CGIAR Innovations Highlighted at UN Water Conference

Date
22.03.23 > 24.03.23
Time
12:00 am > 12:00 am UTC-05:00
Location
New York, USA

Water, and the international water management agenda, is also a key, cross-cutting element in CGIAR’s mission to deliver science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.

The UN 2023 Water Conference ended with the adoption of a new Water Action Agenda that aims to unite the world for action on water, bringing cross-cutting solutions for sustainable development. Water is inextricably linked to interlocking challenges of sustainable development, integrating social, cultural, economic and political values. Key principles of the new agreement include the need to recognize water as a global commons; recognition of the water-food-energy nexus approach as a means towards sustainable development and reducing water risks; a need for increased finance and public-private partnerships to implement water-related goals and targets; and the need for a focus on human rights in water-related actions.

CGIAR Research in the Water Action Agenda

CGIAR leaders and scientists contributed research results, expert advice, and commentary at a number of events in and around the official conference, in particular, experts from International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), along with CGIAR Executive Managing Director, Claudia Sadoff (see full agenda below with links to recordings & event details).

The conference was a key opportunity to highlight the results of the Transformative Futures for Water Security (TFWS) initiative, a year of dialogues across the Global South convened by IWMI over the past year, which identified eight of the world’s most pressing water needs. IWMI Director General, Mark Smith and Deputy Director General, Rachael McDonnell, had a busy schedule of official speaking engagements and related events.

CGIAR Executive Managing Director, Claudia Sadoff, spoke at several official side events, providing input on the Public Dialogue on the UN-Water SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2023, “After the UN Water Conference, what happens next? She also participated in two publicly streamed talk shows produced by the UN SDG Media Zone.

Related coverage:
See Featured Stories, below, for CGIAR news and views around the conference. CGIAR researchers also published several op-eds and commentaries:

Research and innovation missions to transform future water systems; Nature
As the UN meets, make water central to climate action; Nature

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

This list will be updated as further information is received. All events in US Eastern Time (EDT).

Key:

UN Events

Other Events

Date & Time	Location	Event	CGIAR participation
March 14, 16:00	Institute of Development Studies and Online	Revisiting the UN Water Conference: 46 years of learning and forgetting? This event examines the progress and challenges that have shaped water and development from Mar-del- Plata (1977) to the upcoming UN Water Conference in New York City (2023). Speakers will focus on key achievements and missed opportunities, and reflect on what’s proposed at New York in terms of realising water for all.	Alan Nicol, IWMI
March 20	Harlem Stage	Water and Heritage: Connecting Past, Present and Future The objective of this session is to discuss that many people around the world depend and still use traditional water management systems and that these systems are also ‘fit for the future’.	Mark Smith, IWMI
08:00-09:30	Online	IFPRI Policy Seminar: Groundwater: Potential and Pitfalls for Africa Development of groundwater is key to accelerating agricultural and overall economic growth, fighting climate change, and generating employment in Africa. However, improvements in groundwater institutions are needed to increase equity and environmental sustainability in groundwater use. This session discusses the groundwater program of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), including case studies on the benefits of groundwater development and institutional advances in several African countries.	Hagar ElDidi, IFPRI Ruth Meinzen-Dick, IFPRI Angga Pradesha, IFPRI
10:00-11:00	Online	IFPRI Policy Seminar Water & SDGs – Downscaling WATer relevant SDGs (DWAT-SDGs) This session will allow member countries to exchange existing tools and case studies linked to SDG 6 implementation and will develop suggestions and partnerships for expanding SDG 6 localization, making an important contribution to the Water Action Agenda.	Jointly organized by IFPRI and the International Water Resources Association (IWRA)

Time	Location	Event	CGIAR participation
11:00	Online	Water Management in Action for Productive, Climate Resilient Food Systems Food security and climate resilient food system transformation will not be achieved without taking water into account. WE4F promotes integrated watershed management and on-farm water management for resilient livelihoods, healthy ecosystems and sustainable food systems.	Petra Schmitter, IWMI Naga Velpuri, IWMI
11:00-12:15	Side Event Room A	Water and Nutrition. Harmonizing Actions between the Water and Nutrition Decade. What does it take? More information.	Claudia Ringler, IFPRI Inga Jacobs-Mata, IWMI Shakuntala Thilsted, CGIAR
12:30-13:45	Pavilion of the Americas	Pathway Forward: Water-resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive in Asia and the Pacific Livestream.	Mark Smith, IWMI Manohara Khadka, IWMI
14:00	Nature Hub	Bottom-up initiative Approaches for water resilience and building adaptive capacity, and financing in Zambia	Inga Jacobs-Mata, IWMI
15:00-18:00	Conference Room 4	Interactive Dialogue 2: Water for Sustainable Development Recording.	Claudia Sadoff, CGIAR Claudia Ringler, IFPRI
17:00	Conference Room B	Systems Approach to achieving Water Security in a Changing Climate	Alan Nicol, IWMI
18:30-19:45	Conference Room 8	FAO National Water Roadmaps towards the 2030 Agenda Livestream.	Mark Smith, IWMI (Moderating)
TBD	UN Headquarters	Accelerating Women’s Inclusion in Water The session will focus on: (i) how to better measure and track gendered dimensions of women’s water insecurity, and women’s representation in water leadership and policymaking roles, including the need for enhanced data collection efforts and establishing baselines, (ii) sharing case studies on transformative practices, which have good potential for scale-up and replication, to enhance women’s leadership and water resilience and security, including countries’ experiences in implementing efforts to promote gender equality in the water sector and foster women’s participation in policy making.	Rachael McDonnell, IWMI

Time	Location	Event	CGIAR participation
TBD	UN Headquarters	Central Asia: Commitments for Water Action Agenda The main objectives of the side event are to demonstrate the solidarity of the Central Asia region in jointly addressing water issues to achieve water-energy-food and environmental security in Central Asia in the context of climate change and other challenges, including via innovative, transformational and action-oriented commitments on the regional and national levels. It will also highlight the region’s commitments towards implementation of the Water Action Agenda.	Oyture Anarbekov, IWMI
08:00- 09:30	257 Park Ave	Water in a Hungry World: Designing integrated water and food systems	Rachael McDonnell, IWMI
10:00-12:00	62 Orchard Street, NY and Online	A Feminist Pathway to Inclusive, Productive Water Use and Governance The climate crisis is a gender crisis, as changes to hydrological systems will worsen unreliable access to water and burden women and girls. This will deepen gender inequality and push marginalized women to take on additional agricultural work in climate “hotspots”. Women are major users of water but are often absent from institutions managing water and infrastructure. To achieve water and climate justice, water governance must allow for greater visibility, voice, and decision-making by women. Transforming water governance into an actionable feminist water agenda can support more inclusive food systems and long-term climate resilience.	Deepa Joshi, IWMI Alan Nicol, IWMI
11:00- 12:15	Nature Hub	Mission critical: Transforming Future Water Security Livestream.	Mark Smith, IWMI
11:30-12:00	Online	Global Commission on the Economics of Water’s talkshow: Turning the Tide Recording.	Claudia Sadoff, CGIAR
12:30-13:45	Nature Hub	Filling the Water Storage Gap: Advancing a resilient and sustainable agenda to ensure a water and food secure future in the face of climate change More information.	Matthew McCartney, CGIAR
14:00- 15:15	ECOSOC	Focus on National Leadership for Inclusive Water Governance: Call for Renewed Water Action and Commitments	Mark Smith, IWMI Inga Jacobs-Mata, IWMI
15:50	Neuehouse, NY	Devex Washworks Series This session will focus on food security and sustainable use of water. This will be a panel moderated by a Devex senior reporter and will last around 25 minutes.	Inga Jacobs-Mata, IWMI
17:00- 18:15	TBD	Supporting gender equality in the Water Action Agenda with Global Multi-stakeholder effort	Manohara Khadka, IWMI
17:00	Side Event Room 9	Common good outcomes through water stewardship: the power of a multi-stakeholder standard to drive effective, verifiable collaboration between business, civil society, and government.	Mark Smith, IWMI

Time	Location	Event	CGIAR participation
09:00-11:00	Water House 666 Third Avenue, 21 Floor	International Panel on Deltas and Coastal (IPDC) Panel discussion	Mark Smith, IWMI
11:00-12:15	Side Event Room 6	Achieving Water Security in Nepal in a Changing Climate	Manohara Khadka, IWMI Mark Smith, IWMI
11:15-11:30	Online	SDG Media Zone: Water For Food Security and Nutrition Recording.	Claudia Sadoff, CGIAR
12:30-13:45	Side Event Room 6	Secure water allocation for sustainable food production and the environment	Petra Schmitter, IWMI Mark Smith, IWMI
13:15-14:30	Conference Room 2	Public Dialogue on the UN-Water SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2023, “After the UN Water Conference, what happens next? More information.	Claudia Sadoff, CGIAR
14:00-15:15	ECOSOC	Transformative Futures for Water Security: Moving from Words to Action	Mark Smith, IWMI Mohsin Hafeez, IWMI Vidhisha Samarasekara, IWMI
14:00-15:15	Side Event Room 5	Make Water Pivotal in Food Systems	Petra Schmitter, IWMI Mark Smith, IWMI Shakuntala Thilsted, CGIAR