Primary Functions
- Access concrete actions and case studies that governments can learn from, adapt, and implement in their own contexts in order to achieve the water-related goals of the SDGs.
- Find clarity on what global development frameworks mean for the subnational level in terms of water management and sustainable development.
Detailed Description
Through the International Conferences of Local and Regional Authorities on Water, held during each World Water Forum, the World Water Council and its long-standing partners such as United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the Global Water Operators’ Partnership Alliance (GWOPA)/UN-Habitat are working with local governments to strengthen the capacities of decision makers to deal with local water challenges. Initiatives such as the Istanbul Water Consensus and Daegu Water Action for Sustainable Cities and Regions build on this support by coordinating local and regional authorities around action-led frameworks and declarations. These frameworks, and the subsequent actions taken to implement them, result in more sustainable, equitable and efficient management of water resources and services. Without good water management, urban development is compromised with little chance of being sustained long-term. Today, the major globally-agreed development frameworks, most notably the Agenda 2030 and the New Urban Agenda (NUA), echo this message and place water and sanitation high on the agenda.
This guide, with its recommendations and case studies, is the next step in the initiatives led by the World Water Council through the World Water Forum, and builds on the commitment already made by local and regional authorities to the Daegu Water Action for Sustainable Cities and Regions1 and the Istanbul Water Consensus2 (over 1,000 signatories). The Daegu Water Action call identifies two strategies – one targeting local government and the other national – which support local action in order to achieve the water-related goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This guide provides concrete actions and case studies that governments can learn from, adapt and implement in their own contexts. This guidance material also seeks to respond to the call from local and regional authorities for greater clarity on what global development frameworks mean for the subnational level in terms of water management and how they will support the achievement of sustainable development.
To better understand the role local and regional authorities can play in moving forward on water-related targets within global agendas, the first part of this guide provides an analysis of each framework from a water and local and regional authority perspective.
The second part of this guide consists of eight concrete recommendations for local and regional authorities with accompanying case studies. These case studies have been selected to ensure a wide topology and balance (geographical, city size, water characteristics), thereby providing examples that are relevant to all sectors of society.
