Capacity building – at the individual, institutional, and societal levels – is an important means to further IWRM principles and boost the overall quality of water governance structures. Capacity building essentially stands for a twofold process: (1) it is about understanding the obstacles that prevent the people, the organisations, or any other elements of an institutional framework from fully realizing their development goals; and (2) it is also concerned with finding the applicable mechanisms in overcoming these challenges and ultimately achieving better and more sustainable results.
Through the implementation of its strategy, GWP supports water security and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via strengthened governance and management of water resources. This is pursued by promoting Integrated Water Resources Management, a cross-sectoral approach, designed to replace the traditional, fragmented sectoral approach that has led to poor services and unsustainable resource use.
The unique value of GWP lies in its capability to mobilise action on the global water crisis through a combination of social capital, shared values, credibility within the global water community, bottom-up orientation, and expertise. This ensures that the ‘voices of water’ can influence local, national, regional, and global development priorities.