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"One of the most important water-related decision being taken today by communities worldwide is the creation of legal and governance regimes on managing freshwater resources", says IWRA President Gabriel Eckstein.

Eddy Moors is the Rector of IHE Delft Institute for Water Education - why they have joined the Water ChangeMaker Awards: “I think it's quite important that we learn from one another and I think the ChangeMakers programme and awards is offering the possibility to exchange with an even wider community than the alumni at IHE has already.”

IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is one of the partners of the Water ChangeMaker Awards. We spoke with Eddy Moors, who is the Rector, and he explained the reason why they joined: “I think it's quite important that we learn from one another and I think the ChangeMakers programme and awards is offering the possibility to exchange with an even wider community than the alumni at IHE has already.”

As part of the ongoing initiative between GWP and the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW) to make the voices of youth heard on water, we asked for stories on how the current COVID-19 outbreak has changed people's daily routines in different parts of the world. Here, we share 3 of the stories – more are coming soon.

In the period 2017-2020 Country Water Partnership-Armenia as a partner together with Urban Foundation for Sustainable Development and Yerevan State University Environmental Law Resource Centre undertook the implementation of USAID-funded “Participatory Utilization of Resource Efficiency of Water” Project/ PURE Water Project.

“Environment is where climate change makes its first impact. It’s either in the air we breathe, the temperatures we live in, the water we drink, the environment we are surrounded by. So environment is the front and center to climate change response, and that’s why environment of conservation needs to be in the discussion around change in water management,” says James Dalton, Director of the IUCN Global Water Programme.

Commenting on the COVID crisis, and whether youth will be thinking about climate resilience now, Maitreyi Koduganti Venkata says: "In times of crises like this, what everyone thinks of is to keep our loved ones safe, keep our families safe. The idea of climate resilience is perhaps not even on the agenda, but that doesn't mean that it's not there at all. The climate protests are still happening, people are still voicing their concerns, it's just on a different platform. An abandonment of this issue has the potential to worsen certain circumstances.”

On the question why youth should submit their change journeys to the Water ChangeMaker Awards, Lindsey Aldaco-Manners, President of World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW) says: ”We have a unique opportunity to be a solution, and I think that is also why the Water ChangeMakers Awards exists, because youth are on the rise and that is something to be seen”.

“Water, sanitation and hygiene are absolutely critical for resilient societies. Whether you are talking about resilience to diseases like Covid-19 or resilience to climate change. And for resilience, you need a strong sector and for good water decisions to be made”, says Virginia Newton-Lewis, Director of Policy and Advocacy at WaterAid Sweden.

GWOPA’s Julie Perkins talks about the role of water operators and explains why everyone should submit their change journey to the Water ChangeMaker Awards, get recognition and share their solutions with the rest of the world. “The very courageous and visionary people and institutions, who have taken bold leadership to climate action should really be credited with this”.