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WHY WATER

Water and Peace

When properly managed, water can be a peacemaking platform for long lasting cooperation

Indigenous knowledge

Indigenous peoples are the custodians of many of the world’s most fragile and important ecosystems. They also possess invaluable knowledge about sustainability and resilience, so they have a vital role in protecting our environment.

Water and the 2030 Agenda

In 2015, the global community launched the 2030 Agenda, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that should be reached by 2030. Some progress has been made, but for most of the goals, the world is not on track to meet the deadline. Water can help us do better.

Water in landscapes

A growing number of people, societies and companies are discovering the power of resilient landscapes. It is still possible to shift to more sustainable practices that recharge water, restore soil health, sequester carbon, and strengthen biodiversity – but we need to make the transformation now.

Agriculture and water

How to increase the productivity of agriculture around the world through better water management.

Groundwater is the regulator of the entire freshwater cycle, but its invisibility makes it difficult to manage and protect.

While we all depend heavily on rivers for our survival, many rivers are under constant threat from unsustainable human activities

Insufficient supply and inadequate infrastructure leaves millions of people in the world without water.

The source-to-sea approach focuses on the strong connection between what happens on land, along waterways, and in the sea.

Water and climate

The climate crisis is essentially a water crisis. When we treat it as such, we get new tools to mitigate climate change and adapt to consequences that are unavoidable.

Water governance

Many of the most pressing challenges in the world are about water: too little, too much or too inferior. Such challenges can only be effectively addressed through adequate governance of available water resources.

The impact of COVID-19

The global COVID-19 pandemic has pushed millions of people back into poverty and exposed unacceptable gaps between the rich and the poor. One in three people are still not able to wash their hands with soap and water at home.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

More than two billion people in the world lack safely managed drinking water and twice as many lack safely managed sanitation, making WASH one of the most urgent development challenges.

PERSPECTIVES

Youth and water

More and more young people offer important contributions to solving the growing water challenges they are inheriting.

Human rights and water

Having access to water and sanitation has been recognized as a human right since 2010. But water is also essential to ensuring the fulfilment of many other rights.

Gender and water

To improve water governance, we need to take a close look at gender roles.

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What is Water Governance?
Work areas
Programmes
Resources

Resources

Resources

Browse reports and other resources related to water governance.

144 Resources

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Interactions-between-GBF-and-HRHE-and-implications-for-water-goverence — no caption

Working Paper.2024

Water governance using the Global Diversity Framework and the Human Right to a Healthy Environment

Water in the NDCs Increasing-cover — no caption

Water in the Nationally Determined Contributions: Increasing Ambition for the Future

Beautiful cityscape in Singapore. Modern buildings among trees — no caption

Policy Brief.2024

Urban river governance: A pathway for cities to achieve climate goals

Aerial top view photo of floating islands on Lake Titicaca in Peru - a habitant of indigenous community Uros who are living on floating self-made islands made of totora plant — no caption

Working Paper.2024

Supporting the Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in Transboundary Water Cooperation

River with sunlight shining through — no caption

Yaa Heen Koosge: Indigenous Peoples and Water Wisdom

Aerial view of Ranong estuary, Thailand. From: Shutterstock — no caption

Accountability for source-to-sea action to prevent plastic pollution

Overview picture of a bridge over a river — no caption

Cooperation Opportunities for Improved Integration Across SDG6

river with two boats on the foreground and houses and trees on the other side — no caption

Lessons from the Field.2023

Design and Accountability for Source-to-Sea Action on Plastic

People passing one basin to another (with baby on the back) — no caption

A decade of support for Water Governance Reform

kid washing his hand with tap water — no caption

Policy Brief.2021

Open government and water and sanitation declaration

WGF_WomenWaterChampions_reportcover1000x668 — no caption

Women Water Champions: A compendium of 41 women stewards from the grassroots

Water and Open Government: A step by step city guide cover — no caption

Water and Open Government: A step by step city guide

shutterstock_1513824509-scaled-e1607080285569 — no caption

Policy Brief.2020

Towards win-win solutions for sanitation policy and climate action

shutterstock_1189894711-e1606151992192 — no caption

Accountability in WASH: Case studies from Kenya

shutterstock_1529923664-scaled-e1594972186726 — no caption

Water interactions for consideration in NDC enhancement and implementation

IWRM_Manual-2_img — no caption

IWRM training manual 2: Guidelines for practical implementation of integrated water resources management

IWRM_Training-Manual-1_img — no caption

IWRM training manual 1: Principles and practices of integrated water resources management

Integrated Water Resource Management training curriculum

shutterstock_566434117 — no caption

Policy Brief.2020

Indigenous people, water, and climate change

agrof — no caption

Policy Brief.2020

Agroforestry for adaptation and mitigation to climate change

Unasylva_cover — no caption

Unasylva special issue on Forests: nature-based solutions for water

AB_Accelerating Climate_featured-img — no caption

Policy Brief.2019

Accelerating Climate Action: Building Resilient Cities through Improved Water Governance

1-Welcome — no caption

Promotional material.2019

Call for Engagement 2020

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Source-to-Sea Framework for Marine Litter Prevention: Preventing Plastic Leakage from River Basins

Supporting water governance at country level - Goal WASH programme 10 years — no caption

Promotional material.2019

Supporting water governance at country level: GoAL WaSH programme 10 years

WGF_goal-waters_folder-cover-web — no caption

Promotional material.2019

Governance, Accountability and Learning for Water Sustainability (GoAL-WaterS)

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Water for productive and multifunctional landscapes

Water source — no caption

How can Alternative Service Delivery improve water services?

Source-to-sea guide_webb (002) — no caption

Implementing the source-to-sea approach: A guide for practitioners

GoAL WaSH in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Antoines-photo-cover-website — no caption

What works in water and ocean governance: Impact stories from the UNDP Water and Ocean Governance Programme

Panorama - Iceland landscape — no caption

Policy Brief.2018

Transboundary waters: cooperation from source to sea

GoAL WaSH in Kyrgyzstan

WaterFront cover showing a sunny street with people walking — no caption

Stockholm WaterFront no 1, 2018

WASH-Guidance-For-Sustainability — no caption

Sustainability checks: Guidance to design and implement sustainability monitoring in WASH

iStock-864708172 — no caption

Policy Brief.2018

Wastewater governance: Balancing different interests

GoAL WaSH project in Paraguay

iStock_000087047921-web-resized-e1512388981596 — no caption

Water Integrity voices from the Middle East and North Africa

iStock_000087047921-web-resized-e1512388981596 — no caption

Stocktaking report: Regional Capacity Building Programme on Water Integrity in the Middle East and North Africa

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Understanding sustained use of ecological sanitation in rural Burkina Faso

GoAL WaSH project in the Philippines

tablet in a glass of Water — no caption

Policy Brief.2017

Water and pharmaceuticals: a shared responsibility

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Women and corruption in the water sector: Theories and experiences from Johannesburg and Bogotá (WGF Report 8)

SIWI Strategy 2018-2021 document cover — no caption

SIWI Strategy 2018-2021

GoAL-WaSH-World-Map@6x-100-002 — no caption

Promotional material.2017

GoAL WaSH flyer

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Towards a Multi-Stakeholder Platform in the Mekong Basin

A women and a girl carrying water — no caption

Policy Brief.2017

The gender dimension of water and climate change

UN-Habitat-Project_Sanxay-Attapeu_Emerging-Town — no caption

WGF Report 7 – The process of developing the water supply and sanitation strategy for emerging towns in Laos

water-a-success-factor-for-implementing-the-paris-agreement — no caption

Policy Brief.2017

Water a Success Factor for Implementing the Paris Agreement

HRBA-to-IWRM-manual — no caption

Human rights-based approach to integrated water resources management: Training manual and facilitator’s guide

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UNDP-SIWI Water Governance Facility (WGF)

The WGF helps countries manage their water resources more sustainably. Good water governance is key to empowering people and creating more sustainable societies. Together we build a more water-wise world.

Contact us

watergovernance@siwi.org

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Hammarbybacken 31
120 30 Stockholm
Sweden

What is Water Governance?
Work areas
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