The Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) participated in the opening of the international executive training programme entitled “Hydro-diplomacy: A Tool for Climate and Environmental Resilience, Peace and Security” launched in Nicosia, Cyprus, with the participation of leading experts, academics, diplomats, and former officials specialising in water issues, international relations, and regional security.
The programme is organised through cooperation between the Cyprus Institute, the University of Balamand, and the European Security and Defence College. It aims to strengthen the role of water diplomacy in transforming shared water challenges into opportunities for cooperation and benefit-sharing, while advancing water security, peace, and regional stability.
The training addresses international water law, science and climate diplomacy, and integrated governance of transboundary river basins. Key regional issues include the Nile Basin and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Tigris and Euphrates basins, and the Jordan River. It also explores how technology, geographic information systems (GIS), and artificial intelligence can support decision-making, transparency, and cooperation among riparian countries.
H.E. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Aaty, Senior Regional Consultant/ Water Resources Management at the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), and Egypt’s former Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, represents CEDARE in the programme. He contributes to dialogue sessions on the foundations of water diplomacy and the technical, legal, and political challenges associated with the GERD and the Nile Basin. He also participates as a facilitating expert in negotiation simulations and the design of water basin governance models.
CEDARE’s participation underscores the importance of regional cooperation and the application of science, international law, and diplomatic dialogue to the management of shared water resources, strengthening climate resilience and advancing sustainable development and lasting peace.
