Collaboration for Action: Hopeful Voices at the UN 2023 Water Conference
The problem of water is uniquely multi-faceted. Few resources are so simultaneously necessary for life, equally harmful in volumes that are both too large and too small, and conditional on engineered, political, social, and natural forces. Two years ago, I left my position as an environmental engineer to pursue a Master of Science at Tufts University, in a joint degree between the Urban Environmental Policy & Planning program and Environmental Engineering because I realized that we could not simply engineer our way out of many of the most complex environmental problems facing our communities. The problems require effective communication and collaboration between the many relevant disciplines and stakeholders. In March, the United Nations brought this challenge to the world stage during the UN Water Conference in New York City.
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Private Sector Financing for Sustainable Water Management: Insights from the UN Water Conference 2023
Water is an essential element for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as no single SDG can be accomplished without it. SDGs such as ending poverty (SDG-1), health (SDG-3), gender equality (SDG-5), climate change (SDG-13), and sustainable cities and communities (SDG-11) all depend on water. Therefore, without addressing the water crisis, it is impossible to achieve success with the SDGs.
To accelerate the implementation of water-related goals and meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Water Conference was held on March 22-24, 2023. This conference was a platform for various stakeholders, including governments, UN agencies, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector, to share their experiences, best practices, and innovative solutions for sustainable water management.
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Reimagining International Relations: Takeaways from the UN Water Conference 2023
The UN Water Conference 2023 was a surprise on many accounts. The most obvious surprise is that this was the first such conference in 46 years. Given human dependence on water, this appears to be a striking blindness that gives weight to a sentiment shared by H.E. Mr. Ursell Arends, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Integrity, Nature and Senior Affairs of Aruba: the ubiquity of available water inspires in us a false sense of security. In light of the global and local issues highlighted over three days of the conference, it is apparent to me that any water-related sense of security is indeed unfounded.
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UN Water Conference 2023 Reflection
The UN Water Conference 2023, held in New York, was the first water conference to take place in 46 years. Being able to partake in this historic moment was a privilege, albeit an eye- opening, exhilarating, and sometimes hopeless experience. Issues surrounding clean water for drinking and sanitation, transboundary water cooperation and conflict, water for sustainable development, etc., are not given the attention and importance that is needed. Without addressing issues surrounding water, we will never be able to succeed in the fight against climate change, as water is key to building resilience in tackling and adapting to the climate crisis. Hence, it was encouraging to see that the conference was attended by almost 10,000 people, both virtually and in-person. However, the disheartening fact, as mentioned by the moderator of the side event, “’Water’ We Doing: Private sector engagement to end the water crisis” was that the conference was attended by only 13 heads of state.
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“Let’s work for water, so that water can work for us”: UN Water Conference 2023
From March 22 to 24, thousands of UN officials, delegates from across the world, and interested parties flooded the UN headquarters in New York City for the first UN Water Conference in 46 years. I fit into the last category of participants–a curious UEP student offered a temporary UN pass and the opportunity to take a front row seat to the international conversation on water action.
With dozens of events to choose from & topics from science diplomacy and youth water action to the role of the private sector in the blue economy, it was easy to get swept up in high-level dialogues between national representatives swapping commitments to sustainable water management. Given a seat at the table, I strove to find a common thread or a concrete lesson that, when the hustle and bustle of the conference calmed, I could carry with me into my academic and professional life. Listening to so many incredible stories and accomplishments from nations and organizations across the globe, the common thread became clear-–no one can do this alone.
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