UN Global Compact | Pacific Institute
Mailing List
Publications
  • Corporate Water Disclosure Guidelines (2014)
  • Exploring the Business Case for Sanitation
  • Shared Water Challenges and Interests
  • Understanding "Sufficiency" in Water-Related Collective Action
  • Corporate Water Accounting
  • Guide to Managing Integrity in Water Stewardship Initiatives (2015)
  • Respecting the Human Rights to Water & Sanitation (2015)
  • Guide to Setting Site Water Targets Informed by Catchment Context
  • Guide to Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy (2010)
  • Understanding Key Water Stewardship Terms
  • Guide to Water-Related Collective Action (2013)
  • Water Resilience Coalition
  • Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA): A Practical Guide to Implementing Water Replenishment Targets (2021)
  • Setting Enterprise Water Targets: A Guide for Companies (2021)
Tools & Websites
  • Water and COVID-19
  • Water Action Hub
  • WASH4Work
  • Natural Resources Risk & Action Framework
  • Water Resilience Assessment Framework
  • Benefit Accounting of Nature-Based Solutions for Watersheds
CEO Water MandateCEO Water Mandate
  • Sign the Commitment
  • Get Involved
    • Endorse the Mandate
    • Water Resilience Coalition
    • WASH4Work
    • Events & Webinars
    • Newsletter
  • About
    • What is the Mandate?
    • Endorsing Companies
    • Governance
    • FAQs
    • Blog
    • News
    • Strategic Partners
    • Annual Reports
  • Learn
    • What is Water Stewardship?
    • The Business Case for Water Stewardship
    • NPWI (Net Positive Water Impact)
    • Water Stewardship University
    • Water Stewardship Toolbox
    • The Water Stewardship Journey
  • Sign the Commitment
  • Get Involved
    • Endorse the Mandate
    • Water Resilience Coalition
    • WASH4Work
    • Events & Webinars
    • Newsletter
  • About
    • What is the Mandate?
    • Endorsing Companies
    • Governance
    • FAQs
    • Blog
    • News
    • Strategic Partners
    • Annual Reports
  • Learn
    • What is Water Stewardship?
    • The Business Case for Water Stewardship
    • NPWI (Net Positive Water Impact)
    • Water Stewardship University
    • Water Stewardship Toolbox
    • The Water Stewardship Journey

Blog

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Blog
  • Coming Together for Shared Solutions: Reflections on World Water Week 2022

Coming Together for Shared Solutions: Reflections on World Water Week 2022

  • Posted by Jason Morrison, Pacific Institute
  • Date October 19, 2022

Throughout 2022, we have seen water topping the headlines worldwide. Heat waves and droughts shook watersheds across Europe and China while the worst flooding on record left almost 1/3 of Pakistan underwater. The challenges climate change poses to our water systems are clear. These challenges are painfully tangible and distinctly collective. Fitting then, that the return to in-person programming at Stockholm World Water Week enabled both tangible connections and collective problem solving.

Prior to converging in person in Sweden, CEO Water Mandate staff kicked us off with virtual sessions highlighting our leading-edge tools and guidance. On 23 August, we provided the first public demo of the forthcoming Water Action Hub self-assessment tool and previewed the Water Resilience Assessment Framework corporate guidance. Closing out the week, we showcased how the NBS Benefits Explorer can help identify and account for co-benefits in building the business case for Nature-Based Solutions. Notably, each tool works to deliver practical information to support decision-makers in taking meaningful action.

The next stage of the conference made one fact crystal clear: in-person connection is simply irreplaceable. Whether reuniting with old friends or making new allies, the return to in-person programming allowed us to invest in a foundational part of our work: meaningful relationships with our partners.

Indeed, the week’s sessions highlighted just how powerful partnerships can be in building scalable water solutions. Co-convened by our WASH4Work initiative, a session on 29 August highlighted exciting findings on a joint study of the business benefits of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene projects. That afternoon, we showcased the scalable water savings potential from our toilet leak detection work made possible by convening private companies, water utilities, and local NGOs. On 30 August, we convened 11 speakers from diverse fields to discuss shared interest in benefit forecasting and valuation for Nature-Based Solutions and convened public and private sector leaders through the Water Stewardship Acceleration (WaSA) Forum. No one actor can solve these shared challenges alone. Collaboration and collective action are prerequisites for solutions at scale.

From these sessions, two lessons were clear. 1) Actors in the water sector – corporates in particular – are eager for tangible, focused opportunities to direct their attention and resources; 2) there is deep interest in exploring the partnerships that can make those opportunities real. These themes continued reverberating through our culminating event:  the CEO Water Mandate’s multi-stakeholder dialogue convened offsite on 31 August.

With sessions on building water resilience through technology and coalitions, the ROI of WASH for business, and understanding legitimate corporate contributions to basin improvement, this Mandate off-site meeting gathered over 100 in-person participants to discuss the most critical challenges and exciting opportunities of corporate water stewardship. In addition to the WASH4Work and CEO Water Mandate Steering Committee Meetings, the Mandate’s endorser-only Annual General Meeting helped chart our ambitious course moving into 2023.

The week’s headlines showed the effects of climate change on our water systems becoming increasingly tangible. We urgently need correspondingly tangible solutions. As our experience at World Water Week demonstrated, the most tangible solutions available are those based on partnership and collective action. Bringing together diverse actors for a shared purpose ultimately yields scalable results.

Tag:nature-based solutions, stockholm world water week, WaSA, WASH, water action hub, water efficiency, wraf

  • Share:
author avatar
Jason Morrison, Pacific Institute
Jason Morrison is the President of the Pacific Institute. Jason also serves as the Head of the CEO Water Mandate. He is also a co-founder of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), a global initiative that has developed and is now implementing a freshwater certification program to advance responsible water practices by water providers and large-scale users. Jason received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego and a Master’s Degree in Energy and Environmental Studies from Boston University.

Previous post

September 2022 Newsletter
October 19, 2022

Next post

October 2022 Newsletter
October 31, 2022

Search

About

  • What is the Mandate?
  • Endorsing Companies
  • Governance
  • FAQs
  • Blog
  • News

Learn

  • What is Water Stewardship?
  • The Business Case
  • Water Stewardship Toolbox
  • Water Stewardship University
  • The Water Stewardship Journey
  • NPWI (Net Positive Water Impact)

Newsletter

Sign up for our mailing list

Updates on water stewardship news, tools, capacity building resources, and more

Join a webinar
Sign the commitment

UN Global Compact


QUICKLINKS

  • The Ten Principles
  • Sustainable Development Goals
  • Our Participants
  • All Our Work
  • What You Can Do
  • Careers & Opportunities
  • Submit Your COP
  • Water Resilience Coalition

About the Mandate

  • What is the Mandate?
  • Endorsing Companies
  • Governance
  • FAQs
  • Blog
  • News
Tweets by H2O_stewards

United Nations | Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Copyright

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
  • Sign the Commitment
  • Get Involved
    • Endorse the Mandate
    • Water Resilience Coalition
    • WASH4Work
    • Events & Webinars
    • Newsletter
  • About
    • What is the Mandate?
    • Endorsing Companies
    • Governance
    • FAQs
    • Blog
    • News
    • Strategic Partners
    • Annual Reports
  • Learn
    • What is Water Stewardship?
    • The Business Case for Water Stewardship
    • NPWI (Net Positive Water Impact)
    • Water Stewardship University
    • Water Stewardship Toolbox
    • The Water Stewardship Journey