Laura Birkman, Director of the Climate, Water, and Food Security Programme at HCSS was panelist at the TRENDS Research and Advisory 5th Annual Conference on Sustainable Water Security in Abu Dhabi.
Birkman was part of the panel ‘Multilateralism and knowledge in the global water dialogue: the UN and the role of think tanks in promoting SDG 6’. The panel was moderated by Abdulla Alkhaja, researcher, TRENDS Research & Advisory – UAE.
The panel discussion also featured the following panelists:
- Christophe Hodder, United Nations Climate Security and Environmental Advisor to Somalia – Kenya.
- Dhesigen Naidoo, Climate Adaptation Advisor to the South African Presidential Climate Commission; and Head of the African Climate Risk and Human Security Project at the Institute for Security Studies, Africa – South Africa.
- Dr. Amer Al Kindi, Former Lead Climate Adaptation Negotiator, COP28 UAE Presidency – UAE.
- Sultan Majed Al Ali, Researcher, Deputy Head of Dubai Office Sector, TRENDS Research & Advisory, co-author of book chapter titled “Climate and Regional Geopolitical Drivers: Water in the MENA region” – UAE.
Multilateral diplomacy to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation – SDG 6 – is led by the UN and its agencies. Equally, the global cause of promoting SDG 6 can be facilitated by think tank activities such as convening stakeholder dialogues, leveraging partnerships with global research centers, developing technical and scientific knowledge, and supporting policy makers. Birkman and the other panelists explored these and other synergies and developed recommendations on actions to support accelerating action on SDG 6.