August 12 marks International Youth Day, and the 2021 edition has the theme, “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health.” We spoke with youth in West and Southern Africa about their involvement in GWP activities around water and food. What are the challenges and how can youth contribute to securing the water-food chain?

The recent IPCC report paints a grim picture of the future of our planet. A red code for humanity. We pushed the climate into unprecedented territory, and now is the time to act, says GWP Executive Secretary Darío Soto-Abril in a statement responding to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. He stresses that to succeed in the battle against climate disaster, we need to work in unison.

The devastating floods in Western Europe highlight the serious weather extremes that are now affecting many parts of the world. Until recently, it was easy to overlook these events, thinking they only happened in poor and remote communities in less developed countries. Not anymore. The flooding last week shows that climate change is real, it is hitting close to home, and it’s affecting all of us.

In 2020, GWP South America organised a contest among regional Partners. The topic was on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and featured projects successfully carried out in 2020. The top 5 submissions were shared in a series of webinars during April to June this year – presenting results, conclusions, and concerns.

Update 26 July 2021: Please note that the submission deadline for this survey was 25 July 2021. Many thanks to everyone who participated, we greatly appreciate your input!

"The Green Deal for a Sustainable Future" was the theme of the 2021 digital edition of the European Development Days (EDD21) on 15-16 June, a European Commission event. GWP was represented at a high-level panel on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and at a discussion on the role of water as a connector in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Both discussions highlighted integration between sectors as key to improving water governance.

Updated 19 July: Please note that the application deadline for these internships expired on 18 July 2021. Thank you to all who applied! Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

On 23 June, GWP Chair Howard Bamsey took part in a panel discussion on water and climate organised by pharmaceutical company Bayer and the Water and Climate Coalition. Bamsey said the water community needs to better articulate the central role of water in climate: “Water is a part of the climate struggle.”

Since the start of 2021, GWP and the International Water Law Academy (IWLA) of Wuhan University have co-organised a series of online events called "Transboundary Freshwater Security Governance Train" - a 'train' of events stopping around the world at different topics related to the main theme. On 15 June, the initial series concluded with its 6th session on international water law and transboundary groundwater. "We are in front of a puzzle, and this can get very frustrating – there are a lot of pieces, and it takes a lot of time,” said Dr. Francesco Sindico when he described what he called a complex maze of international law applicable to transboundary aquifers.

The GWP Gender Action Piece was launched in 2017 with the aim to improve gender equality and social inclusion in water resources management. The publication captures the views of 40 experts from around the world and contains four clear action areas to serve as drivers for progress. New language versions are now available: French, Spanish, and Russian. A broader audience is expected to lead to a renewed boost in interest and action.