Water remains a Dutch priority
Author: Maarten Gischler, Deputy Head of Water and Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands
Time flies. A year has passed since The Netherlands hosted World Water Day 2013 in The Hague, dedicated to water cooperation. Twelve months, since the wake-up call on water. Drafted in a collaborative process, this wake-up call made an urgent and specific appeal to politicians, finance ministers, farmers, consumers, CEOs, scientists, youth, etc., to each take responsibility for their part in the resolution of the water crises across the world.
Kunstfoto’s van José Veugen en Yvonne Halvens
Twelve months since the High Level Forum that convened in The Hague, received and recognized the Outcome Document of the global thematic consultations on Water in the post-2015 agenda. This document was subsequently submitted to the High Level Panel on the post-2015 Agenda. What did we, at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, do in the aftermath of March 22nd 2013? How did we implement the wake-up call? What did we achieve in prioritizing water on the Post-2015 agenda? We reiterated the appeal of the wake-up call in our policy dialogues with politicians, ministers, international finance institutions, scientists, CEOs, etc. Where we saw fit, we used our convening power or made financing available to advance and leverage their initiatives to address local, national or international water challenges. We launched a water related disaster risk reduction facility that supports the prevention of and recovery from such disasters. We strengthened transboundary water cooperation in Africa. We continued to help realize the human right to water and sanitation for millions of the poorest in Africa and Asia. We initiated programmes to enhance water productivity in agriculture. We hosted a conference on international water cooperation in the Peace Palace in The Hague. And we made the case for water’s prominent inclusion in the post 2015 agenda. Did we do enough? Not nearly! But we will keep doing it with passion and with perseverance. For water remains a Dutch priority. Worldwide we have a rough water ride ahead of us in the coming decades. We better be prepared.
