Water Action Agenda

The United Nations World Water Conference can claim a number of major achievements. From 22 to 24 March, representatives of UN member states, the scientific community, industry and civil society met to discuss more ambitious goals for protecting global water resources. A wide range of measures were agreed to accelerate progress towards the international goals of the UN Water Action Decade 2018-2028 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The main outcome of the conference is a global Water Action Agenda, which by the end of the conference received more than 660 commitments from member states and other stakeholders. In the meantime, there are over 700 and more can be submitted.

Approaches "beyond business as usual" are intended to improve the impact of measures with regard to achieving SDG 6 and to accelerate their implementation. Projects range from protecting sanitation workers’ rights and strengthening the financial resilience of all water sector organisations and institutions to country-specific plans including mapping the Hague’s water system and monitoring micropollutants and water quality in the Itaipu Reservoir located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. German Federal Environment Minister Lemke has pledged five commitments for Germany:

1. implementation of the National Water Strategy
2. bilateral project with the Democratic Republic of Congo in the framework of the International Climate Initiative
3. regional project with the Niger Basin Authority under the International Climate Initiative
4. bilateral project with South Africa in the framework of the International Climate Initiative
5. Willingness to co-finance an UN Special Envoy on Water

Further information:

Press release of the German Federal Ministry of Environment: Foundations laid for reversal in global water trends

UN: Water Action Agenda

Earth.org: UN Water Conference 2023: New Water Action Agenda a Good Start but Enough to Stave off Global Crisis

Urban Water Catalyst Initiative: joint initiative of Germany and the Netherlands for water suppliers in the growing cities of the Global South

With the Urban Water Catalyst Initiative, Germany, with the support of the Netherlands, is for the first time launching a global initiative to mobilise public and private investments for climate-resilient water operators and cities in the Global South. The aim is to provide urban dwellers in the growing cities of the Global South with access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Germany is providing start-up funding of 32 million. The initiative aims to support urban water supply and sanitation utilities to improve their infrastructure on their own and to finance it permanently.

Further information: Joint press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany