This practical toolkit explains the connection between water management and key risk factors associated with conflict, provides avenues for addressing those links, and suggests ways to incorporate conflict integration into WSSH programming. Its primary audience is implementing partners for water programming and USAID staff or other stakeholders who work to advance the whole-of-government White House Water Security Action Plan, the U.S. Government Global Water Strategy, and the associated USAID Agency Plan.
This toolkit is divided into four parts. The first section presents the relationships between water management and conflict, cooperation, and peacebuilding. The second part explores six cross-cutting sector considerations that show the interconnections between water management and other sectors. It underscores why water programming must integrate inclusive development, incorporate a systems perspective, and plan with other sectoral interests in mind. The third section highlights best practices and program strategies from USAID WSSH programming to help design stronger and more conflict-sensitive interventions. This section also provides resources and recommendations to strengthen MEL in water programming. Lastly, the toolkit presents a conflict analysis guide for water programming with key steps and resources to help practitioners follow a structured process to identify and evaluate conflict risks and interventions throughout the USAID program cycle.