In our series of inter-regional discussions on gender equality and social inclusion, GWP Senior Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist Liza Debevec is exploring the ‘Action Areas’ of the GWP Gender Action Piece, to identify what GWP as an institution can do to apply them. In the fourth and final discussion, she talked to Hycinth Banseka and Julienne Roux about the issue of equal access to and control of resources. Banseka, who is Regional Coordinator for GWP Central Africa, says it is a complex issue in Africa, where the cultural context of each country demands different approaches, and where language and long-term thinking are key to progress.

The Development of the AIP Water Investment Scorecard, which will mobilise water and sanitation investments in Africa through political commitment at the highest level in Africa, was formally initiated this week during an online event held on 28 April.

The event series, “Transboundary freshwater security governance train” continued on 20 April. The initiative is a collaboration between GWP and Wuhan International Water Law Academy, and the topic of the 4th session was “International Water Law and Climate Change.” Around 120 participants joined the online session. “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges in international water law,” said event Co-Chair Barbara Janusz-Pawletta.

In GWP’s ongoing collaboration with the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW) to boost youth voices from across the globe, we asked young people to define what youth leadership looks like in the water sector.

On World Water Day, the SDG 6 IWRM Support Programme is announcing a major upgrade and new resources on its website to better share the challenges and opportunities countries face when implementing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Several new items include an IWRM Action Searcher, an interactive map, and stakeholder reports.

To celebrate World Water Day 2021 and show what Valuing Water means in practice across the world, we have invited some of our Water ChangeMakers to share their stories about the way they have made smart decisions that reflect the multiple values of water– from the mountains of Peru, to the plains of Tanzania.

Darío Soto-Abril took up his new role as GWP Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on 1 March. In this interview, he shares his vision for the network at a time when GWP celebrates its 25th Anniversary. He also reflects on his personal view of water, as he answers the World Water Day 2021 question on what water means to him. Going back to childhood memories of growing up in Colombia, he has two words for this: happiness and equality.

The Strategic Framework for WASH Climate Resilience, developed by GWP and UNICEF, to guide implementors in climate-proofing WASH services, will be a valuable tool in UNICEF’s new drive to bring water security solutions to 450 million children and their families , living in areas of high or extremely high-water vulnerability, by 2025.

GWP and Wuhan International Water Law Academy are collaborating on a series of events called the “Transboundary freshwater security governance train”. In six online sessions, key topics on transboundary water cooperation are highlighted, with examples from different locations around the globe. The third session took place on 16 March on the topic, “River Basin Organisations (RBOs) and the Implementation of Treaty Commitments”, with about 140 participants. Experts agree that RBOs play a key role in international water law implementation – this session explained why.

A 3-part webinar series took place in February and March to highlight and clarify linkages between water and climate in national climate action plans, such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and various investment mechanisms. “For me, the stories from countries were the best part. I think they speak to all of us and tell us what it's really like to change theory into implementation on the ground,” said Dani Gaillard-Picher, GWP Global Coordinator for Water and Climate Processes, in her summary of the series.