Luanda Biennial water governance forum

The fourth Luanda Biennial, a Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence held under the auspices of UNESCO and the African Union, convened in Angola to address water governance as a mechanism for conflict prevention and resolution.

During the forum, leaders such as Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi emphasized balancing national sovereignty with regional cooperation regarding resources like the Congo River. Discussions focused on inclusive governance, intergenerational dialogue, and the role of social policies in maintaining peace between states.

The event concluded with the issuance of the Luanda Declaration. Produced by the Angolan government, the African Union Commission, and UNESCO, the declaration highlights risks to food security and political stability posed by climate change, droughts, and floods. It notes that while 70 percent of the African population relies on 73 transboundary river basins, only 29 percent have formal joint management treaties.

To mitigate these risks, the declaration recommends strengthening water diplomacy, sharing real-time technical data, and establishing autonomous management bodies for all shared basins by 2030. It also calls for integrating water diplomacy into the African Union’s early warning systems, protecting water infrastructure during conflicts, and ensuring a minimum of 40 percent female representation in management committees.