Roundtable on ‘An Intergenerational Water Approach’

Session Description

This Session aimed to introduce the Global Commission for the Economics on Water (GCEW) to a network of young professionals to create vital awareness of the intersection between water and youth, emphasizing the critical role that young people play in water governance now and for future generations. Furthermore, the Session aimed to hear the voices of young professionals within an Intergenerational Approach framework.

The GCEW presents a unique opportunity to elevate the voices of young people, which are traditionally marginalized in the critical conversation on water conservation and governance. The work of the GCEW tells us that stability of the hydrological cycle is decreasing; that freshwater stocks in glaciers, groundwater, wetlands, soils are in decline; and that there is no real substitute for water. With all of this in mind, what does this scenario mean for the next generation?

To address our most pressing climate, environmental and hydrological challenges, institutions need to adapt and reform. In the face of institutional change, the voice of the youth is a critical one. Responding to the water crisis is a collective responsibility, which requires higher levels of collective ambition and transformational changes in governance, finance, technology, institutional capacities, partnerships and what we value. The Session provided a cross-generational perspective on aligning actions to address the most pressing challenges for both current and future generations, in the world of water and beyond.

Objectives

• To create awareness of the vital intersection between water and youth, emphasizing the critical role that young people play in water governance for current and future generations.
• To identify young professionals who could be interested in being part of an expert group for the revision process of several chapters of the Report.

Speakers

Henk Ovink
Executive Director, Global Commission on the Economics of Water

Dr. Mamphela Ramphele
Emeritus President, Club of Rome, South Africa; Co-Founder of Reimagine SA, Chair, Global Compassion Coalition; Chair, Archbishop Desmond Tutu Intellectual Property Trust

Elizabeth Wathuti
Founder, Green Generation Initiative; Commissioner for Youth, Global Commission for the Economics on Water

Engagement Survey