THE WPS PARTNERS
The Water, Peace and Security (WPS) partnership is a collaboration between the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and a consortium of six partners: IHE Delft (lead partner), World Resources Institute (WRI), Deltares, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), Wetlands International and International Alert.
The initiative is a network that brings together knowledge, capacities and activities directed at speeding up and scaling up preventative action in the context of water stress–induced conflict, migration or other forms of social destabilisation. To this end, the consortium collaborates with a growing number of other institutions, including Oregon State University and Clingendael.
CORE PARTNERS
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE Delft), which leads the partnership, is the largest international graduate water education institution in the world, and is based in Delft, the Netherlands. At IHE, over 200 academic staff focus on education, research and capacity development in the broad fields of hydrology, water engineering, water and environmental management, governance and water conflict and cooperation.
World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization that spans more than 50 countries, with offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States. Over 1,400 experts and staff turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. It works towards practical solutions and global impact based on rigorous analysis and long-term engagement with decision-makers from governments, corporations, city governments and communities. WRI has become a leader in the use of new technologies and big data, expanding the ‘do tank’ side of its work to ensure better impact from its traditional “think tank” role.
Deltares is a leading (not-for-profit) and internationally operating consultancy and applied research institute in the field of water and subsurface resources. Based in the Netherlands and operating around the world, Deltares works on innovative solutions and applications for people, environment and society. More than 800 Deltares specialists have expertise in the policy, science and engineering disciplines to address sustainability issues. Deltares has a wide network of international cooperation, both with government and private organisations. Deltares works with major knowledge institutes around the world, and at the same time is involved in many social responsibility projects, particularly for major international financial organisations, like the World Bank.
The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) is an independent think tank. HCSS creates models and monitors for public and private organisations to improve their situational awareness, providing them with a better understanding of their strategic environment. It also compiles, collates and generates new datasets, designs tailor-made analytical frameworks and builds fully interactive web interfaces. HCSS’s in-house competencies include predictive modelling using both structural and dynamic data, web scraping, text mining, advanced internet search techniques and data visualisation. HCSS works with clients from both the public and private sectors.
Wetlands International is a global not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands for people and biodiversity. With its headquarters in the Netherlands and 20 country and network offices around the world, the organisation is currently working in over 100 countries. Wetlands International’s work ranges from research and community-based projects to engagement with governments and private sector entities, to advocacy in international policy. To achieve long-term and sustainable positive change, it works through partnerships across landscapes and ecosystems and is supported by contributions from an extensive specialist network.
International Alert is an international peacebuilding organisation with its headquarters in London. It also maintains a continental European office in The Hague, the Netherlands, in addition to offices in 15 other countries around the world. Approximately 250 experts and staff work on programmes to build positive peace and reduce violence, working across conflict lines and with all parties to the conflict. Alert’s peacebuilding programming works in three main ways: dialogue, influencing and partnerships underpinned by research and analysis to identify the root causes of violence and long-term solutions to conflict. Central to Alert’s peacebuilding is championing gender- and conflict-sensitive approaches to work in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. This approach is mainstreamed across all of Alert’s work and also central to its efforts with external stakeholders at the project, strategy and policy levels.
COLLABORATING PARTNERS
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is a German-based state funded service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, peace and security and international education work. GIZ’s main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) but is also commissioned by the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries.
GIZ and WPS cooperate on the Frexus-project in the Sahel region. The Frexus project, commissioned by the EU and BMZ, aims to improve security and climate resilience in fragile contexts through the water-energy-food Nexus. Read more about the Frexus project.
AFFILIATE PARTNERS
Oregon State University is an international public research university with land, sea, space, and sun grants; nearly 5,000 academic and professional faculty, including 90+ in water-related fields; and a student body of 30,000 from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. It houses the Program in Water Conflict Management & Transformation and is one of three hubs (along with IHE-Delft and the University of Peace) of the Masters Programme in Water Cooperation & Diplomacy.
Clingendael, the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, is an independent think tank and academy on international affairs, based in The Hague. Through its analyses, training and public debate it aim to inspire and equip governments, businesses, and civil society in order to contribute to a secure, sustainable and just world.