Water Politics: Between Desertification and Securitization - Time for a Blue Diplomacy

Background

Blue diplomacy (also known as water diplomacy or hydro diplomacy) has been described as a "dynamic, politically oriented process that aims to prevent, mitigate, and resolve water-related tensions in shared waters by making simultaneous use of diplomatic tools, water-related know‑how and cooperation mechanisms across multiple diplomacy tracks.

The EESC declared that water is not a mere commodity but a public good essential to human life. Easy and affordable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for all is imperative for public health and human development.

Milena Angelova, EESC member and co-rapporteur of the opinion highlighted: "By 2050 a combination of water and climate-related problems and conflicts will force approximately a billion people to migrate. Water scarcity and related tensions and weaponization pose a rising threat to international peace and stability. the EU needs to promote and streamline Blue Diplomacy in its foreign policy".

Given the cross-cutting nature of water, and the fact that water scarcity is a global problem, a common and comprehensive approach on a global scale is needed. Therefore, the EESC calls for the Nexus approach.

Key points:

In the opinion, the EESC:

• calls the EU to step up its efforts on blue diplomacy and streamline it in its foreign policy and external relations, trade and development policies. In this context, the Committee proposes to pay special attention to blue diplomacy in sub-Saharan Africa;
• asks for the protection of wetlands and biodiversity as an essential part of blue diplomacy and encourages the establishment of a macro-regional strategy for the Mediterranean region;
• calls for the right funding to improve existing water facilities and infrastructure to ensure fair access to clean water and sanitation for the entire global population. The Global Gateway constitutes an excellent tool in this context;

The full text of the opinion can be found here

Additional information

EESC section: External Relations Section (REX)

Opinion type: own-initiative

Rrapporteur: Ioannis Vardakastanis

Co-rapporteur: Milena Angelova

Reference: REX/570-EESC-2023

Date of adoption by section: 18 July 2023

Date of adoption in plenary: 20-21 September 2023

Result of the vote in plenary: 223 in favour / 1 against/ 4 abstentions

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