Water security

The "Dakar 2021 Initiative" aims, during the preparatory phase of the Forum, to select, label and popularize relevant, innovative, structuring and replicable national, regional and international projects, producing short-term results with a sustainable impact around the Forum's priorities, and whose purpose is to contribute to the acceleration of the achievement of the SDGs, and more particularly of SDG6.
The Dakar 2022 Initiative is the materialization of the vision: "From commitment to implementation of concrete actions on the ground".

This session looks at cross cutting solutions that cuts across the thematic areas and generates a multidisciplinary dialogue across disciplinary areas surrounding water

Objective:
This is the public launch session for the Nature for Water Facility, a technical assistance facility designed to provide a suite of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) consultancy services for water security. The session will highlight why NbS matter, provide case studies of their successful impact, describe the value proposition of this new program, and showcase how members of the global water sector community can partner and deliver on-the-ground watershed results.

What are the new perspectives on drought in a time of climate change? Drought is often compared with other natural hazards such as floods, storms, and wildfires. However, unlike these hazards, drought is often a so-called hidden risk, meaning that its onset is not perceived until drought conditions are already having an impact.

Objectives of the Session:

Despite the progress made in recent years, more than 2 billion people in the world still lack access to water safely managed, and almost half of the world population do not have access to safe sanitation. The Covid-19 pandemic has evidenced even more the imperative need for such basic services and the insufficiency of funds committed to that matter. Finance is a decisive mean to increase Water Security and to provide water services to all.

The session will be the climax of a broader initiative whose objectives are to strengthen the links between the water and nature communities to enable effective policies and practices, and to promote the use of Nature Based Solutions by water practitioners. It targets professional and user communities of water and nature which should strengthen their dialogue, design integrated projects and initiatives, and play their role in conservation, together with political and economic decision makers at global, national, local and basin levels.

The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a magnifying glass on pressing water and sanitation challenges in Africa, especially for the 56% of the urban population living in informal settlements, lacking access to proper hygiene conditions. Climate change, urbanisation and population growth will add further pressure on water resources. This session will aim at raising the profile of Mayors and City leaders in enhancing water security in Africa. Participants will discuss challenges and opportunities towards water security in Africa.

According to the OECD Principles on Water Governance, effective, efficient and inclusive water governance is key to guarantee enhanced water security and better access to safe drinking water and sanitation services. As “one cannot improve what cannot be measured” measuring the economic, social and environmental impacts of water governance, would provide evidence on tangible results to governments, citizens, businesses and services. The session will discuss existing tools, methodologies and guidelines to measure the impacts of water governance.

Investing in nature-based solutions, such as preserving or restoring wetlands and natural flood management measures, is essential to enhance water security. These solutions can complement or substitute for grey infrastructure, such as built reservoirs and water treatment plants. Mobilising funding for those solutions raises specific challenges, as they generate multiple benefits for a diverse range of beneficiaries - and only some of these benefits can be monetised.