Nawaf Salam: The Blue Peace Initiative Crucial Amid Current Middle East Challenges to Security and Stability
The Blue Peace Initiative: A Long-Term Regional and International Framework for Strategic Water Management Cooperation
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized that the Middle East is at a pivotal stage amid escalating challenges related to climate change, water scarcity, demographic pressures, and environmental degradation. His remarks came during the launch of the “Blue Peace” initiative in the region, highlighting that these factors are putting pressure on societal stability and have a cross-border nature that makes it difficult for any single country to address them independently.
The Blue Peace Initiative and Regional Cooperation
Salam noted that the importance of the “Blue Peace” initiative lies in its approach, which seeks to transform water from a potential source of conflict into a tool for dialogue and a platform for regional cooperation. He pointed out that the initiative aims to use shared water resources as a bridge between peoples and a driver for joint coordination, contributing to stability and the establishment of long-term cooperation frameworks.
Integrated Water Management
The Prime Minister stressed that Lebanon embraces the vision of the Blue Peace initiative, expressing its commitment to actively participate in this framework. He indicated that the partnership is based on establishing integrated water resource management, noting that Lebanon was among the first Arab countries to introduce this concept into its water management policies.
Initiative Framework and Participating Parties
The Blue Peace initiative is a regional and international framework for cooperation on transboundary water management. It is based on adopting water diplomacy and sustainable resource management while linking water issues to development and stability.
The initiative involves countries from the Middle East and North Africa, including Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey, among others, alongside international organizations and research centers. It is primarily managed by the Swiss government in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, with indirect participation from specialized UN agencies.
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