Towards effective Global Water Governance (Core contribution to the Global Water Partnership)

Project completed

The demand for enhancing water governance is to increase in the coming decades in a world where more than half of the global population will live in a water scarce world. Multi-stakeholder networks like the Global Water Partnership (GWP) are playing an increasingly important role in global water governance and are crucial to translate the agenda 2030 on water into action, provide knowledge and promote key concepts.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Global
Water
Water sector policy
01.11.2017 - 31.12.2020
CHF  3’000’000
Background Water related problems are more prominent than ever: by 2030, over 40% of the world’s population will be living in severely water-stressed river basins. The need to deal with these problems at an appropriate level and with the right partners is equally increasing.
Objectives Reaching a water-secure world, where water resources are managed sustainably and in an equitable way, with a particular focus on advancing water governance. 
Target groups

The ultimate target groups are the populations that suffer from current mismanagement of water, in particular those living in water stressed areas.

The direct target groups are national governments, regional economic development bodies, river basin organisations, private sector, and community-based organisations.

Medium-term outcomes

GWP follows three strategic goals are:
Outcome 1: Catalyse change in policies and practice
Outcome 2: Generate and communicate knowledge
Outcome 3: Strengthen partnerships

In its support to GWP, SDC puts particular emphasis on three strategic axes: (a) advocacy on global level for coherence in the water sector and effective water governance, (b) Knowledge chain/products to support key water governance outcomes, and (c) gender mainstreaming in the global water sector and throughout all levels of action is strengthened as well as its strong focus on Youth.
Strong Swiss positioning in the water sector is maintained and/or further developed.
 

Results

Expected results:  

Some selected outputs:

  • National and regional organisations develop options and tools and frameworks that integrate water security and climate resilience
  • National/subnational organisations integrate gender perspectives into water resource management policies/plans/legal frameworks
  • Countries develop capacity and projects to access climate and climate-related finance to improve water security. 
    Demonstration projects for innovation and gender issues


Results from previous phases:   The integrated approach to water resources management, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), is today’s prevalent conceptual framework to address the global water challenges. 
It was the GWP who has significantly shaped the IWRM concept and contributed strongly to its uptake on many different levels, not lastly by the recent inclusion of IWRM as part of the SDG on water.
GWP’s main outcomes in the preceding phase lie in the governance improvements introduced by actors at all levels where GWP is active. GWP recorded more than 100 governance outcomes that could be attributed to the organisation’s work covering areas such as water policy, national adaptation planning, transboundary management agreements, investment plans and strategies, legislative frameworks, regional planning frameworks and institutional reform. Through the development of a gender strategy and its implementation, GWP brings forward gender equality and inclusion in water resources management.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
Other International Organization
  • Global Water Partnership


Other partners
  • UN and Development agencies
  • Governments
  • Civil Society
  • Private sector
Coordination with other projects and actors The support to GWP integrates well in SDC’s overall initiative towards a Global Water Architecture including integrated monitoring initiative roll-out. As GWP is a network reaching out to basically all players relevant for water governance, there is a multitude of synergies with SDC’s other initiatives in that field. GWP is a member of the Steering Committee of Water Resources Group 2030, Water Integrity Network and works in partnership with Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) and Secretariat International de l’eau (SIE): all three are strategic partners of SDC GPW.
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    3’000’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    3’009’986
Project phases Phase 9 01.01.2021 - 31.12.2025   (Current phase)

Phase 8 01.11.2017 - 31.12.2020   (Completed)

Phase 7 01.11.2014 - 31.12.2016   (Completed) Phase 6 01.04.2009 - 31.12.2013   (Completed)