Outcomes from Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q)’s “Sustaining the Oasis” Hiwaraat conference are poised to be a catalyst for shaping new dialogues, collaboration, and research partnerships around water security and climate change, both within the region and around the globe.

Held from November 12-13, the conference was a collaboration between GU-Q and the Earth Commons Institute at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Connecting policy with science, and new technology with circular and nature-based solutions, discussions shed light on the role of water as a force to achieve greater regional cooperation and stability, while driving climate change adaptation and mitigation.

One of the greatest values of dialogues like Hiwaraat is to kickstart important agendas for the future, to bring together people who care about common issues,” said the dean of GU-Q, Dr. Safwan Masri in his closing remarks.

“This [conference] is just the beginning of a conversation between [our campuses] and how we build an environmental presence here, in an area that is just so critical,” noted Dr. Peter Marra, dean of the Earth Commons Institute.