COP28: Transformative Climate Finance Day

On 11 December, GWP is co-curating the ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—น๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐——๐—ฎ๐˜† at COP28 in the #Water4Climate Pavilion together with the Green Climate Fund and French Water Partnership.

Investing in water resilience is crucial to achieve the Paris Agreement Goals

Join stakeholders from different sectors and with different responsibilities to discuss investment opportunities and needs, explore the different sources of climate finance and conceive required technical and capacity enhancement support.

Shortcuts to the agenda:
โ˜‘๏ธ Opening Ceremony 
โ˜‘๏ธ Session 1: Water climate resilient investment needs and opportunities 
โ˜‘๏ธ Session 2: Bridging the investment gap: Fetching financing sources & Influencing Investments 
โ˜‘๏ธ Session 3: Celebration of the Water Change Makers Awards: Scaling-up innovative climate finance and technologies for a water secure world 
โ˜‘๏ธ Session 4: Boosting water resilience investments: Enhancing support for stakeholders
โ˜‘๏ธ Session 5: International High-Level Panel Ministerial: Accelerating Investments: linking opportunities, sources and partnerships


Agenda of the Day

Opening Ceremony (08h30 -09h00)
Livestream ๐Ÿ’ปhttps://bit.ly/4a8lH9v
Moderated by: Bapon Fakhruddin โ€“ Green Climate Fund

Keynote: Ms. Meike van Ginneken, Dutch Special Envoy for International Water Affairs

  • Marie-Laure Vercambre, Director General, French Water Partnership
  • Mr. Alex Simalabwi, Executive Secretary - GWPSA, GWP Global Head โ€“ Climate Resilience

Session 1: Water climate resilient investment needs and opportunities (09h00 โ€“10h15) Livestream ๐Ÿ’ปhttps://bit.ly/4aehNvG

Moderated by Dr. Sarra Touzi, Senior Water and Climate Resilience Specialist, Global Water Partnership

Panel Speakers:

  • Ms. Yogita Mumssen, Manager, Global Team for Water, World Bank
  • Ms.Jessica Laguardia, Head of the Climate Change Unit, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, El Salvador
  • Ms. Gayane Hovsepyan, Head of Water Resources Managment Department of the Ministry of Environment, Armenia
  • Mr. Kenneth Nyundu, Director General for the Water Resources Management Authority, Zambia
  • Eng. Mwajuma J. Waziri, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water, Tanzania
  • Ms. Tahani Sileet, Head of Central Department for External Cooperation, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt (TBC)

Convened by GWP, FWP & GCF


Session 2: Bridging the investment gap: Fetching financing sources & Influencing Investments (10h45-12h30) Livestream ๐Ÿ’ปhttps://bit.ly/3uTXFPv

Sub-session 1: Water & climate finance talk (TED format)

Keynote: Mainstreaming water in finance: Ms. Naoko Ishii, Executive Vice President and Director, Center for Global Commons, University of Tokyo and Commissioner of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water

  • Outcomes of Water Financing Roundtables: Beth Dunford (TBC), Vice President of the Agriculture, Human and Social Development Complex at the African Development Bank Group
  • Youth perspectives on financing water: Elizabeth Wathuti, (TBC) Green Climate Fund Youth Champion
  • Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) Financing Sources Pyramid: Mr. Alex Simalabwi, Executive Secretary - GWPSA, and GWP Global Head โ€“ Climate Resilience

Sub-session 2: Facilitated discussions from the floor

Debate 1: Importance of mandatory disclosure and private sector involvement around the climate-water nexus.
Facilitated by Claire Elsdon, CDP Global Director Capital Markets,

Debate 2: Climate Risks and Opportunities in Water Management: Beyond Efficiency to Resilience.
Facilitated by John Matthews, AGWA

Debate 3: Water-Carbon Nexus: Leveraging Carbon Credits to Drive Sustainable Water Solutions for Smallholder Farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa
Facilitated by Sweeny Binsari, Solidaridad

Convened by CDP, Valuing Water Initiative (Dutch Government), OECD


Session 3: Celebration of the Water Change Makers Awards: Scaling-up innovative climate finance and technologies for a water secure world (13h00-14h00)
Livestream ๐Ÿ’ปhttps://bit.ly/3NlBUhJ 

High Level opening of the Water Changemakers

  • H.E. Kefentse Mzwinila, Botswana Minister of Lands Water and Water Affairs
  • Mr. Saroj Kumar, Global Water Director - World Bank
  • Mr. Seog-dae Yun, CEO of K-water, Honorary Chair- Changemakers Innovation Award

Showcasing the Water Changemakers Awards 2023 Winners Awards: (a) Inclusion, (b) Innovation, (C) Scalability

  • Chairโ€™s Recognition: Innovation, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • Youth Water Changemaker Investment Match-making innovators with Investors: Venture partners: AgFunder; Waterplan and Wilo
  • Stories of Innovation by Water Changemakers-Video

Convened by GWP, K water, World Bank, AIP Continental Africa Water Investment Programme 


Session 4: Boosting water resilience investments: Enhancing support for stakeholders (15h00-16h00) Livestream ๐Ÿ’ปhttps://bit.ly/3RfcYJP

Market Place: stop & connect

Technical support

  • Dr. Markus Repnik, Director of the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) Secretariat  

Countries readiness

  • Dr. Sarra Touzi, Senior Water and Climate Resilience Specialist Global Water Partnership (GWP)

Capacity building /South-South cooperation

  • Dr. Birguy Lamizana, Senior Programme Officer, Global Mechanism, UNCCD

Disasters and Humanitarian Support

  • Marie-Sarra Bouloumou, Advocacy Officer (Water & Sanitation) Islamic Relief France

Convened by GWP, GWF and FWP


Session 5: International High-Level Panel Ministerial: Accelerating Investments: linking opportunities, sources and partnerships (16h30-18h00)
Livestream ๐Ÿ’ปhttps://bit.ly/3uU1t36

Moderator: Alex Simalabwi, Executive Secretary - GWPSA, and GWP Global Head โ€“ Climate Resilience

Welcome remarks.

  • African Union Commission - DREA
  • AUDA NEPAD CEO

Statements from Ministers from the Co-Chairs of the High-Level Panel

  • Mohamed C.B.C Diatta, Sherpa Republic of Senegal

Accelerating climate resilient water investments: linking water and climate change opportunities, finance sources, and partnerships

  • Keynote Address - Mr. Henry Gonzalez, Deputy Executive Director, GCF

Ministerial discussion by water and climate change

  • Hon. Prof. Hani Sewilam, AMCOW President, Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt 
  • Hon. Jumaa Aweso, Minister of Water โ€“ United Republic of Tanzania
  • Hon. Malcolm Stufkens, Vice-Minister of Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Mines - Republic of Honduras
  • Hon. Sam Cheptoris, Minster of Water and Environment - Republic of Uganda
  • Hon. Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water โ€“ Kingdom of Morocco 
  • Hon. Lalya Aly Kamara, Minister of Environment - Islamic Republic of Mauritania

High Level Panel & Sessions Convenors:

Convened by GWP, GWF and FWP