New GIST Hub Project

The GIST Hub research portfolio continues to grow with a new project addressing the critical intersection of climate adaptation, water resources, and conflict dynamics.

The project, Under Pressure: Water scarcity and the challenges of the energy transition in Latin America and the Middle East, is led by Dr. Johanna Höhl (LMU Munich) and is funded by the German Foundation for Peace Research.

As climate change intensifies, adaptation measures increasingly influence the availability and distribution of water resources, often leading either to tensions or collaborative solutions. This project investigates when, how, and through which mechanisms climate- and environment-related stress leads to either water-related conflict or cooperative behaviour. It examines the roles of governance structures, actor constellations, local knowledge, and local ownership in shaping these outcomes.

The study employs an interdisciplinary, mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses with case studies in Latin America and the Middle East.

The research objectives are threefold:

1. To expand the water-energy nexus by incorporating the dimension of climate policy measures and analysing this systematically
2. To examine the interplay between conflict, cooperation, and adaptation strategies across various levels
3. To highlight the importance of local knowledge and participation in achieving sustainable and conflict-sensitive solutions