About

GWP’s VISION is a water secure world. Our MISSION is to advance governance and management of water resources for sustainable and equitable development.

OUR UNIQUE VALUE: GWP mobilises action on the global water crisis through a unique combination of social capital, shared values, credibility within the global water community, bottom-up orientation, and expertise. A network of networks, we ensure the ‘voices of water’ can inﬂuence local, national, regional, and global development priorities. We are committed to our role as a neutral convener and respected for our focus on inclusiveness and sustainability.

Learn

GWP creates and communicates information about integrated water resources management which contributes to improved water governance and, ultimately, water security.

Together with our Partners, we provide knowledge resources and capacity building activities for solving water problems.

Partner

Institutional Partners are the basis of GWP's multi-stakeholder partnership. A strong, diverse partnership can bring about the changes needed to achieve a water secure world. In this section, learn about the benefits of being a Partner and meet a few who already are. We invite like-minded organisations to join us!

GWP Regions

This is where you can find links to the websites of our Regional Water Partnerships (RWPs). RWPs are closest to the countries where we work. They share knowledge and learning across national boundaries and are expected to have an open, inclusive, and gender-sensitive policies for bringing together as wide a group of stakeholders as possible to solve water problems.

Water and Urbanisation

Today water stress is a major concern in many urban areas. The core aspect of urbanisation is the rapid urban population growth together with inadequate planning, pollution, poverty, competing demands on the resource, all contribute to water stress: and consequently the urban water consumption is likely to double by 2025. Climate change is expected to cause significant changes as well in precipitation patterns which will affect the availability of water and induce water related disasters.

The world urban population is expected to increase by 72 % by 2050, from 3.6 billion in 2011 to 6.3 billion in 2050. African and Asian urban population is expected to be around 57.7 and 64.4% at urbanisation rate of 1% and 0.9% respectively. In developing countries, average sanitation coverage (56%) is far less than water coverage (85%). For example in Africa, even in urban area coverage for sanitation is 46% and water is 84% and the coverage is even significantly lower in the rural areas.

Current models of urban planning and water management have already failed or likely to fail from the perspective of cost effectiveness, technical performance, social equity, and environmental sustainability. A paradigm shift is required at the system-wide level. Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) provides a framework for interventions over the entire water cycle and a reconsideration of the way water is used (and reused). And IUWM balances competing demands among water users: agriculture, industry, household, and ecosystems. More governments recognise the importance of taking such an approach to address the challenges of cities. There is growing consensuses around the principles of Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) which include the three main inter connected dimensions:

Governance: It is a critical aspect for supporting IUWM. Without government policy and framework support and comprehensive stakeholder participation, optimum management of water resources cannot be achieved.
Service: This component includes closed loop systems for water supply and sanitation (making whole water cycle as one), stormwater management, good Operation & Maintenance and at the same time maintaining the water quality as required for use. Decentralised wastewater treatment systems and innovative and affordable technologies are recommended.
Resource: It is of utmost importance to make use of all available resources; conventional or unconventional in the form of wastewater, rainwater, surfacewater, greywater, blackwater etc. Wastewater is not wasted water! Simultaneously, demand side management should be utilised to lessen the stress on water resources.

Cities: a wealth of opportunities. Urbanisation also brings with it opportunities for more efficient water management as well as for the provision of drinking water supply and sanitation services to many people. Cities are generators of wealth and employment, incubators of innovation and creativity, and provide the best opportunities to improve livelihoods.

Page last edited: 7/25/2013