On 24 October 2022, some 1200 stakeholders participated in an open consultation held in-person at the UN Headquarters in New York and online. The discussions were focused in five roundtables organized along the catalysers of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework. Out of more than 300 stakeholders who asked to make interventions, 100 were able to do so in the five roundtables. Additional written interventions were collected to ensure all stakeholders who wanted to participate had the opportunity to contribute. The summary of the spoken and written interventions will be the basis for a comprehensive document that will be published as soon as all comments are received and evaluated.
An initial high-level summary of the potential game changing ideas that stakeholders identified during roundtable discussions on 24 October, is below. This summary is not exhaustive or prescriptive. These ideas can be developed into Game Changers for the Water Action Agenda and will support the discussions in the proposed five interactive dialogues of the 2023 UN Water Conference.
1. Roundtable on Capacity Development
Potential game changing ideas for interactive dialogues:
- Open Science based validation mechanism for resilience and sustainability in water. A global science-based assessment (IPCC model) contributes to ensure availability and accessibility of up-to-date assessments addressing the inter-sectoral, systemic, integrative, and transdisciplinary nature of the complex and interconnected water challenges.
- Inclusive education and capacity development through a global system of water training centers and networks.
Benefits:
- Creating national capacity
- Inclusion of women, children, youth, indigenous
- Leveraging benefits of knowledge in different communities
- Enough skilled workforce
Catalysing ideas:
- A funding mechanism is needed for capacity development to ensure sustainability and to reach out to all (leaving no one behind), and to build on the demand driven UN-Water Capacity Development Initiative
- A global campaign for a new water culture at all levels to scale up our consciousness about the earth system interdependencies and the complexity and interconnectedness of water challenges across sectors with changing behavior starting at school
- Match youth skills
- Open science and citizen science
- AI/virtual reality/digital learning
- Traditional and indigenous knowledge
2. Roundtable on Governance
Potential game changing ideas for interactive dialogues:
- Systemic and whole-of-society approach to deal with challenges in relation to cross sectoral benefits, taking into account externalities and co-benefits
- Support for water, climate, food and related policy integration at national and regional level
Benefits:
- Trust
- Leveraging benefits
- Creating ownership
- Increasing effectiveness of national administration and regional coordination partnerships
Catalysing ideas:
- Accountability and institutions need to be capacitated
- Supporting political and societal will through science and information in a holistic manner
- Participation, Inclusion of youth and others, human rights-based approach
- New institutional arrangements, coordination across sectors and transboundary cooperation, regional economic commissions.
- Valuing water and sanitation as a human right and global public good in relevant bodies and partnerships
3. Roundtable on Data and Information
Potential game changing ideas for interactive dialogues:
- An open global water information system and platform that integrates physical and societal data relevant for SDG6 to ensure that actionable information is freely accessible, consistent, comparable and interoperable at scale and supports preparedness and resilience.
- Freely accessible Early Warnings for All system based on consistent water information.
Benefits:
- Financing and development can be directed to most vulnerable.
- Financing is more effective when based on data and information
- Long term change in infrastructure and management can be supported with evidence.
- People are protected against floods, droughts, water scarcity and effects of water pollution
- Creating trust
Catalysing ideas:
- Data and info to save live and mitigate slow and fast onset disasters as public good.
- Warnings and reports should be understandable by the civil society and usable by policy makers for decision making.
- Setting up a global fund/finance mechanism at global scale for improving monitoring and forecasting capacities.
- Reformation of the UN architecture (stop fragmentation of data and initiatives) agree on one set of data and information sharing standards.
- Legal provisions.
- Map vulnerability and impact of potential hazards in terms of Social-economic losses at a local scale, to build awareness, accountability, and trust.
4. Roundtable on Financing
Potential game changing ideas for interactive dialogues:
- Reframe economic cost of water crisis and cost of inaction to invest in water yield dividends
- Reference set of links of finance across sectors– climate/ carbon, food security, biodiversity – “all hands in”
Benefits:
- Access to credit
- Avoid liabilities through finances and investment
- Refocus discussion from asking for more funding to making sure funds are invested in a smart way
Catalysing ideas:
- Rules and regulations for SDG 6 aligned financing
- Roles and models for public and private activities and partnerships
- Making investment in nature-based solutions priority
- Financial innovation and institutional reform for water, leverage private finance
- Investment in enabling environment
- Redefine roles of MDBs
5. Roundtable on Innovation
Potential game changing ideas for interactive dialogues:
- Create a policy and regulatory environment that sparks innovation.
- Empower relevant stakeholders to participate in innovations.
Benefits:
- Making financing accessible for all
- Targeting investments
- Creating a business case for sustainable development
Catalysing ideas:
- Creating a market for innovation
- Licenses and Technology access
- Including women, youth, grassroots organizations, marginalized in innovation
