Water Policy Group welcomes the Call to Action: Water for Climate Solutions made at COP 28 by the Water and Climate Leaders.

The Call is for water and climate policy alignment, mutual support and mainstreaming actions, all of which are supported by the messages from our Listening to National Water Leaders project.

Water Policy Group particularly welcomes the inclusion of ‘policy scaffolding‘ in the proposed mutual support actions and the mainstreaming of water into UNFCCC processes which we have long advocated.

Water Policy group also believes it is time for the COP cover statement to recognise the full range of water and climate interdependencies, as has now been presented to the COP for the first time.

Gain insights from national water ministers, water agency heads, and other leaders responsible for national water issues in 126 countries.

In these webinars, Water Policy Group presents findings from its groundbreaking project, ‘Listening to National Water Leaders,’ conducted over 2021-23.

The results of this project are featured in the 2021 and 2023 Global Water Policy Reports, available at waterpolicygroup.com, and will be discussed in three global webinars over a two week period.

Register at no cost for the webinar that best suits your schedule. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

On behalf of Water Policy Group and the UNSW Global Water Institute, Mr Tony Slatyer presented the Global Water Policy Reports during a side event at the 2023 High Level Political Forum in New York on 19 July.

The 2023 Global Water Policy Report offers a fascinating glimpse into the thoughts, experiences and opinions of national water leaders from 92 countries, responsible for water policy and decision-making impacting a combined population of 5.7 billion people.

Released on Thursday 6 July by Water Policy Group, the 2023 Global Water Policy Report: Listening to national water leaders reveals insights from national water leaders on current water risks and challenges, how international processes can best support improved water outcomes at the national level, and issues of integration with other sectors.

Among their many messages, national water leaders are saying:

• Inadequate infrastructure and data along with fragmented institutions are their greatest water challenges.
• The international, multilateral scientific processes most useful to them are those that can provide water data and information, forecasts, projections and scenarios—as well as monitoring, evaluations, and assessments that can be used at a within-country scale.
• Platforms like the Water Action Agenda that would enable countries to make public commitments in relation to water can help raise the priority of water in their government.

Water Policy Group member Tony Slatyer says, “Given the basic responsibility of governments for the well-being of the people under their jurisdiction, we are deeply interested in the experience and opinions of the Ministers and the senior officials who have this responsibility within governments. Policy makers and water practitioners in all countries and in all international organisations committed to improved water outcomes will also be interested in the particular and shared experience of these national water leaders.”

In 2022, invitations were sent by the President of the UN General Assembly (PGA) to all UN member States, through their UN New York-based Permanent Representatives, for Ministers responsible for water matters (or their top officials) to respond to the Water Policy Group survey. The key findings from the 2023 Global Water Policy Report helped to inform global dialogue at the United Nations 2023 Water Conference (22-24 March 2023), and the 2023 Water Policy Report sets out these findings in full.

The 2023 Global Water Policy Report: Listening to Water Leaders was prepared by the Water Policy Group in partnership with the University of New South Wales Sydney Global Water Institute.

Download the full report.

Water Policy Group
6 July 2023

Water Policy Group has released key findings from its latest ‘Listening to National Water Leaders’ survey, as a contribution to the UN 2023 Water Conference (22-24 March 2023).

The results provide insights from water leaders about how the United Nations and other international processes can help achieve water outcomes at the country level.

Water leaders from 92 countries across all regions participated in this project. Together, these countries make up a combined population of 5.7 billion—or 73% of the world’s population. The findings are now available for all UN member States and other entities to use as they prepare for the UN 2023 Water Conference.

Water Policy Group
14 March 2023

Download report.

Media enquiries: Trish Dalby | p.dalby@unsw.edu.au 

The 2022 Global Water Leaders Survey has been formally launched by Water Policy Group following a meeting convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UN PGA) in New York on 24 October 2022.

Addressing the meeting, Water Policy Group member Olcay Ünver described how the results of the 2022 Global Water Leaders survey would contribute to the outcomes of the United Nations 2023 Water Conference, which is the midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’, 2018-2028.

“Water Policy Group offers to support the United Nations 2023 Water Conference by drawing on the collective experience and perspective of Ministers and national water leaders with specific goal of contributing to the substance of Water Action Agenda and Water Action Decade, and improving alignment between water and other public policy outcomes,” said Mr Ünver.

In partnership with the University of New South Wales Global Water Institute, the 2022 Global Water Leaders Survey will gather thoughts and opinions from national water leaders from all over the world, feeding into the 2023 Global Water Policy Report. The Report will provide valuable insights into how water could be made a higher priority within national governments, how multilateral processes could help to achieve better water outcomes at the national level, and the level of agreeance between ministerial colleagues on the extent to which water outcomes contribute to other public policy objectives. The Report will also include a section on risks and challenges that impact national water leaders, building on the results of the previous survey to secure a deeper dataset and perspective—and identify whether key risks and challenges have evolved over the past year.

The inaugural Water Policy Report, the 2021 Global Water Policy Report: Listening to Water Leaders was released in November 2021, reflecting data from water leaders from 88 countries. Among the many findings, it revealed that the Sustainable Development Goalson water were ‘challenging’ or ‘impossible’ for many, with governance problems and lack of financing the main reasons for this.

Upon publication of the 2021 Report, then UN-Water Vice-Chair Ms Kelly Ann Naylor expressed her support, saying, “By surveying water leaders from all regions of the world, this report is a key point of reference as we move towards the UN 2023 water conference.”

Water Policy Group member and project Chair Mr Tom Soo said that the Group is encouraged by the support received so far.

“The 2023 conference is a major opportunity for nations around the world to collectively take a step forward in facing our water challenges,” said Mr Soo.

“Water Policy Group is extremely encouraged that the UN PGA and all those involved in the conference’s preparatory processes understand the importance of and support the water leader’s survey.  We’ll now look forward to the responses from water leaders around the world and delivering the findings in the leadup to the water conference next year.”

Water ministers of all UN Member States will be invited to participate in the 2022 Survey, which will close in mid-December.

The 2023 Global Water Policy Report and a summary of key findings will be released at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York on 22-24 March 2023.

Questions about eligibility and survey access can be directed to info@waterpolicygroup.com.

Water Policy Group
23 November 2022

Download statement  |   Read concept note

On behalf of the Water Policy Group, Dr Olcay Ünver made an address during the 2022 stakeholder consultation on the preparation of the United Nations 2023 Water Conference. He presented two game-changing proposals on behalf of the Water Policy Group: (1) listening to national water leaders, and (2) mainstreaming water into all UN conferences.

View the speech here.