Growing interest and support for Kilimanjaro Water Stewardship Platform

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TanzaniaArusha, 29 January, 2016 – A recent workshop organized by the 2030 WRG took place in Arusha to discuss the concept and gauge potential interest in establishing the Kilimanjaro Water Stewardship Platform. The platform would provide a mechanism to coordinate and scale up interventions and develop solutions to tackle the growing water resources challenges in the basin as part of a wide public, private and civil society partnership. The 2030 Water Resources Group has helped convene a wide range of stakeholders to develop a concept for the Platform.

The Pangani River Basin is of vital importance to Tanzania. It is home to a large number of commercial agriculture producers (coffee and sugar) and has the largest concentration of horticulture and floriculture producers in Tanzania – with over 30 companies in the region identified as exporting to European markets.  The Pangani is also globally recognized for its forest and biodiversity resources which generates an estimated US$50 million alone in revenue each year for the Tanzanian economy.  The Pangani is already water stressed, and evidence suggests its resources will become increasingly constrained.

Collective action

The objective of the workshop was to bring together important stakeholders in the Basin; to identify priority actions and milestones for the campaign; to strategize a way forward and to highlight the importance of collective action of major water users in the Pangani as being essential to address risks and provide solutions to tackling water challenges in the Basin.

The workshop was attended by more than 30 participants from 20 organizations from the public and private sectors and civil society organizations. At the end of the Workshop, the stakeholders were able to agree on a number of core focus areas and activities and confirmed their agreement on future collective efforts. 16 organizations confirmed their interest in backing the development of the Kilimanjaro Water Stewardship Platform.

Accord to continue 2030 WRG program by Governing Council

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Vaillant_Arena_DavosDavos, Switzerland, 21 January, 2016 – True to tradition, the 2030 WRG Governing Council meeting was held during the Forum’s Annual Meetings in the picturesque town of Davos, Switzerland. The council members reviewed the achievements and progress of the 2030 WRG to-date and discussed the outlook for the year ahead. The discussions were led by Chair Peter Brabeck-Letmathe.

He pointed out that 2015 was a very interesting year for development issues in general and water in particular, and he highlighted the recently adopted SDGs, the climate change agreement, as well as the Forum’s annual Global Risk Report.

Anders Berntell, 2030 WRG Executive Director, presented the progress, achievements and results during 2015 and asked the Governing Council members to reflect and give feedback on the presentation.

The Council members were very satisfied with the way that 2030 WRG has been able to build and institutionalize effective and committed partnerships in the countries where it is active. It was reported in the meeting that 2030WRG now has 297 active partners as participants in Steering Boards and working groups in the 9 countries/states where such multi-stakeholder platforms so far have been established. This is on average over 30 partners in each partnership, which is a very positive development.

The members said that in the context of adaptation to climate change, the 2030 WRG program becomes even more relevant. In both the agreement on the SDGs and in the Paris agreement on Climate Change, there has been a strong emphasis on the need to develop partnerships between public, private and civil society to facilitate the implementation of the respective agreements. 2030WRG is an excellent already existing example of such a partnership, working at global as well as national levels, which could also inspire others.

The Governing Council members were all pleased with the results so far, and in particular with the number of programs in different countries that are now starting to get implemented on the ground, with substantial impact in terms of less water abstracted from rivers and aquifers, reduced waste-water being emitted and increased productivity per drop of water in agriculture, Other programs that will also be implemented shortly are covering economic incentives, including water tariffs for industrial use of water. They expressed their own organization’s continued commitment and support, and wanted to see the program continue. It was said that water will always be a priority, and they also recognized that continuing 2030 WRG is important for the continuity of the programs and partnerships in the countries where we work, thereby realizing that building partnerships is something that is a long-term investment.

The Governing Council members agreed in principle to continue the program beyond the current June 2017 funding phase and welcomed the idea to explore engagement opportunities in more countries. The Council approved the budget and requested the Secretariat to prepare for the upcoming mid-year Governing Council meeting, as part of the preparation for the development of a new Strategic Plan for the work of 2030WRG beyond 2017.

 

United Nations, World Bank Group Launch High-Level Panel on Water in Davos

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Vaillant_Arena_DavosDavos-Klosters, Switzerland, 21 January 2016 – The Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the World Bank jointly announced today at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2016 their intention to form a new panel to mobilize urgent action on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for water, sanitation and related targets.

Co-chaired by the President of Mauritius and the President of Mexico, the panel will comprise a group of heads of state and government from developed and developing countries. It will also engage with a wide range of stakeholders and experts and leverage the networks and platforms of the Forum in support of its objectives.

“Water is a precious resource, crucial to realizing the SDGs, which at their heart aim to eradicate poverty,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “The new Panel can help motivate the action we need to turn ideas into reality. The United Nations system, including through UN Water and the United Nations development system’s universal operational presence, is committed to promote inclusive and country-led action on SDG6 and related targets.”

Convened by the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank Group, the panel will:

  • Motivate action – focus public-policy dialogue, private-sector models and practices and civil society initiatives towards the Water SDG
  • Advocate financing and implementation – promote efforts to mobilize financial resources and scale up investment for the Water SDG, including through innovative financing and implementation strategies

“The World Economic Forum is delighted to support the High-Level Panel on Water, and recognizes the critical role it will play. Our Global Risks 2016 report placed water crises in the top three global risks of highest impact in the next 10 years. Leveraging our platform and networks will allow public-private cooperation to help advance the panel’s important objective to promote water-resilient economic growth in a warming world,” said Dominic Waughray, Head of Public-Private Partnership at the World Economic Forum.

The announcement was made at the Annual Meeting 2016 to a group of over 70 leaders drawn from government, business, civil society, development organizations, international and UN organizations.

“Achieving the water global goal would have multiple benefits, including laying the foundations for food and energy security, sustainable urbanization, and ultimately climate security” said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. “My hope is that this panel accelerates action in many countries so that we can make water more accessible to all,” he said.

Leaders from business and other sectors welcomed the High-Level Panel on Water, and emphasized the need for this initiative to catalyse practical action.

“The High-Level Panel is an important effort. The mark of success for the panel will be practical action and tangible impact. Let this be an opportunity to break down silos at the highest level and collaborate with the private sector and others, building on existing partnerships and initiatives to bring these efforts to scale and to transform the water agenda,” said Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman of Nestle and Chairman of the 2030 Water Resources Group.

Over 2,500 leaders from business, government, international organizations, civil society, academia, media and the arts are participating in the 46th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on 20-23 January. The theme of this year’s meeting is Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Taking a formative role in shaping the discussion at the Annual Meeting 2016 as the Co-Chairs are: Mary Barra, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, General Motors, USA; Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Brussels; Satya Nadella, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft Corporation, USA; Hiroaki Nakanishi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hitachi, Japan; Tidjane Thiam, Chief Executive Officer, Credit Suisse, Switzerland; and Amira Yahyaoui, Founder and Chair, Al Bawsala, Tunisia.

 

Fon Mathuros, Head of Media, Public Engagement, Tel.: +41 (0)79 201 0211; Email: fmathuro@weforum.org

  • United Nations and World Bank announce launch of High-Level Panel on Water today at World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2016
  • Panel to mobilize urgent action on the Sustainable Development Goal for water, sanitation and related targets
  • Co-chaired by the President of Mauritius and the President of Mexico, the panel will comprise a group of heads of state and government from developed and developing countries

Grundfos joins 2030 Water Resources Group

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Grundfos pipesDAVOS, SWITZERLAND, 21 January, 2016 — Grundfos, the world’s leading pump manufacturer, headquartered in Denmark, signed a collaboration agreement with the 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) to support its activities at the global and country levels. The collaboration will focus on strengthening public-private-civil society collaboration to catalyze sustainable transformation on issues related to water resources management.

CEO of Grundfos, Mads Nipper says: “2030 WRG addresses one of the most important and urgent issues in today’s world, and now is the time to move from dialogue to accelerating change. Water is essential for basic survival, food production and business growth. Therefore every single drop counts. By the year 2025, our aim is to reduce our total water consumption by 50% compared to 2008 levels whilst also improving the quality of the water we discharge. We are dedicated to working towards a more sustainable future that is equally beneficial to our employees, business partners and society. United in our values, being responsible for our actions and making a difference in the world we live in.”

Grundfos contributes to global sustainability by pioneering technologies in its areas of work. Grundfos continues to innovate its product offerings from introducing the world’s first solar driven pump in 1982 to developing even more energy-efficient pump solutions later on. These proved ideal for remote areas where no power supply is available, or where the supply is unreliable, as the pump can run on solar or wind energy.

“We are very excited to have Grundfos on board,” said Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chair of the 2030 WRG Governing Council and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nestlé. “They are global leaders in advanced pump solutions and water technology trendsetters. By pioneering new technologies they contribute to global sustainability. Both as a user and provider of water services, the private sector is a major source of innovations and good practices that enhance the efficiency of water use. Working in partnership with government, civil society and other stakeholders, the private sector can provide complementary knowledge, experience, insights and convening power to address issues of water resources management.”

About Grundfos

Grundfos is the world’s largest pump manufacturer. Circulator pumps for heating and air-conditioning as well as other centrifugal pumps for the industry, water supply, sewage and dosing are among its main products. Grundfos understands that the missing link to sustainability in water supply can only be addressed through innovative solutions that break with conventional thinking and take a holistic and long-term approach. Grundfos water solutions confront the global water crisis head-on, where solid steps can be taken towards long-term sustainable water solutions.

For more information www.grundfos.com.