Darío Soto-Abril, World Water Day 2022 Message

GWP marks World Water Day with launch of GWP Toolbox - IWRM Action Hub
“I want to invite all of you today to focus on partnerships because of the importance of tackling the biggest challenge with water – whether it’s scarcity, floods, climate patterns – is working together,” says GWP Executive Secretary Darío Soto-Abril in his message for World Water Day from Dakar, Senegal, where he is participating in the 9th World Water Forum.
As thousands gather in Dakar, GWP launches today the new GWP ToolBox – IWRM Action Hub. Months in the making, this new platform is a step-change in providing knowledge and action for water resources management. After consulting a wide range of users, the GWP ToolBox is anchored in three pillars: LEARN, EXPLORE, and  CONNECT.  The ToolBox was presented at a Learning Lab in the Youth space (“How to solve water conflicts”) and at a session on “Providing water information to decision makers.” 

As part of the GWP Toolbox launch plans at the Forum, on March 24 GWP, with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)and the Water and Climate Coalition, will also launch the MINIMAX Competition. This will happen during the special session on “Improving water governance: From knowledge to action.” The MINIMAX competition, which will be hosted on the GWP Toolbox, aims to identify innovative water and climate solutions that MINIMISE the negative impacts of hydroclimatic extremes and MAXIMISE social, economic, and environmental impact. 

Other GWP World Water Day highlights: 
New SDG 6.5.1 IWRM Action Planning course

Also being launched today, closely linked to the purpose of the GWP ToolBox, is a new course on how to design and implement an integrated water resources management (IWRM) Action Plan. The SDG 6.5.1 IWRM Action Planning course is based on practical learnings from the SDG 6 IWRM Support Programme’s IWRM Acceleration Package. The programme assists governments in designing and implementing country-led responses to SDG indicator 6.5.1 on integrated water management. 

Water & gender equality

Another launch today is the Future of Water campaign. GWP partnered with Mediaplanet UK and The Guardian by contributing an article on water and gender. “Women remain conspicuously absent from leadership in the water sector,” writes GWP’s Liza Debevec, and she proposes some solutions. This emphasis follows closely on from International Women’s Day (March 8) when GWP published Gender Equality in Water Governance. Today at the Forum, GWP’s Sandra Bruehlmann speaks on Gender Mainstreaming in Water Resources Managementat the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. 

Continental Africa Water Inverstment Programme

With the World Water Forum taking place for the first time in Sub-Saharan Africa, GWP is highlighting the continent’s water investment gap. To address that gap, the African Union Heads of States adopted the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) with a goal to leverage US$30 billion per year in climate resilient SDG 6 water investments annually by 2030. To fulfil this ambition, the AIP will make use of the AIP Water Investment Scorecard, launched this month, which will enhance mutual accountability for results in the mobilisation of water investments. African leaders and GWP will be developing this programme further at the Forum. 

Competitions

Winners of two other competitions are being announced today. GWP’s Colin Herron is a jury member in Water and Science Policy’s Groundwater Photostory Competition. The winners will receive a financial prize and be featured in an educational photography book to be launched in 2022. GWP Caribbean, together with several other partners, will announce the cash prize winners of the World Water Day Caribbean Groundwater TikTok Challenge. 

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Taxonomy

• Development and Cooperation
• Development Cooperation