News and Stories

Feature.Nov 21, 2022

What does COP27 mean for water?

The climate meeting COP27 did not result in a very powerful action agenda, but water did feature much more prominently than in previous years – also in the final declaration. Here is a look at the COP27 results through a water lens, highlighting five key trends.

News.Nov 21, 2022

COP27 is a (small) breakthrough for water in climate action

The climate meeting COP27 failed to take the bold steps needed, but there are still a few encouraging signs. One example is how water was more visible than ever throughout the meeting and for the first time made it into the final declaration of a climate COP. Hopefully we are starting to see a real breakthrough for water in climate action, which is indispensable to tackle global warming.

News.Nov 18, 2022

Participate in the “Locally Controlled Forest restoration” programme

You can now apply to take part in the Sida International Training Program “Locally Controlled Forest restoration. Applications open until 6 January, 2022.

Feature.Nov 17, 2022

Where does the water go?

News.Nov 17, 2022

On the road to a water revolution

The climate meeting COP27 has already meant a step forward in the recognition of the role of water in climate action. But this is only in the beginning. Next year, a United Nations conference and a global commission hope to revolutionize how water is valued and managed.

Feature.Nov 16, 2022

Water is moving up the climate agenda

14 November was the first-ever official Water Day at the climate conference COP, with sessions across the conference focusing on water. This recognition of the cross-cutting nature of water gives hope for solutions that are both climate smart and water smart.

Feature.Nov 14, 2022

Revisiting The Clean India Mission for World Toilet Day 2022

With World Toilet Day approaching, on November 19th, it is a good time to revisit the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in India to investigate the impacts the programme might have had on sanitation and groundwater, the theme of this year.

Feature.Nov 14, 2022

Safely managed sanitation from source to sea

This year World Toilet Day examines the impact sanitation has on the natural environment, namely groundwater. Poorly managed sanitation risks pollution of groundwater as well as ecosystems downstream such as rivers, forests and the ocean. We spoke to Chris Clapp, Executive Director of Ocean Sewage Alliance about how a source to sea approach to managing sanitation can protect the ocean.

Feature.Nov 14, 2022

Climate mitigation cannot succeed without water

On 9th of November, SIWI, together with GIZ, UNDP, SRC and PIK launched the landmark report “The Essential Drop to Reach Net Zero: Unpacking Freshwater’s Role in Climate Change Mitigation”. The global launch took place in the Water Pavilion inside the Blue Zone of COP27. It concluded over two years of work of over 40 scientists from 25 organizations and fills a vital knowledge gap to make sure that mitigation is not only climate smart, but also water wise.

News.Nov 14, 2022

What to look for in the second week of COP27

Declaring 14 November as Water Day during COP27 is just one sign of how water is rapidly moving up the global climate agenda.

News.Nov 12, 2022

Catching raindrops in Africa – SIWI’s short film launched during COP27

There is a strong relation between how governments choose to invest in water management implications for food security. Yet this fact is seemingly disregarded or unknown. The film launched during COP27 makes a clear statement on which direction water investments need to move towards, for improved food security in Africa.

Feature.Nov 11, 2022

Realising rights through safe sanitation

Around half of all drinking water globally comes from groundwater, and a quarter of all water withdrawn for irrigation. Safely managed sanitation can protect groundwater and in turn the right to drinking water and to a healthy environment.

Feature.Nov 11, 2022

What are we getting wrong about blue carbon?

We are not doing enough to protect and restore blue carbon ecosystems. It is estimated that blue carbon ecosystems are being destroyed at four times the rate of tropical forests.

Feature.Nov 11, 2022

Mainstreaming source-to-to-sea thinking into climate action

SIWI’s source-to-sea team, Ruth Mathews and José Pablo Murillo, are heading to Sharm el Sheikh to participate in COP27. As they prepared for departure, we asked them what they are hoping for at the conference.