Representing GWP-SEA in her role as Deputy Regional Coordinator (DRC), Louise Desrainy delivered a regional presentation on SDG indicator 6.5.1, drawing on the latest 2023 country reporting results. She highlighted that while awareness and political commitment to sustainable water management have increased, progress across Asia-Pacific remains uneven, with many countries still struggling to implement coordinated, cross-sectoral water governance frameworks.
Louise noted that nearly 40 percent of countries in the region remain at low or medium-low levels of IWRM implementation, reflecting persistent challenges in institutional capacity, coordination across sectors, and the ability to respond to growing climate pressures. She emphasized that without accelerated action, the region is unlikely to achieve SDG 6.5 by 2030.
A key message from GWP-SEA’s intervention was the critical role of financing and climate alignment. Insufficient and fragmented funding continues to limit the implementation of IWRM, affecting monitoring systems, management instruments, and basin-level planning. Louise stressed that IWRM provides a strong foundation for climate adaptation and resilience, and that better alignment between water management and climate finance can deliver multiple development benefits.
Looking ahead, GWP-SEA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting countries in the next SDG 6.5.1 reporting cycle in 2026. Financial support may be limited for 2026, but IWRM Help Desk is available to answer questions, and provide guidance and support to SDG 6.5.1 Country Focal Points. As the country reporting for SDG 6.5.1 and SDG 6.5.2 usually happens on an almost similar timeline, there are some recommendations that countries can do to coordinate these 2 SDGs monitoring at country level. For instance, by creating a light coordination structure—such as a national SDG 6.5 technical working group—that brings together focal points for both 6.5.1 and 6.5.2. Louise also encouraged countries to use the reporting process not only for monitoring, but also as a tool to strengthen multi-stakeholder dialogue, identify priority actions, and develop integrated water and climate action plans. Technical guidance, training resources, and direct support will be available through the SDG 6 Support Programme and the IWRM Data Portal.
Through its regional coordination role, GWP-SEA continues to support countries across Southeast Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific region in advancing IWRM implementation, ensuring that SDG reporting contributes to meaningful progress toward sustainable and climate-resilient water management.
To Download Louise’s presentation: Find the file in the right-side panel (desktop) or at the bottom of the page (mobile).