to help countries adapt to/tackle climate change within a transboundary freshwater context? What are the legal challenges and how can national, regional, and global (legal) challenges be addressed?

Questions will be collected in advance (through the MOOC platform) and during the 1,5-hour-long session.

Panelists will provide brief presentations and then the floor is open to questions in breakout rooms, which offers an opportunity to engage deeply with regional experts.

WHEN: Tuesday 20 April, at 9:00 (London), 10:00 (Stockholm), 11:00 (Nairobi), 15:00 (Bangkok), 16:00 (Beijing)

WHAT: The session will feature speakers with different experiences to share, discussing the following topics:

·Transboundary Water Governance and Climate Change Adaptation (intro to the relevant international law, policy guidelines and best practices).

·UNECE's experience in supporting transboundary water basins in addressing climate change, drawing on specific cases from the field, and the role of international water law, particularly of the UNECE Water Convention framework and the UN Watercourses Convention in addressing transboundary water climate risks.

·Role of big data in managing consequences of climate change on transboundary waters.

·A practitioner view from the basin, in managing climate change in transboundary basin.

HOW: Registration is required, please use this link.

WHO: Confirmed speakers are:

·Dr. Yumiko Yasuda (Event moderator), Senior Network & Transboundary Water Cooperation Specialist, Global Water Partnership

·Professor Otto Spijkers (Co-chair), Academy of International Water Law, Wuhan University

·Dr. Barbara Janusz-Pawletta (Co-chair), UNESCO Chair in Water Management in Central Asia, Deutsch-Kasachische Universität in Kazakhstan

·Ms. Sonja Koeppel, Secretary of the Water Convention and co-Secretary of the Protocol on Water and Health at UNECE

·Dr. Ruby Moynihan, Lecturer/Irish Research Council Fellow at University College Cork, Ireland, and Senior Research Fellow/Adjunct Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington

·Mr. Nagaraja Rao Harshadeep, Global Lead for Disruptive Technology in the Sustainable Development Practice Group.

·Mr. Didier Zinsou, Director of Niger Basin Observatory