Global Water Partnership - GWP

Being innovative in the face of an ever-changing world, delivering GWP’s Strategy despite the challenges of COVID, and connecting water communities across the globe – these were some of the key messages during 2021’s GWP Network Meeting. More than 470 participants from 73 countries joined the two-day online event, which was opened by GWP Chair, Howard Bamsey, who highlighted how the Network continues to evolve and adapt to new landscapes. This was also an opportunity to celebrate GWP’s 25th Anniversary with its Partners. A dedicated GWP 25 years website was set up, including a digital timeline, a gratitude wall, and a Story Book with voices of water leadership. 

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Drawing on extensive research of its users, the GWP Toolbox IWRM Action Hub was redeveloped in 2021. The Toolbox is a global knowledge-sharing platform that brings together water professionals in designing and implementing IWRM action towards a water secure world. The long-term goal is for the Toolbox to become a comprehensive repository for information on water management – as well as an online hub for sharing ideas and building communities. A beta version was launched during GWP’s Network Meeting of Partners in December 2021, and it was publicly launched at the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal, in March 2022.

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The journey of our Water ChangeMakers Awards 2020 came to a powerful end both at the Climate Adaptation Summit in January and at COP26 in November 2021. The ChangeMakers took to the global stage to present messages of urgency, and hope, to world leaders during the events. The Initiative was launched in 2020 and received more than 350 entries. The 78 semi-finalist change stories are featured on the Water ChangeMakers Awards website.

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The GWP Global Secretariat, its Network, and the GWP Technical Committee are undergoing a shift as they move towards greater integration of workplans and activities. The Technical Committee is implementing significant changes to assist with this integration.

In early 2021, GWP, together with the International Water Management Institute, launched a joint Perspectives Paper on Storing Water: A new integrated approach for resilient development. As with other Perspective Papers, this one is serving as a platform for cross-sectoral dialogue.

Even though the GWP ChangeMakers initiative came to an end, creative ways have been found to use the material that was submitted in order to give a global voice to the innovative ideas put forward. In that context, Technical Committee members contributed to developing a publication on valuing water which was launched on World Water Day.

The Committee has also played an active role in the development of the GWP Innovation Working Groups, as well as the Massive Open Online Course on transboundary waters.

On April 1, 2022, Ms. Jaehyang So (“Jae”) was appointed as the new Chair of the GWP Technical Committee.

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GWP’s collaboration with Cap-Net UNDP produced results in 2021 including the Water–Energy–Food Nexus Masterclass in Southern Africa, which aimed to develop capacity among early career researchers, postgraduate students, managers, and practitioners. Other collaboration results included:

  • Working with UNDP, Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, and Stockholm International Water Institute Water Governance Facility on a webinar series to strengthen climate and water linkages in national climate action plans
  • An SDG indicator 6.6.1 pilot project on the integration of freshwater data into sector-wide decision-making in Argentina, Kenya, and Kazakhstan
  • Joint organisation of the online Multi-Stakeholder Platforms (MSPs) Workshop Series and the MSP for Improved Water Governance Online Course. Several knowledge products were developed to explore how water-related MSPs can contribute to making progress in relation to gender, climate, private sector engagement, transboundary issues, and the SDGs. These publications identify strategies and lessons learned from GWP’s Country Water Partnerships and Partners. 
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