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Adaptation Futures is the world’s leading conference on climate change adaptation; this year, held from 18 to 21 June, in Cape Town, South Africa. PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency is organising a session on 21 June about transboundary issues in river catchment areas.

Adaptation Futures 2018 particularly focuses on Africa and the Global South, and aims to:

• facilitate dialogues on solutions between key actors from various backgrounds, disciplines and regions;
• contribute to the shift from problem analyses to solutions and innovations;
• integrate adaptation into sustainable development, investments and spatial planning.  

The conference expects to welcome over 1000 participants from various backgrounds, such as scientists, policymakers and campaigners, as well as people from the business community and non-governmental organisations NGOs.

PBL session on transboundary issues in river catchment areas

PBL’s session is titled ’Changes, challenges and chances: how can we reduce future conflict risks in river basins’

Building on a global hotspot analysis in The Geography of Future Water Challenges and with examples from the Himalaya region and Nile River basin, the session will address changes, challenges and chances with respect to transnational interactions in river catchment areas and effective adaptation beyond national boundaries. Population growth, economic development, increasing food and energy demand – in some regions, resulting in the construction of numerous large dams – and the expected impacts of climate change present unprecedented challenges for managing conflict risk in transboundary river basins. The session will discuss the possibilities of collaboration in transboundary river basins to resolve future conflicts. Questions will be addressed around which types of processes are key in reducing tensions, and whether climate adaptation and the adoption of SDGs will be able to bridge interests and contribute to a fair distribution of water?