Reflecting on the UN Water Conference

By Leen Hayek

To say that attending the 2023 UN Water Conference was an exciting experience is an understatement. This was partly owing to the fact that this was the first UN Water Conference held in more than 40 years; thus, there was a palpable feeling of enthusiasm among stakeholders in the weeks before the conference. The intent of the event was not to ratify an international treaty or specific resolution, but rather to re-ignite the conversation about the importance of water in the context of climate change – a conversation that is often overlooked.

It was frequently repeated at the conference that extreme events relevant to the water cycle (whether floods, droughts, etc.) are responsible for around 70% of the human experienced impacts of climate change, yet the share of climate finance addressing water hovers around 3%. The conference repeatedly shed light on this gap and highlighted that climate action necessitates interventions in the water sector.

As this was my first time attending a conference of this scale, I can easily say that even with preparation, it can easily feel overwhelming. With thousands of delegates and dozens of concurrent panels and events, it was quite challenge selecting which events to attend out of a roster of incredibly interesting roundtable discussions, high level panels, workshops, and more. I opted to attend a combination of large scale and smaller scale events. For example, I attended a general assembly session and several interactive dialogue sessions focusing on the energy-water-food nexus and water for sustainable development; here, delegates presented their respective countries' commitments and relevant concerns. An interesting pattern that emerged during these conversations was a call by various countries to establish a UN special envoy on water in order to bring water to the forefront of the climate conversation – an outcome that was eventually announced during the closing session.

I then attended several smaller events focusing on topics like “Innovation for Sustainable Development among Small Island States” and “Achieving Economic Resilience through Water Resilience,” among others. These sessions brought a very practical approach and acted as platforms for knowledge sharing and exchange among stakeholders – stakeholders from government, private sector, donors, and international organizations were present. Among the most memorable case studies presented here was that of Malta and the partnership they developed with IBM to become the first island to solely utilize smart meters in a quest for increased efficiency. It was also interesting to hear the delegate from Martinique speak about the challenges of being a Caribbean Island governed by EU climate law, as some of the Island’s specific needs (e.g., mangrove protection) were not easily met by existing EU frameworks.

One of the most surreal experiences while at the conference was attending an interactive discussion on “Blue Bonds for Climate Finance,” where the governments of Germany and the Netherlands announced a seed fund for reform-minded water utilities to support them in achieving their credit worthiness. Having been a part of a reading group on climate finance at Fletcher, and studying these topics theoretically, it was incredibly exciting to see a decision like this unfold in the same room I was in.

Leaving the conference, I am eager to see how the conversation on the intersection of innovation, climate finance, and water for sustainable development in the water progresses in the years to come.

Leen Hayek is a MALD student at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.