As the world faces the challenges of climate change, population growth, and urbanisation, GWP’s 2022 Network Meeting of Partners centred around the question, 'how can we push innovation in water?' “You will get some ideas from us, but what is more important is the voice from our Partners,” said GWP’s Executive Secretary and CEO Darío Soto-Abril, as more than 320 participants joined from 95 countries.
Africa’s leaders have placed water and sanitation at the heart of the continent’s development agenda, with a commitment to mobilise at least USD 30 billion annually for climate-resilient water security and WASH services by 2030. The AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard, endorsed to strengthen accountability and engagement with investors, has become a primary instrument to track progress and guide action.
From agricultural fields in Thessaly to the urban streets of the Netherlands, Nature-based Solutions for water retention are gaining ground. As the partner leading Communication & Dissemination for the EU-funded SpongeWorks project, GWP-Med is documenting and disseminating the latest developments taking shape across its demonstration sites in Greece, France, the Netherlands & Germany, and beyond.
During the Horizon Europe SpongeWorks second General Assembly, participants were updated about the project's achievements, witnessed first hand the implementation of sponge measures in the French demonstrator and provided input on the way forward. GWP-Med received the Outreach and Impact award for its impactful communication of the project's activities.
The Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) continues to inspire large-scale water-investment efforts across the world. Following calls from world leaders, including H.E. Ban Ki-moon, 8th UN Secretary-General, and H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, to replicate Africa’s proven model in other regions, momentum is now building for the USD 20 billion Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Water Investment Programme, set for launch in 2026.
As we approach the end of the year, please be advised that the GWP Southeast Asia physical office will be closed from 22 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.
The UNDP-GEF Project “Supporting Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in African Small Island Developing States (African SIDS), through the African Union Commission and GWPSA, participated in an IW: Learn Twinning Exchange organised as part of the Global Environment Facility International Waters (GEF IW): LEARN 5 initiatives to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing between International Waters projects across regions. The exchange activities took place in Colombia and Belize from 27 October to 4 November 2025.
On November 26, the 27th Drin Core Group meeting in Skopje reviewed progress on the Drin Memorandum of Understanding, the Strategic Action Programme, and the GEF Drin II project, highlighting synergies and emerging challenges.
