Stakeholder dialogue is a tool to bring together all relevant stakeholders, i.e. people who have an interest in a given issue. The key objectives are enhancement of trust between the different actors and the sharing of information and knowledge. Furthermore, it creates stable solutions and relevant good practices by creating a consensus. Stakeholder dialogue can be a successful tool, but needs some resources, like time and material means.
In times of climate change altered water regimes can enhance conflict potential between various actors within or between countries, especially in semi-arid or arid regions. Access to water sources is still often connected to economic and political power, and scarcity disadvantages already marginalised groups. This can even create a frame for social upheaval. Trans-boundary conflicts can emerge in areas with shared watercourses when one country is using water at the expense of the other. Stakeholder dialogue reduces or even solves disagreement between different water users and is therefore a good prevention measure for conflict. Diversification of water sources and income generation with less water can also reduce conflict potential.
The above mentioned principles are also central to IWRM (Integrated Water Resource Management).
References
GIZ (2012): Climate change adaptation in the water sector. Factsheet.
