Governments unite in tackling water security alongside WaterAid, private sector, and young climate leaders

• Yesterday (Thursday 13 March) the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) International Development Minister chaired a water security roundtable of high-level decision makers from around the world
• Separately, water and climate priorities for COP30 were agreed among young climate leaders and business leaders, as WaterAid united actors from around the world, hosting two other pivotal roundtable events
• These events follow the release of WaterAid’s flagship report, unveiling extreme shifts in floods and drought patterns across the world’s most populated cities 

As World Water Day approaches, eight Ministers from around the world, alongside representatives of multilateral and UN organisations, have united in a new show of leadership to tackle the global water crisis, as part of a ministerial roundtable hosted by the UK government on Thursday 13 March.

Attendees of the ministerial roundtable agreed to integrate water security, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) into their climate, nature and development policies ensuring the most vulnerable communities are prioritised, with an outcome statement declaring water security as “a critical resource that underpins – and catalyses key sectors of the economy.”

Justin Murgai, Chief Executive of WaterAid Canada said:

“Water security is at the foundation of life, health, and opportunity. Without reliable access to clean water, communities cannot adapt to extreme weather, stay healthy, or build secure and prosperous futures. The Ministerial Water Security Statement is a crucial step, bringing together voices of policy makers, private sector actors, civil society and young people, toward integrating water, sanitation, and hygiene into climate, economic, and development policies worldwide.

As Canada advances its priorities during its G7 Presidency, and as a country with significant freshwater resources and expertise, we have a responsibility and a unique opportunity to champion global water action—ensuring every community has the water it needs to thrive.”

This roundtable – which included Ministers from ten countries (including Malawi, Bangladesh, Morocco, Nepal and Senegal) as well as UN and World Bank representatives - was chaired by new Minister for International Development, Baroness Jenny Chapman and supported by WaterAid, a week before World Water Day. The event coincided with the Water and Climate Reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by His Majesty The King in support of WaterAid on Thursday.

It was preceded by 15 young climate and water campaigners and 20 business leaders in two other roundtables, marking a pivotal moment for global action on water, and a crucial moment of cross-societal and global climate solidarity ahead COP30 in November in Brazil.

Across the world, 703 million people – almost 1 in 10– don’t have clean water close to home and the climate crisis is making the situation worse, with more extreme floods and droughts threatening water sources. Water security is a shared global challenge. Canada has both the opportunity and responsibility to contribute – both at home and on the global stage. By 2040, 1 in 4 children will be living in places where there isn't enough clean water to meet demand. If we don’t address the water and climate crisis now, young people of today will face the consequences in years to come.

Commenting on the Ministerial roundtable, UK International Development Minister Baroness Jenny Chapman said:

“Water is at the core of how many people experience climate change. From devastating droughts and floods, to causing havoc to access to sanitation and hygiene.

We can only tackle this by working together globally, with other governments, the private sector and civil society. I’m pleased to have met with international partners to agree a shared way forward.”

The Ministerial Water Security Statement, agreed in the Ministerial roundtable and expected to be published today, includes plans to build and sustain leadership on water security, sanitation and hygiene, and on working with investors and development banks to deliver climate resilient investment in water. Coordinated global action and multilateral collaboration was recognised as critical to tackle rising water insecurity, as attendees agreed to use key moments over the year ahead, including COP30, to drive scalable and innovative solutions to the water crisis that reach the most vulnerable.

Young leaders Roundtable

Fifteen young campaigners representing ten countries, including Bangladesh, Zambia, and Burkina Faso, discussed solutions for communities on the frontlines of the water and climate crisis. Including Dr. Vee Kativhu, Activist and founder of Empowered by Vee, Rita Nishimwe, a leader from the Rwanda Young Water Professional and Michael Kakande, founder of Resilient40, attendees agreed on a shared set of 8 priority areas to take to COP30 and ask global leaders to act upon. This included advocating for investment into climate resilient infrastructure, building on community-based initiatives, and calling for inclusive decision making which recognises the role of women and girls in tackling the climate crisis.

Attendees emphasised the power of youth-led digital storytelling and social media as a tool for education and awareness raising, and the need to increase funding for content creators and youth groups to facilitate this. These priorities will contribute to a drumbeat of campaigning work between WaterAid and the young leaders in the run up to COP30, including a global Open Letter, to hold governments accountable for their action on water and climate. One attendee said “We represent the faces and names from around world – it goes beyond us. We want this letter to travel the world.”

Commenting on the Young Leaders Roundtable, Justin Murgai, Chief Executive of WaterAid Canada said:

“Youth climate leaders for water are critical voices for the future of human rights to water and sanitation, targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6, and championing water as a critical resource for resilience across food and health systems, energy supply, and ecosystems. They are at the forefront of driving innovative water solutions. By investing in them, we can build a more resilient, water-secure future for all.”

Driving Change Roundtable

Understanding water risk, especially amongst rising climate shocks, was at the heart of the private sector roundtable, attended by twenty leaders from the business and finance sectors and co-chaired by Amy Hepburn, CEO, Investor Leadership Network, and Ewan Andrew President, Global Supply Chain & Procurement and Chief Sustainability Officer at Diageo.

There was a clear willingness across multiple financial actors – including corporates, insurers, banks and investors - to collaborate on new business models for water – with all attendees agreeing on the need to both quantify and value water to better understand and attract water investment. In fact, one corporate representative said, “if you can value it, you can price it. If you can price it, you can finance it.”

Roles and responsibilities between the private and public sector were also discussed as part of this, following recent aid cuts globally. Private sector leads expressed concern over not being able to separate development finance from private finance, with aid playing a key role in creating a healthy fully functioning society – the conditions needed to enable market growth.

ENDS