Water for Women at the 10th World Water Forum
Back to Search
The 10th World Water Forum will bring together diverse stakeholders across the water nexus at all levels, from heads of state and international organisations to government officials, experts, scholars, entrepreneurs and economists, to collaborate and find solutions, innovations and commit to joint actions for the most pressing water-related challenges.
Water for Shared Prosperity
The 10th World Water Forum (WWF) is being held from 18 - 25 May 2024 in Bali, Indonesia, co-hosted by the World Water Council and the Republic of Indonesia, and centred around the theme, "Water for Shared Prosperity."
Water for Women is collaborating with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (DCCEEW), and other Australian water partners, as a member of "Team Australia" at the 10th WWF. We will have an active presence at the Australia country booth in the Country Pavilion and will present and be represented in several booth and conference sessions, in addition to side events and broader participation at WWF.
"Water for Shared Prosperity" is underpinned by equitable access for all to climate-resilient and inclusive water resources, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. This means ensuring that no one is left behind, recognising that those worst affected by climate-related impacts on water - women and marginalised groups - are also least empowered to mitigate these impacts, yet hold important knowledge for effective solutions. It depends on advancing gender equality, disability and social inclusion at all levels, and enabling diverse voices, knowledges and representation in decision-making processes for locally led solutions that benefit all.
Increased and sustained investment in climate-resilient and inclusive water and WASH systems is needed to realise our shared development and resilience goals, including Sustainable Goal 6 (SDG6) - Clean water and sanitation for all, which is severely off track.
These are key messages that Water for Women and our partners are taking to WWF as we collaborate and exchange knowledge and learning, and share insights from our WASH and research projects spanning 16 Asia Pacific countries over the course of the Fund.
Find us at the Australia country booth
For those who can't make it to this in-person event, we’ll be sharing updates throughout World Water Forum and our sessions via our social media, so you can follow along.
Twitter: @_waterforwomen
Facebook: @waterforwomenfund
LinkedIn: @water-for-women
Water for Women case studies on show at the Australia booth
Throughout the week, the transformative work of three Water for Women partners is being highlighted at the Australia country booth through concise case studies on display on 'wave walls.' You can view and download the full case studies below.
The WWF involves high-level interlinked political, regional, and thematic processes, a synthesis phase that includes ongoing support for collective action, and an outcomes document agreed by governments. Through the thematic process, six priority sub-themes will facilitate cooperative methods and partnerships on specified technical and political solutions, and stakeholder commitments to action plans with tangible solutions to imminent water challenges:
- Water Security and Prosperity
- Water for Humans and Nature
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
- Governance, Cooperation and Hydro-diplomacy
- Sustainable Water Finance
- Knowledge and Innovation.
Water for Women is being represented in Bali by:
- Dr Alison Baker, Fund Manager
- Joanna Mott, Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Adviser
- Zahra Bolouri, Knowledge and Learning Manager.
Water for Women partners participating at WWF include:
- iDE
- International WaterCentre - Griffith University (IWC)
- International Water Management Institute, Nepal (IWMI)
- University of Technology Sydney - Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS-ISF)
- SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV)
- Solomon Islands National University (SINU)
- WaterAid
- Yayasan Plan International Indonesia.
You can explore Water for Women and partners' conference sessions below; times listed are Central Indonesian time (WITA; UTC+8).
Tuesday 21 May
4D3: The power of local culture and knowledge for better water management
21 May | 8.30 – 10:00 Bali time
Nusantara 3 | Bali International Convention Centre
Actively including marginalised voices, particularly from Indigenous and traditional communities, deepens our understanding of water related challenges and solutions, which leads to more effective and sustainable water resource management (WRM) and WASH outcomes.
This session provides evidence-based approaches and tools being used to incorporate local culture and knowledge for equitable and climate-resilient water and sanitation.
Panellists will share case studies, challenges, and lessons learnt from four different contexts in the Asia-Pacific region in which Indigenous and traditional knowledges have been essential to understanding and addressing WRM challenges in a changing climate.
Join our esteemed panellists for a faciltated Q&A session and more:
- Milika Sobey, Natural Resource Management Specialist, Fiji
- Silvia Devina, Yayasan Plan International Indonesia
- Darshan Karki, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Nepal
- Sheila Funubo, SINU & IWC - Griffith University
The session summary for this conference session, including the presentations, is now available.
Tuesday 21 May
A Circle of Water Stories - hosted by Water for Women
21 May | 15:00 Bali time
Australia country booth ND01 | Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre
Join us at the Australia country booth to hear from Water for Women partners and guests, as they share water stories from aross Asia and the Pacific, including:
- Wahyu Triwahyudi, Senior WASH Advisor with Plan International Australia (moderator)
- Milika Sobey, Natural Resource Management Specialist, Fiji
- Darshan Karki, Researcher, Gender Social Inclusion and Youth with IWMI, Nepal
- Maren Heuvels, Advisor Water Governance, GIZ
Traditional, First Nations and local cultures around the globe use storytelling to share history, values, and approaches to community life, including respecting and working with the ecosystems and waterways where they live. They recognise how everything is inextricably linked. In today’s terms, livelihoods, health, safety and well-being, water and sanitation services, transportation networks are all connected.
Scientific knowledge is also being used to complement these stories, providing data on changing or potential changes to climatic conditions. By using local knowledge and stories as an entry point for working with communities, further supported by scientific data, evidence from these examples indicates that there is greater ownership over any actions going forward.
No registration needed - please join us 10 minutes prior to this session at the Australia country booth.
Wednesday 22 May
Tools for transformation - Pathways towards a water secure and peaceful future
22 May | 10:30 Bali time
Australia country booth ND01 | Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre
Join us at the Australia country booth for an interactive discussion with Water for Women partners, including Jigme Choden from SNV Bhutan, Novika Noerdiyanti from Yayasan Plan International Indonesia, and Darshan Karki from International Water Management Institute, Nepal.
The world is depressingly behind on SDG targets, threatened further by climate change, conflict, and growing inequalities globally. Accelerating action on SDG6 is urgently required for a peaceful and sustainable future.
The two current crises of climate and conflict can only be tackled effectively through stronger cooperation and cohesion. Strengthening equity and resilience by building trust and accountability in water resource and WASH systems is critical to achieving this global goal.
This booth session will showcase a range of tools and approaches partners use, integrating these principles into their programming to contribute more effectively to reaching SDG6 targets, while reducing social and regional inequalities that may fuel conflict in the face of climate change.
Join us to learn about some important GEDSI tools developed in Water for Women projects, which support diverse voices in WASH decision-making processes for more effective climate-resilient solutions, such as:
- The Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Self-Assessment Tool (GEDSI SAT); a practical tool for water and WASH teams to use to reflect on their current strengths, track progress, and identify strategies to drive GEDSI transformative change for more inclusive water and WASH systems and processes at household, community and institutional levels.
- The Shifting Social Norms for Transformative WASH Guidance; a resource that aims to strengthen WASH programmers’ understanding of how to implement social norms interventions for the benefit of those likely to be harmed by certain gender and social norms, such as women, people with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, ethnic minorities, and people experiencing poverty, and which reduce their access to appropriate WASH services and their agency to participate meaningfully in WASH decision-making.
- The Partnerships for Transformation: Guidance for WASH and Rights Holder Organisations; a resource that provides insights into effective partnerships between WASH sector organisations and rights holder organisations (RHOs), and practical recommendations for effective and meaningful collaboration in all types of partnerships, designed to support organisations looking to begin, build or strengthen partnerships for mutually beneficial outcomes.
No registration needed - please join us at the Australia country booth 10 minutes prior to this session.
Thursday 23 May
6C3: Ensuring gender equality and social inclusion to achieve climate–resilient WASH for all
23 May | 10:20 – 11:50 Bali time
Singaraja 2 | Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre 1
Critical to achieving climate-resilient WASH for all is ensuring diverse voices are not only part of, but central to decision-making for climate-resilient solutions at institutional, policy, and community levels.
This session provides evidence-based examples being used in the water and WASH sectors for amplifying the voices of the marginalised, who are at the frontline of climate change, and therefore, have important knowledge and solutions to contribute to decision-making processes to ensure climate-resilient WASH for all is a reality — not just rhetoric.
Join expert panellists from the field working in different country contexts, who will share approaches and tools they have used to strengthen equity and inclusion for more climate-resilient WASH systems and services.
- Novika Noerdiyanti from Yayasan Plan International Indonesia will share lessons learnt from development and use of the Climate Change Resilience for Inclusive WASH (CCRIW) tool. The CCRIW tool aims to assess how climate change affects rural WASH service outcomes, gender, and inclusion, and map village resources and action plans for climate-resilient WASH adaptation and mitigation.
- Jigme Choden from SNV Bhutan will discuss the role of transformative leadership in the national and subnational government of Bhutan, including the role of rights holder organisations and self-help groups in driving change at the community level, contributing to strengthening WASH access and social well-being in communities.
- Mary Alalo from the Pacific Community (SPC) will present a case study from the Pacific Resilience Partnership Multi-Sectoral Water Security Technical Working Group, who are working to improve engagement and collaboration on water security as a key resilience element – with GEDSI being a key component of the strategy for building resilience among vulnerable communities in the Pacific region.
- Cesarina Quintana from Forest Trends Peru will focus on the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in promoting equity and sustainability in WASH outcomes, including practical examples and guidance on how gender equity and social inclusion can be included in NBS programs, supporting effective WASH outcomes.
- Claire Meyer from iDE will share practices on empowering women WASH entrepreneurs, including providing menstrual health and hygiene products and services, and how these approaches have supported WASH services and facilities to be more climate-resilient and sustainable.
Water for Women and partners, Yayasan Plan International Indonesia, iDE Cambodia and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation. This session is part of sub-theme 6; Knowledge and Innovation, led by UGM Indonesia.
The session summary for this conference session, including the presentations, is now available.
Thursday 23 May
4D1: Turning crises into opportunities - how civil society engagement helps solve water issues
23 May | 13:00 - 14:30 Bali time
Bali International Convention Centre
When communities face either one or multiple severe issues, especially when risk planning and mitigation is
inadequately prioritised, crises can result. Environmental hazards, over-exploitation of water resources, and
natural disasters can cause sudden or slow-onset crises affecting water security and service quality. Social
disturbances such as violence and war can impact infrastructure and contribute to community displacement.
Community dissatisfaction with water services, or inadequate regulation of pollution and water source protection can contribute to crises of confidence and public trust. All of these issues may be further exacerbated by a changing climate and its impact on the water cycle.
Strong governance and cooperation between diverse actors is critical to predicting, preventing and managing
water crises. Civil society can contribute to preparation and response to crises as convenors and facilitators
of stakeholder engagement, as researchers and innovators, by providing technical knowledge, and as
mobilizers that can bring the public, service users, service providers and regulators together for greater
resilience to crises.
This session is dedicated to the territories in the world where these crises (droughts, floods, over-exploitation of resources) are occurring with the greatest severity and intensity. Consider how civil society stakeholders are involved in crisis preparation and response, what is working and what isn’t, and how those lessons can be used to improve existing governance models. Speakers will share practical examples from across Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Americas of the contributions of diverse civil society organisations.
- Fraser Goff from WaterAid Australia will introduce the session and moderate a panel discussion.
- Turea Wickham from World Vision Papua New Guinea will speak on addressing water risks through the PNG WASH Joint Sector Review.
- Dr Regina Souter from the International WaterCentre at Griffith University will discuss strengthening community management of water supply risks in Solomon Islands.
-
Sheilla Funubo from Solomon Islands National University will provide further insights on the reserach partnership with IWC for strengthened community water committees and water security.
- Prof Sharon Megdal from the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center will share lessons learnt from inclusive stakeholder involvement and public participation in addressing water challenges.
- Murilo Sant’Anna from Consorcio PCJ, Brazil will share insights from measuring participation in water governance through Brazil’s Water Governance Observatory.
-
Gazi Nouman from the Sudan Youth Parliament for Water will speak on Youth Resilience in Crises: supporting water and sanitation systems amidst the ongoing war in Sudan
- Dr Shashidhar Shirahatti from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad India, will provide concluding remarks.
Convenors
Water for Women partner WaterAid, with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad India. This session is part of sub-theme 4; Governance, Cooperation and Hydro-diplomacy, led by the French Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
Thursday 23 May
2C3: People and communities - market-based solutions to safe drinking water access
23 May | 16:40 - 18:10 Bali time
Bali International Convention Centre
Market-based solutions emerge as a dynamic force, revolutionising approaches to water provision. Rather than large centralised utilities, decentralised solutions emerge as means to rapidly accelerate SDG target 6.1. This session delves into the transformative role of market-driven strategies in ensuring sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water.
Explore with industry experts and thought leaders how market-based solutions can catalyse innovation, foster local entrepreneurship, and drive down costs, making safe water solutions more accessible to underserved communities.
- Dr Cindy Priadi, University of Indonesia
- Arthur Baker, Development Innovation Lab - University of Chicago
- Aisyah Nasution and Brooke Yamakoshi, Bappenas UNICEF EAPRO
- Lieselotte Heederik, Nazava Water Filters
- Eva Leneveu and Amandine Chaussinand, 1001fontaines
- Seshana Aviananda, Water.org
From innovative business models to impactful public-private partnerships, the session will showcase real-world success stories that demonstrate the potential of market-driven approaches to create scalable, lasting impacts in the realm of safe drinking water access.
Convenors
Water for Women partner, the University of Technology Sydney - Institute for Sustainable Futures, with the University of Indonesia. This session is part of sub-theme 2; Water for Humans and Nature.
1A2: Nature-based solutions / ecosystem protection and restoration to improve water supply21 May | 10:20 - 11:50 Bali time |
|
Join this session to hear from Meredith Hickman, Director of Policy and Programs, WaterAid Southeast Asia & Pacific, who will share insights from WaterAid's work on nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches in Timor-Leste, including through their Water for Women projects. This session is being convened by INWEPF Japan Committee (International Network for Water Ecosystem in Paddy Fields) and UNESCO Capacity Development and Water Family Coordination (CDW), Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP). It will showcase best practices and challenges for the implementation of nature-based solutions for sustainable water supply.
Convenors INWEPF Japan Committee and UNESCO CDW IHP. This session is part of sub-theme 1; Water Security and Prosperity, led by GWP China. |
RP11: Climate resilient sanitation in Pacific Small Island Developing States21 May | 14:50 - 16:20 Bali time |
|
Join this session to hear from Water for Women partners from the International WaterCetre (IWC) at Griffith University and WaterAid. IWC's Dr Regina Souter will share research on resilience of sanitation in urban settlements; and WaterAid's Fraser Goff and Meredith Hickman will share insights on successfully and sustainably implementing WASH through strengthening of subnational government. This regional session is being convened by the Australian Water Partnership and will examine opportunities to place sanitation within the framework of climate change to better focus on what is needed to meet SDG6 targets under changing climatic conditions. Participants will connect with Pacific representatives and hear local stories of resilient sanitation solutions, drawing on examples of community governance, traditional knowledge, adaptation planning, appropriate infrastructure, and sustainable financing (including access to climate financing).
Convenor Australian Water Partnership. This session is part of the Asia-Pacific regional process, led by Asia Water Council and Asian Development Bank. |
2D1: Enabling environment for the development of sanitation services and hygiene21 May | 16:40 - 18:10 Bali time |
|
This session is being convened by Water for Women partner, Meredith Hickman, Director of Policy and Programs, WaterAid Southeast Asia & Pacific, alongside Christoff Le Jallé, Directeur General of pS-Eau - Programme Solidarité Eau (Water Solidarity Programme), France. The session will facilitate two panel discussions; Panel 1 - Political will, national policies & strategy, regulation; and Panel 2 - Local planning, Multi-stakeholders participation, Financing, Capacity building. Panellists and speakers will include representatives from Initiative Prospective Rural et Agricole, Sénégal; Butterfly Effect, Canada; UN Habitat, Kenya; India's National Institute of Urban Affairs, the Nigerian Youth Parliament for Water, and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), France.
Convenors WaterAid and pS-Eau. This session is part of sub-theme 2; Water for Humans and Nature. |
Wednesday 22 May
Thursday 23 May
6C2: Capacity building on ILK to sustain indigenous, traditional and community-based water management23 May | 8:30 - 10:00 Bali time |
|
Join this session to hear from Water for Women partner, Dr Regina Souter, from the International WaterCentre at Griffith University, and Sheilla Funubo from Solomon Islands National University (SINU), who will discuss the Community-Based Water Security Improvement Planning (CWISP) approach co-developed by IWC, SINU, Plan International, and Live & learn Environmental Education to strengthen water committees and water security in rural Solomon Islands. This session is being convened by Yayasan Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial (Affiliated with Hivos). Other speakers will include a resident of Timbulsloko Village, Central Java (the floating village of North Coast, Central Java); Triawan Umbu Uli Mehakati from Koppesda – ADAPTASI Coalition; and Dr Sinite Yu from ICOMOS/Taiwan International Institution for Water Education (TIIWE).
Convenor Yayasan Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial (Affiliated with Hivos). This session is part of sub-theme 6; Knowledge and Innovation, led by UGM Indonesia. |
3D1: Extreme climate and its impact on water infrastructure23 May | 10:20 - 11:50 Bali time |
|
Join this session to hear from Water for Women partner, Tim Foster, from the University of Technology Sydney - Institute for Sustainable Futures, who will speak about recent research conducted in 2023 between UTS-ISF, Universitas Indonesia, Centre for Regulation, Policy and Governance, and Universitas Gadjah Mada as part of an Australian Government (DFAT) KONEKSI research grant. This session is being convened by Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute (NHRI), China, Hohai University, China, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and Water Resources Directorate General, Indonesia. It will share studies of extreme climate and its potential impacts on water infrastructures across the world, covering research topics that focus on understanding past and future climate change, particularly changes in extreme climate events, and assessing the functionality and performance of a wide range of water infrastructure (water storage, water supply, sanitation and drainage systems) and technologies in the context of global warming.
Convenors NHRI, Water Resources Directorate General, Indonesia; Hohai University, China; and University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. This session is part of sub-theme 3; Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. |
3CC1: Adapting to extreme hydrological events induced by climate change for sustainable development23 May | 13:00 -14:30 Bali time |
|
Join this session to hear from Elise Mann from iDE, who will speak about diverse strategies in climate-resilient sanitation, including insights from iDE's Water for Women projects. Other speakers include representatives from the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), UNESCO Groundwater Youth Network, International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM), Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute (NHRI) China, and the Dutch knowledge institute for water and the subsurface - Deltares. This session is being convened by Deltares, NHRI, and JVE Cote d'Ivoire (JVE). It will present and discuss the dependencies and relations between multiple hydrological events and measures against hazards in an interactive way, including through the use of a serious game or icebreaker, presentations of cases that illustrate the dependencies between hydrological events or the measures that are taken to prevent the events.
Convenors NHRI, DELATRES, and JVE. This session is part of sub-theme 3; Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. |
5C1: Multistakeholder coordination in financing safe water and sanitation services - beyond banks23 May | 13:00 - 14:30
|
|
Join this session to hear from Meredith Hickman from WaterAid, who will share global WASH financing research, including insights from WaterAid's Water for Women project work in this area. This session is being convened by the World Bank and will bring together a varied range of stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), commercial sector entities, community leaders, and international organisations, to discuss integrated urban solutions. These initiatives seek to enhance urban economic, environmental, climate, social, and demographic conditions over the long term. Strategic planning will be prioritised to address cross-cutting issues and promote efficient coordination and collaboration.
Convenor World Bank. This session is part of sub-theme 5; Sustainable Water Finance. |
Commencing in 1997, World Water Forum has been held every three years and is the largest international forum for the global water sector. The WWF incorporates a three year preparation phase leading up to a week-long conference, exhibition, and fair.
The 10th World Water Forum aims to marshal concrete deliverables relevant to the advancement of water solutions addressing global water challenges for the benefit of all. As part of the national, regional, and international effort to address water-related issues, as well as the triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss, WWF serves as a unique platform for collaboration and long-term progress.
Header image: Courtesy of the 10th World Water Forum, Bali
Contact Us
Receive notifications when this page is updated
Subscribe
