Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed nearly every aspect of the lives of the world’s citizens. And every organisation’s way of doing business, including GWP’s, has been upended. During these difficult times, GWP’s unique global network and competencies are and will remain in keeping attention on the water security agenda. On this page, we gather information, news, and resources from the GWP network and beyond, on water-related topics connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the world considers how to re-build our health, solidarity, and caring for each other, we are easily reminded that we all share one source of water. 

Managing our waters is a task for everyone, and GWP will continue to promote and support good water management practices, participatory decision making, as well as building and flexing “cooperation muscles” in societies. GWP has a long and successful history in bringing together civil society, government, and the private sector in working toward a water secure world.

As long as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, particular focus will be on:

  • keeping attention on the water security agenda and on climate resilience;
  • convening participatory approaches – including mobilising those whom the COVID crisis is pushing aside - working across and beyond the water space; 
  • developing pragmatic water solutions for (re)building public health and economies, with particular attention to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and emergency protocols, and; 

GWP will also reach out to its Partners and stakeholders at country and water-shed level to see where we can be of assistance, offering our network, our insights, and our skills. 

GWP Chair message

In September 2020, the Japanese Government, in cooperation with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), launched an online platform for sustainable and resilient recovery from COVID-19. Non-state actors were invited to contribute video messages, and GWP Chair Howard Bamsey stressed that water is at the heart of climate change adaptation. Watch his full full statement:

Key GWP documents for strategic guidance:

Top photo by mostphotos.com/Pitinan Piyavatin.