Climate Change
Seven ways to get water on the climate agenda
1. Create a grassroots movement
4. Use digital technologies to share experiences
There is a
need for a
grassroots
movement to
strengthen the
case for water
in the climate
debate. This
grassroots
Children collect drinking water in Uganda. Photograph:
movement for
David Levene
water exists,
but could be stronger. In many countries local NGOs,
water committees and youth associations have worked on
raising awareness. In France, local water parliaments work
together to tackle water and climate change issues. These
initiatives could be further shown in other countries.
Heloise Chicou, deputy director and climate program officer, French
Water Partnership, Paris.
Water professionals can use digital platforms to share
best practice, access information and to engage in project
or action-related planning and discussion. At the World
Economic Forum we are working to get all our networks
onto digital platforms to share and connect. Dominic
Waughray, head of public-private partnerships and member of the
managing committee at the World Economic Forum, Geneva.
2. Get communities involved
Community involvement starts with recognizing that
community members are key stakeholders in the water
debate. We need to seek their opinion from the planning
of programmes, to their implementation. We shouldn’t
turn to them only when everything has already been
decided from the office. Community involvement can be
costly, particularly in terms of the time invested, but it is
a necessity.
James Williams
Kisekka,
project officer
and consultant,
Aidenvironment
and Rain
Foundation,
Kampala,
Rajendra Singh: Clean flowing rivers must be a human Uganda.
right
3. Secure funding for developing countries
Funding is a key issue for developing countries, who need
it to develop their water and climate-related projects.
Development banks have a role to play, but so do other
innovative types of financing. For instance, a local
authority from a developed country can help another local
authority in a developing country to build sustainable
technologies such as micro irrigation measures. Heloise
Chicou, deputy director and climate program officer, French Water
Partnership, Paris.
5. Build successful alliances
A successful alliance is one that recognizes the strength
of each member and allows them to tackle the part of
the issue that they are best suited to address. For example
the scientific community has great data and analysis that
everyone can use, but they need to simplify knowledge and
implications
to get
stakeholders
on the same
page. And
we all need
to leave our
egos behind.
Vidal Garza
Cantú, director
The three wonders of the ancient world solving modern
at the Femsa
water problems
Foundation,
Monterrey, Mexico.
6. Influence decision-makers and politicians
We must understand the political landscape. The best
technical fix in the world will never be implemented if it
results in the decision-makers losing office or power. We
need to think about what is driving the decision-maker
and whether is it possible to appeal to it. Deciding who
to target is also critical. We often spend time trying to
influence water ministries when we should be talking to
the treasury. Louise Whiting, senior policy analyst at WaterAid,
London.
7. Keep up the good work – and constantly strive to
improve
We should keep up the good work advocating for water,
but we must also constantly strive to improve. Scaleup success stories and share lessons learned, as well as
ideas and inspiration. World Water Week was a great
stepping stone towards New York and Paris later this
year. Let’s continue the momentum. Therese SjömanderMagnusson, director of transboundary water management
at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI),
Stockholm, Sweden.
Source: Fundacion Femsa
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November - December 2015