World Water Week 2024: Diverse Voices for a Climate-Resilient Future

At World Water Week 2024, Water for Women took a leading role in shaping discussions around climate-resilient and inclusive WASH. From sessions covering menstrual health and climate change to the vital role of Indigenous knowledge, we championed diverse perspectives and cross-cultural collaboration as essential to achieving global water security and sustainability goals.

We recently returned from a dynamic and engaging World Water Week in Stockholm, where Water for Women played a pivotal role in driving the conversation on climate-resilient and inclusive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Through a series of official sessions and activities at the Team Australia booth, we explored innovative, inclusive approaches to WASH and climate resilience, while actively contributing to global dialogues shaping the future of water. Our sessions spanned critical themes such as menstrual health, the value of research, inclusive processes for building trust and accountability, the nexus between climate change, WASH, and gender-based violence (GBV), and the invaluable contributions of Indigenous and local knowledges.

This year’s focus on bridging borders underscored the importance of cross-cultural learning and the promotion of diverse perspectives in our collective goal of achieving SDG 6 for peace and sustainability. As Akhila Sivadas, Executive Director of the Centre for Advocacy and Research India and a Water for Women partner, aptly stated: "This is where diverse voices become so critical. If you truly want to bridge borders, it's not just the work of heads of state but also communities, raising fundamental values and tenets of human sustainability."

Indigenous and Traditional Knowledges for Climate-Resilient Water Security

A key theme emerged once again throughout World Water Week: the vital role that First Nations and Indigenous voices must play in shaping our water future. Inclusive water management is essential for sustainability, particularly in the face of climate change. This was powerfully underscored by Kreung Indigenous leader Veng Many from Northeast Cambodia, who spoke during the session "Inclusive Water Management: Navigating Gender, Disability, and Social Dimensions." Veng Many emphasised the need to empower Indigenous communities to actively participate in managing the natural resources they depend on in the Mekong Basin, stating, "We are deeply connected to our lands and waters, far more than people from the city, and we know how to care for them."

The session "Beyond Consultation to Collaboration" featured an inspiring panel of female Indigenous leaders, including Australia’s Sheryl Hedges, Branch Head of the First Nations Water Branch, and Kay Blades from the Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Water Interests. They shared their insights on the shift from mere consultation to genuine collaboration and self-determined outcomes. Lorelai Cloud, Vice Chair of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, emphasised the significance of Indigenous perspectives, stating, "Tribal perspectives are important because we've been stewards of the land and water since time immemorial. We are the caretakers."

At the Team Australia booth, Gomeroi man and Australian Water Professional of the Year, Professor Phil Duncan (HonD), reflected on the critical need for Indigenous voices in decision-making: "We need our voices to be amplified in government and industry. The absence of our voices is a missed opportunity for ensuring climate-resilient water solutions."

Water for Women was proud to elevate Menstrual Health (MH) as a critical issue on the World Water Week agenda. In collaboration with iDE Global and Splash, we co-hosted two MH-focused sessions and launched the learning brief Menstrual Health: A Critical Cornerstone of Community and Climate Resilience, co-authored by Water for Women, Sagana, and iDE Global. The link between MH and climate resilience is often overlooked, resulting in insufficient research, recognition, and funding for menstrual health initiatives. Consequently, millions of women, adolescent girls, and gender-diverse people who menstruate face challenges in managing their periods safely and with dignity, limiting their ability to fully participate in community life and livelihoods. As Water for Women's GEDSI Advisor, Joanna Mott, emphasised, "True support for community-resilient WASH requires the active integration of menstrual health into systems change approaches."

These sessions underlined the essential link between climate resilience and MHH, delivering clear message: investing in menstrual health is crucial for the resilience of women, girls, and sexual and gender minorities (SGM). As Elise Mann of iDE Global highlighted, "We can't talk about climate-resilient WASH without menstruation, and we can't talk about menstruation without talking about its full value chain, including a safe and environmentally friendly disposal. And of course, we can't talk about any of this without talking about people - centering their agency."

Highlighting Key Coalitions for Climate Resilience and Gender Equality

At World Water Week, Water for Women was proud to provide a platform for two significant international coalitions: the Climate Resilient Sanitation Coalition (CRSC) and the Multi-Stakeholder Coalition for Gender Equality. The Multi-stakeholder Coalition for Gender Equality, a joint initiative focusing on advancing women's and girls' rights, aims to bridge the policy-practice gap, promote women's leadership, and challenge harmful social norms to accelerate gender equality in the water domain. Speakers such as Silvia Chávez Cereceda from CONAGUA, Mexico, and Tanja Miskova, Slovenia's Ambassador-at-Large for Water Diplomacy, called upon leaders and stakeholders to advocate for gender-inclusive strategies and collective action for meaningful change in water and WASH.

The Climate Resilient Sanitation Coalition (CRSC) raised the critical question: "Why is sanitation not at the forefront of climate discussions?" Daniel Ddiba from the Stockholm Environment Institute highlighted that the true potential of sanitation to be a climate solution is often overlooked. The coalition presented a compelling case for increased investment in sanitation as a crucial strategy for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Martin Gambrill, a consultant to the World Bank, underscored the importance of resilient systems, stating, "Without resilient sanitation systems, we will continue to negatively impact our environment and ecosystems."

The Nexus Between Climate Change, WASH, and Gender-Based Violence

During our booth session, Courageous Conversations, we explored the critical intersection of gender-based violence (GBV) and the role the WASH sector can and must play in addressing this issue. The discussion highlighted the urgent need to place GBV on the agenda in WASH programming wherever possible. As Juhi Jain of CFAR India poignantly stated, "What role can men play? They can be our partners, but not our masters."

Climate change and water scarcity are exacerbating GBV in communities, underscoring the urgent need for action. The water and WASH sectors, including community leaders and male allies, have a responsibility to end GBV and empower women and girls. As Joanna Mott, Water for Women's GEDSI Advisor, noted, "WASH practitioners don't need to be GBV experts, but they should be accountable for supporting people's resilience and recognising that GBV is a major barrier to this." The discussion also underscored the pivotal role that rightsholder organisations can play in collaborating with traditional WASH actors to address GBV within communities. Chelsea Huggett of WaterAid Australia noted, "Addressing family violence through WASH is possible when we partner with women's rights organisations."

Research as a Catalyst for Scaling Climate-Resilient WASH Solutions

WfW also convened leading WASH researchers to highlight the essential role research plays in informing and scaling up climate-resilient WASH. The session showcased real-world examples of how research is being translated into practical, scalable solutions that strengthen climate resilience across the WASH sector. Naomi Carrard from the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures emphasised the transformative potential of research, stating, "Research can be a powerful pathway to climate-resilient WASH when it is purpose-driven, genuinely collaborative, responsive to local contexts, and focused on relevance and uptake." Alison Baker, Water for Women Fund Manager, echoed this sentiment by stressing how integrating research into WASH policies and programs is key to scaling solutions and building a robust evidence base. "The targeted integration of research into the design and implementation of WASH initiatives creates the foundation for driving transformative, lasting change."

Promoting Inclusive Governance accountability and community trust-Building Tools for WASH

Water for Women showcased our partners' innovative efforts in promoting inclusive and participatory approaches to WASH and water governance at World Water Week. In our session, "Governance Approaches for Increased Water Security and Gender Equity," we highlighted examples from our partners in Cambodia, Indonesia, and India, where rights holders and duty bearers work together to redefine governance for improved water security and gender equity. As Herning Tyas Ekaristi of Yayasan Plan International Indonesia emphasised, "Cross-sector collaboration is essential, and the inclusion of marginalised groups is a must to support water security and other sectors of life." 

Our "Tools for Trust" session showcased innovative tools and approaches that promote accountability, collaboration, and the inclusion of diverse voices in decision-making, enhancing the resilience of water and WASH systems to emerging climate challenges. As Akhila Sivadas from CFAR highlighted, "A tool is a combination of data, people, and voice, all triangulated. Tools bring communities from the margins to the centre."

All of the ‘Tools for Trust’ resources are available online here.

What’s Next? Amplifying Advocacy for Sanitation and Climate Action

The closing ceremony of World Water Week set a forward-looking tone, emphasising the need to intensify advocacy around the vital connection between sanitation and climate action. With the announcement that the 2025 World Water Week theme will focus on Water for Climate Action, the stage is set for ramping up global efforts to address this critical intersection. 

As we move towards 2030, the end point of many of our global goals including SDG6 and SDG5, the focus must be on scaling up solutions that ensure sanitation becomes a central pillar of climate action. Likewise, strengthening advocacy, ‘bridging borders’, and driving inclusive and equitable WASH solutions, are essential for achieving a future where both water and climate responses are resilient, inclusive, and sustainable. 

World Water Week served as a catalyst for innovative thinking and collaborative action. By bridging borders and amplifying diverse voices—whether through elevating Indigenous knowledge or addressing menstrual health and gender-based violence—the week reinforced the power of inclusivity in driving meaningful change. As we move forward, the path is clear: by uniting our efforts and centring the voices of communities, we can build a resilient, equitable, and sustainable world where no one is left behind.