The GWP Story – 25 Years: Join Our Online Celebration

GWP celebrates 25 years in 2021, and we are introducing the anniversary website gwp25years.org. The launch took place in connection to the GWP Regional Days (31 May-3 June), an annual gathering of GWP’s staff worldwide. The new website is a place to capture the collective celebration of what the network has achieved so far, and to look to the future. It is a place where everyone is invited to share messages and where they can be part of the journey to make good water governance a reality for everyone.

GWP’s 25-year journey has brought together the voices of people who reshaped water policies and practices and delivered long-lasting impact on the ground. The network’s foundation is built on partnerships, and this year we put a spotlight on the remarkable resource that these partnerships form – with the aim to build them even stronger, even wider.

“There is no other organisation in the world that has this reach in the water sector – and probably very few in other sectors. We can offer something that the water sector generally lacks, and that is a coherent view and vision of where we want to go. GWP can be a node for coherence, for building coherence in the water sector,” said GWP Chair Howard Bamsey when he announced the anniversary year.

Due to the global pandemic, most of GWP’s activities are happening online (including the Regional Days), and an online resource like www.gwp25years.org serves as a practical tool for stakeholders, regions, and partner organisations to feel a stronger bond with each other.

The website has:

  • A GRATITUDE WALL, where visitors can leave messages for GWP and the wider network;
  • A TIMELINE that captures GWP’s history and achievements;
  • A section on the FUTURE, with inspirational thoughts on where GWP is heading;
  • A SPOTLIGHT on moments or activities that celebrate GWP 25 years; and
  • VIDEOS with messages from GWP regions and partners will be added throughout the year.

As part of related anniversary celebrations during Regional Days, the report Mobilising Change: 10 years of climate resilient water investments will be launched on 2 June. The report shares the work that GWP and its Partners have done to influence water investments of more than €1.2 billion in the last decade in over 60 countries. The launch event will be live-streamed on GWP’s Facebook page.