Water, Energy and Peace in the BRICS: A Missing Link?

Luis Gouveia Jr., Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and University of Coimbra (Brazil)

In 2015, the BRICS launched its New Development Bank (NDB). Focused on sustainability, the bank has invested in several projects to enhance access to water, sanitation, and energy for marginalized populations. Besides the projects developed by the NDB, the BRICS summits have enforced the need for cooperation in security and peace. However, the potential link between BRICS’ cooperation in peace/security and in water-energy-food access has not been analyzed in the literature. This research aims to investigate the possible connection between these two topics within the group. Thus, I will proceed with a content analysis of the BRICS’ declarations to identify potential connections between water, food, and energy and peace/security in the group’s official documents. Additionally, I will analyze the 120 projects developed by the NDB to determine whether they approach access to water, food, and energy as a means to achieve peace.