Improving support for water management through national processes
In countries that have not yet prepared and implemented policies and plans to develop water more effectively, GWP will facilitate multistakeholder participation and dialogue. The network will share best practices across regions and between countries to help manage water resources to achieve water security
Improving governance systems
An extensive international network an significant water resources management expertise. Working in partnership with others, such as the UNDP, GWP will take advantage of these strengths to support improvements to institutional environments that will enable an integrated approach to water resource management. GWP will assist government agencies to develop legal and regulatory frameworks, to become accountable and to allocate resources. In addition, GWP will be a 'voice' for other stakeholders. Since allocating and managing water resources needs to be planned and implemented at different administrative levels and within specific hydrological boundaries, GWP will do more to help align governance systems and link administrative and basin approaches. This will strengthen institutional capacities and improve coordination and coherence. GWP will also work with the Water Integrity Network to help reduce corruption in the water sector.
Improving water infrastructure
Along with institutional reform, there is a critical need, particularly in poorer countries, to develop and manage appropriate and sustainable water infrastructure. GWP will identify entry points and support multi-stakeholder dialogues to help governments and regional entities investigate cost-effective and appropriate infrastructure options that will benefit all. GWP will seek opportunities to convene stakeholders and contribute to ongoing dialogue between governments, regional development banks and others to expand water management infrastructure and to ensure that an IWRM approach is used in water infrastructure development.
Improving financing for water management
A great deal of attention has been paid to financing water use. However, little is known about funding water resources management despite increased insecurity due to scarcity, pollution, climate change and other threats. Working with partners such as the OECD and EUWI-FWG, GWP will build capacity in financing water resources management and development and also demonstrate how this relates directly with good water governance. This will include building strong links between water and finance experts to tackle chronic underinvestment and the waste of scarce funds.
Facilitating transboundary cooperation
Surface and underground water do not respect political boundaries. This means that states must cooperate to manage water. They must share responsibilities for managing water, protecting water quality, managing environmental flows and promoting harmony among states. In some cases, river basin organisations provide an institutional structure for functions such as coordinating decision making, establishing water allocation mechanisms, reducing water pollution, and handling floods and droughts. Good national policies and plans are prerequisites for serious cooperation in transboundary waters, including shared aquifers that are often neglected. Taking the shared benefits approach, GWP will support regional processes and work with regional organisations and initiatives, such as ASEAN, SADC and ECOWAS. GWP will also work with other partners, such as the World Bank and UN Water including the GEF, to contribute to existing initiatives in all regions, extending from the Yellow River to the Nile Basin, in support of cooperative processes to make shared waters become a force for regional economic development.
Monitoring progress on IWRM
Collaborative efforts, for example with the UN Water Task Force, GWP will help develop and put into practice a robust set of indicators for monitoring and reporting on the progress and benefits of implementing the IWRM approach at various scales. Introducing such a framework will help set targets, track progress and provide feedback on the effectiveness of better water resources management.