The USAID Sustainable Water Partnership (SWP), led by Winrock Intl., launched www.swpwater.org to enable greater access to information and resources about global water security. Through the aggregation of water security news and innovations, and the publication of original resources and toolkits, www.swpwater.org will foster public-private collaboration across the globe and within the U.S.
“The impact of water on all aspects of development, at home and abroad, is undeniable,” said USAID’s Senior Water Resources and Climate Advisor Richard Volk. “Water security is a foundation for economic growth and political stability across the globe, as well as for the United States’ national security and trade opportunities.”
SWP defines water security as “the adaptive capacity to safeguard the sustainable availability of, access to, and safe use of an adequate, reliable and resilient quantity and quality of water for health, livelihoods, ecosystems and productive economies.”
SWP is led by Winrock Intl. in partnership with Tetra Tech, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Resources Institute, Stockholm Environment Institute, and its resource partners CEO Water Mandate and mWater.
SWP will provide USAID missions and government counterparts with access to globally recognized technical expertise and field experience. SWP’s participatory, adaptive approach already offers comprehensive management solutions in 14 countries.
“Winrock is proud to support USAID’s thought leadership in water security through this global partnership,” said Winrock’s SWP Program Director Eric Viala. “We look forward to expanding and accelerating USAID’s innovation in global water security.”
Water fuels every aspect of life. It’s essential for basic health and hygiene, and it drives society’s most essential industries: agriculture, energy and transportation. Without water security there can be no national security. In fact, water is essential to the stability of every country on the planet. Understanding water security means looking beyond immediate supply to political, economic, social and environmental impacts.
With an integrated approach to improve water security and resilience to water risks, SWP will:
- Engage stakeholders and promote their participation in water management;
- Provide guidance to assist in water decision-making;
- Propose tools and models to assess water issues and plan water actions;
- Facilitate collaboration, learning and adaptive management; and
- Support the design and implementation of mutually supportive water activities, from infrastructure development to watershed management and from behavior change to institutional improvements.
This participatory, focused approach to water resource management aims to strengthen water security, improve public health and livelihoods, alleviate poverty, encourage economic growth and promote political stability.
