Steering Board Documents 2018

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April 4, 2018

August 29, 2018

  • Agenda, August 29, 2018
  • Minutes, August 29, 2018 (to be added later)
  • Work Program FY19
  • Staff Bios
  • Proposal 2030 WRG Country Expansion Process & Criteria
  • World Economic Forum Resilience Agenda and the UN Sec-Gen Climate Summit in 2019
  • Consolidated package (all relevant documents in PDF)
  • Dial-in numbers instruction sheet

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT – Stark Global Water Report Triggers New Collaboration among Global Partnerships

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In the face of profound global water challenges, on World Water Day five global multi-stakeholder partnerships representing business, governments, intergovernmental organizations, academia, and civil society organizations announced a new collaboration effort designed to accelerate progress toward ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation around the world.

The partnership was catalyzed by the discussions at the 8th World Water Forum in Brasilia, including the Citizens Forum and Sustainability Focus Group, and the High-Level Panel on Water report, “Making Every Drop Count”. The report says if the world continues on its current path, it may face a 40 percent shortfall in water availability by 2030. Health, food security, energy sustainability, jobs, cities, and ecosystems are increasingly at risk due to exacerbating natural variability of the water cycle and growing water stress.

The World Bank Water Global Practice, 2030 Water Resources Group, Global Water Partnership, World Water Council, and UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate commit to coordinate a set of actions toward increased water security. Water security underpins economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability.

  • Making Every Drop Count reportThe Making Every Drop Count report also finds:
  • 40 percent of the world’s population is affected by water scarcity
  • As many as 700 million people could be displaced by 2030 in search for water
  • More than 2 billion people are compelled to drink unsafe water
  • 4.5 billion people do not have access to safely managed sanitation

Aiming to find collaborative solutions to better manage and value water, the global multi-stakeholder partnerships will explore how to more effectively coordinate and align their efforts toward the urgent goal of water security, in line with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

On World Water Day 2018, the organizations agreed to:

Take into account the outcomes of the 8th World Water Forum, proposed by the various political, thematic, regional, citizen, and sustainability processes

Endorse the recommendations of the High-Level Panel on Water (HLPW) “Making Every Drop Count”

Recognize the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 17) that promotes partnerships as a key means of implementation of the 2030 development agenda – in particular for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals calling for a Water Secure World (SDG6)

Commit to convene a series of discussions between the leaders of the organizations, starting in August 2018

Explore and agree on pathways towards improving global coordination and collaboration among these and other organizations, in view of accelerating progress towards a water-secure world

# # #

“Through this partnership, the World Bank Group aims to build an alliance of committed stakeholders to catalyze change and implement the recommendations of the High-Level Panel on Water. The goal of global water security requires an urgent coordinated response amongst dedicated international development organizations.”
Guangzhe Chen, Senior Director, World Bank Water Global Practice

“The World Water Council is pleased to offer its expertise in gathering stakeholders from every horizon to mobilize political will and catalyze positive action for the cause of water. We are stronger together than we are individually, and joining our voices gives new inspiration and opportunity to accelerate and enforce our efforts towards an integrated agenda at the global, regional and local levels.”
Benedito Braga, President, World Water Council

“The Global Water Partnership is prepared to offer its on-the-ground multi-stakeholder networks to advance better water governance. It is time for policy makers to make SDG6 implementation a top priority.”
Dr. Oyun Sanjaasuren, Chair, Global Water Partnership

“2030 WRG is committed to this global framework. Contributing to sustainable implementation models at scale, we will leverage our country partners, particularly private sector, as key collaborators in this effort.”
Karin Krchnak, Program Manager, 2030 Water Resources Group/World Bank Group

“Water challenges pose critical risks to businesses, governments, and communities alike. The only way we can tackle them is by deepening our collaboration within the water sector.”
Jason Morrison, Head, CEO Water Mandate

 

 

LINKS

High Level Panel on Water Outcome report ‘Making every drop count’

Open letter to global leaders

HLPW video inspires the world

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MEDIA CONTACTS

World Water Council
Nicolás Eliades
Communications Coordinator, a.i.
Office: +061991900564
Email: communication@worldwatercouncil.org
www.worldwatercouncil.org

Global Water Partnership
Steven Downey
Head of Communications
Office: +46 8 1213 8640, Mobile: +46 76 677 8640
Email: steven.downey@gwp.org
www.gwp.org

CEO Water Mandate
Rebecca Olson
Communications Manager
Office: (510) 251-1600 ext. 117
Email: rolson@pacinst.org
www.ceowatermandate.org

2030 Water Resources Group/World Bank Water Global Practice
Alida Pham
Communications Officer
Office: +1 202 4733272 Mobile: +1 202 823 6896
Email: apham4@worldbank.org
www.2030wrg.org

Pacific Institute: Collective Action Toward Water Security in Brazil

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NEWS SOURCE: Pacific Institute

Collective Action Toward Water Security in Brazil

By Abbey Warner and Giuliana Chaves Moreira
March 29, 2018

[…]

This year, the Global Compact Brazil Network and the CEO Water Mandate organized an event to bring together the Brazilian private sector, government, NGOs, and other organizations seeking to address water risks in Brazil to discuss water security challenges and solutions. The event, titled “Collaboration for Water Security in Brazil,” took place on March 19, in parallel with the 8th World Water Forum in Brasília, Brazil.

[…]

One significant outcome of the event was the partnership announced between the Global Compact Brazil Net, the CEO Water Mandate, and the 2030 Water Resources Group in São Paulo. Since mid-2017, the 2030 Water Resources Group has been working to advance water security in São Paulo through projects to reuse effluents from domestic sewage treatment stations and projects to improve the performance of sanitation services in small and medium-sized municipalities. The partnership formed during the 8th World Water Forum event will focus on advancing water security in Brazil through water reuse and the circular economy.

It will take coordinated action from a variety of stakeholders, including the private sector, government, and civil society, to meaningfully advance water security in Brazil. The Water Action Hub provides companies and others with the ability to connect to projects happening near them or find potential partners for future water stewardship action.

Read More >>

Join us at the 8th World Water Forum

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centro_convencoes_foto_Toninho_Tavares

The 8th World Water Forum will be held from 18 to 23 March 2018, in Brasilia, Brazil.
Join our sessions, pop by the booth to pick up some new publications and chat with some of our colleagues.

Day of the week Time Session Who
Sunday, March 18 (09:30-20:00 Water Business Day)
14:00-17:00 The Circular Business Case for WAter Karin Krchnak (moderating)
Monday, March 19
17:00-20:00 Ministerial Roundtable Discussion on People Karin Krchnak (moderating)
17:00-20:00 Antea Group brainstorming session on how
to mitigate risks to sustainable business		 Rochi Khemka
16:45 UN Global Compact Collective Action Day (side-event):
Roundtable on Collaboration for Water Security in Brazil		 Stela Goldenstein (moderating)
Tuesday, March 20
11:00-12:30 High-Level Panel on Water Special Session Karin Krchnak (attending)
14:30-16:00 Water & Green Growth: Accelerating the Green Transition for All Karin Krchnak (presenting)
17:00-18:00 Conference of Judges and Prosecutors: Water Justice and Forests: Scientific, Ethical, Legal and Policy Perspectives Karin Krchnak (presenting)
Wednesday, March 21
11:00-12:00 International Water Stewardship Standard Karin Krchnak (presenting)
16:30-18:00 People, Science and Governments: Towards Inclusive Knowledge Co-generation for Water and Climate Goals Karin Krchnak (presenting)
Thursday, March 22 (World Water Day)
09:00-10:30 Water-use efficiency and sustainable withdrawals: coping with water scarcity Rochi Khemka and Stela Goldenstein (presenting and coordinating)
11:00-12:30 International Cooperation as key factor to address the Water and Climate Relationship Karin Krchnak (presenting)
14:30-18:00 Sustainability at the 8th World water Forum Karin Krchnak (presenting)
17:00-18:00 2030 WRG Apéro at the Swiss Water Partnership Pavilion
Multi-Stakeholder Approaches to Innovation and Impact		 2030 WRG Team

World Bank Group Sessions and Side Events
(click on the image below)

WWF8_Postcard

World Bank Group joint booth (Expo hall: E20B)

Image Booth E20B Booth Location Brazil

Questions?

Please contact Alida Pham, 2030 WRG Communications Officer (apham4@ifc.org)

2030 WRG Governing Council meeting calls for scaling up

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Impression of the making of the Annual Meeting 2011 of the World Economic Forum in Davos

DAVOS/SWITZERLAND,
Copyright by World Economic Forum
swiss-image.ch/Photo by Jolanda Flubacher

Davos, Switzerland. January 2018 – The 2030 WRG Governing Council came together in snow-covered Davos, Switzerland during the World Economic Forum Annual Meetings to discuss the program’s 2017 progress, results and path forward.

Paul Bulcke, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nestlé, initiated his co-chairmanship of 2030 WRG by highlighting the recently launched World Economic Forum Global Risk Report in which water has remained the common denominator for many years in a row. He emphasized that water security remains a precondition to the successful resolution of other pressing development issues. Mr. Bulcke remarked on the scale of the water challenges facing us today and emphasized that ideas are needed to be able to operationalize multi-stakeholder partnerships at scale while aligning commitments and targets with ambitions.

Hosting by the World Bank
Karin Krchnak was introduced as the new 2030 WRG Program Manager, stationed in the World Bank in Washington, DC. The World Bank Water Global Practice Senior Director Guangzhe Chen presented on the World Bank’s priorities, and outlined the opportunities for synergies and collaboration with 2030 WRG and its partners going forward.

The Governing Council members acknowledged the efforts of the IFC and the Water GP team in managing the transition of the 2030 WRG from the IFC to the World Bank, and thanked Anders Berntell for his leadership over the last six years.

Opportunities for synergies and collaboration
Elsa Galarza, Minister of Environment of Peru, elaborated on 2030 WRG’s support to the government’s water strategy and spoke about the importance of a neutral platform that engages all actors in the water debate. She highlighted the Taxes for Projects initiative as a good example of a concrete multi-stakeholder partnership that leads to concrete results.

Academic review by the Harvard Kennedy School
Jane Nelson, Director of the Corporate Responsibility Initiative (CRI) at the Harvard Kennedy School, presented on the Harvard Kennedy School CRI case study on 2030 WRG, commissioned by Coca Cola. In this first academic analysis of the 2030 WRG approach, the 2030 WRG’s multi-stakeholder institutional model is outlined along with five first lessons relevant for leaders working on water security and other complex, systemic challenges.

Scaling up
Participants reviewed the state of play of 2030 WRG activities. In 2017, 2030 WRG brought together 642 partners in 46 working groups in 14 countries/states. Together, 72 priority areas have been agreed and 83 concept notes developed to concretize those areas. To date, 67 proposals have been developed, preparatory arrangements for 58 of these proposals have been elaborated, and 53 of these are being implemented on the ground.

Participants agreed that scaling up with ambition includes paying closer attention to transboundary issues, transcending sectors and expanding 2030 WRG’s geographical spread to include the poorest countries, where needs are extremely high. Following the meeting, discussions were held with partners who may be interested in joining 2030 WRG.

Aligning efforts and seeking synergies in Mexico

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Mexico_JaliscoMexico City, March, 2018 – A 2030 WRG delegation recently traveled to Mexico to meet with the World Bank Group country team in Mexico, and other relevant stakeholders. The delegation included new 2030 WRG Program Manager, Karin Krchnak, 2030WRG Mexico Representative, Roman Gomez Gonzalez Cosio, and 2030 WRG LAC Regional Head, Cesar Fernando Fonseca Sarmiento.

The meetings included discussions with the World Bank team in Mexico to align our strategy, coordinate and foster synergies with stakeholders and partners, as well as meeting with IFC counterparts to discuss joint efforts to develop PPPs in the agri-water sector. The study on PPPs for Agri-water was also the focus of the team’s meeting with CONAGUA.

The team also met with Jesus Reyes Heroles, President of Consejo Consultivo del Agua (CCA), a multi-stakeholder water advisory council, to discuss the CCA working groups that 2030 WRG is supporting.

This includes the Green Infrastructure Solutions Initiative, focused on developing the business case for green infrastructure solutions and identifying barriers and opportunities for implementation. The Initiative plans to organize a best practice exchange workshop in mid-2018. Representatives of the working group on Water Security and Legal Certainty Risks Integration in the Industrial Sector discussed the value of water security and legal certainty risks integration. The team also met with private sector stakeholders to discuss potential areas of collaboration in the area of strengthening water governance systems.

Another area of focus has been concern regarding increasing groundwater overexploitation and pollution in the region of Toluca. 2030 WRG has been working with CONAGUA, CEVAT and the Rio Lerma Commission to reestablish and then strengthen this multi-stakeholder groundwater management committee and to support sustainable groundwater management.  The Toluca Metropolitan region is also severely polluted and 2030 WRG has identified the opportunity to incorporate integrated wastewater management. 2030 WRG will align its efforts with existing initiatives in Water Resilience and Integrated Urban Water Resources in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Toluca, and will seek to coordinate also with World Bank Water GP and IFC in particular to develop synergies in groundwater management, resilience and integrated wastewater management.

 

 

Brainstorming sessions on Water for Growth and Transformation in Ethiopia

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Ethiopia Brainstorming Sessions_Nov17Addis Ababa, November 9, 2017 – The 2030 WRG team in Ethiopia has recently held two brainstorming sessions, entitled Water for Agriculture’ and ‘Water for Industrialization’. The meetings were conducted as part of a series of consultative meetings with potential public, private and civil society partners in anticipation of the establishment of a national Ethiopia 2030 WRG multi-stakeholder partnership.

The sessions were well-attended by active industry practitioners from Ethiopia’s water sector. Ideas to accelerate water use efficiency were explored as well as water productivity improvements in the agricultural and industrial sector. The findings of the brainstorming sessions will be used as input for an upcoming hydro-economic analysis for Ethiopia.

The analysis will support partners in identifying and aligning joint initiatives towards sustainable water resources management goals, thereby enabling long term economic growth. It will include an overview of the Ethiopian water context, to be used by policy makers for high-level decision making, and will define concrete roles and investment opportunities for the private sector.

The sessions were attended by the following stakeholders:

Agriculture: Moyee Coffee, Ethiopian Cotton Producers and Exporters Association, Ethiopian Sugar Cooperation, AfriFlora/SHER, Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association, Grundfos, Larive/Shayashone, Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, Solidaridad, Dutch Water Authorities, Abay River Basin Authority, Awash River Basin Authority, Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity.

Industry: IWaSP, Diagio/Meta Brewery, Yirgalem Addis Textiles Factory, Ethiopian Development Textile Institute, Vitens Evidens International, The Dow Chemical Company, Arvind, H&M, Grundfos, Dutch Water Authorities, Abay River Basin Authority, Awash River Basin Authority

In an effort to further expand 2030 WRG’s reach beyond its current scope, the Governing Council members agreed at a meeting in January 2016, to scout other potential countries where our partnerships could help countries achieve a water-secure future. As a result, a short scoping assessment was held mid-2016, to map existing stakeholders, assess the political economy and willingness of government to engage with the private sector. Following this successful mission and an official invitation by the Ethiopian government, a hands-on team was recruited to set-up and roll out the 2030 WRG program in Ethiopia.

Could linking farmers to markets be the answer to poverty reduction?

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Sugarcane_2030WRG_ARcover

Sugarcane field

By 2050, we will need to increase food production by 100% to feed expanding populations in developing countries. This is either from more farmers producing more food or, the same number of farmers producing more food. Enhancing farmer incomes by increased agricultural productivity will reduce migration to urban areas and ultimately, improve food security. But without assured buyers for the produce, this may not necessarily be the case.

I recently visited sugarcane farmers in western Maharashtra in India to learn why they continue to grow sugarcane although it is a water intensive crop. Turns out, sugarcane is resistant to most pests, needs little care and has a well-established supply chain. Given that the crop has an assured buyer in sugar factories, farmers have little to worry about their household income from agriculture. Even if a farmer has a meagre 2 hectares of land, he prefers growing sugarcane as it has a guaranteed return on investment. This makes it difficult for the farmer to give up the crop. At present, Maharashtra accounts for 34% of the national sugar output. Consequently, several government schemes and initiatives are designed to make sugarcane more water productive i.e. shifting from flood to drip irrigation, and improving sugarcane productivity. Currently, average sugarcane yield in Maharashtra is approximately 60 to 80 tonnes per hectare whereas its yields can potentially increase to 100 to 120 tonnes per hectare.

On the other hand, focusing on a particular crop might not always lead to positive outcomes. Farmers in drought prone district of Yavatmal in eastern Maharashtra had a different story to tell. Cotton, a dominant crop in this region was infested by the pink ball worm in the last season (2017-18). As a result, farmers faced several losses and did not receive the expected price in the market. Several women farmers organized themselves into self-help groups with the aim of supporting family income due to the losses incurred. But lack of market connectivity dissuaded them from taking actions to develop products such as baskets, papadums, jams, etc. Limited market access and low selling opportunities prevented them from contributing to the household income which could have compensated for the losses they realized through the ravaged cotton crop.

Linking farmers to the markets may help them move out of poverty by assured buyers for their produce and guaranteed income – giving a greater sense of security. Although establishing market linkages may take time, initiatives such as the new model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act 2017, the government is keen on looking at agricultural marketing from a holistic manner. This is while giving farmers the opportunity to directly sell produce in the market or to whoever is willing to offer the best price without an intermediary. Organizations such as the International Finance Corporation is exploring innovative ways to unlock private sector investments and offer advisory services that help mobilize markets. The 2030 Water Resources Group (2030WRG), hosted by the World Bank, is bringing together public, private and civil society representatives to deliberate and discuss new business models and market-based solutions to support an end-to-end integrated approach for agriculture development, with a focus on water security.

In an effort to bring farmers closer to the market, in Karnataka in the Ramthal area, 2030 WRG facilitated partnership agreements between agribusiness companies (retailers, exporters, processing units) and Government of Karnataka for offtake of high-value agricultural and horticultural produce, thereby improving farmer incomes and livelihoods. Similar efforts are being carried out by 2030 WRG in western Maharashtra to maximize water productivity and improve market linkages for farmers.

Finding new ways to connect smallholder farmers to the market is critical for poverty reduction and improved livelihoods. It can also stem the flow of farmers to urban areas in search of better jobs and transform the rural environment as a place of production and value addition. Although realizing the vision will require a more collaborative effort from the government, private sector, civil society and rural communities, its results will be far outreaching.

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Karishma_Blog_photoThis blog was written by Karishma Gupte, Coordinator, Maharashtra, 2030 Water Resources Group, The World Bank Group

 

 

 

 

Further reading:

https://www.2030wrg.org/government-of-maharashtra-partners-with-2030wrg-to-launch-the-states-first-multi-stakeholder-platform-for-transformative-solutions-in-water-resources-management/

http://cacp.dacnet.nic.in/ViewReports.aspx?Input=2&PageId=41&KeyId=425

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/WghTT1mlNTFSV7FcNQuCSO/Maharashtra-stares-at-2740-shortfall-in-sugar-yield-in-201.html

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/pink-bollworm-tears-into-the-very-fibre-of-maharashtras-cotton-growers/article9969934.ece

2017 Annual Report: Scaling Up for Impact

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In 2017, the 2030 WRG worked with more than 642 partners from across the public, private, and civil society sectors. These partners participated in 46 working groups in 14 countries/states.

The working groups identified their priorities and developed 83 concept notes in total, which were used to create 67 proposals during the year. Of these, 58 are being prepared for implementation, and 53 have been fully implemented.

Read or download the 2017 Annual Report »