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Youth Water Agenda

Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Tomorrow

The world is facing a growing water crisis, and it’s not just a local problem—it’s global and systemic. This crisis impacts all of us, particularly women, indigenous peoples, marginalized communities, and youth. But here’s the good news: we, the youth, have the power to change the course and influence outcomes.

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What is the Youth Water Agenda?

Introducing the Youth Water Agenda, a dynamic campaign launched by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, designed to empower global youth to advocate and participate in shaping water security.

This transformative initiative was introduced at the World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia, and will lead up to the launch of our Final Report this September and beyond.

Campaign Highlights

A Transformative Video Series: Our campaign features a series of social media engagements with videos on Instagram, X, Facebook, Tiktok and Linkedin led by passionate youth champions and leaders from all corners of the globe. Each video delves into critical issues related to the water crisis, such as:

Water Security and
Food Security

Understanding how water scarcity directly affects food production and availability.

Impact on
Forests

Exploring the interconnection between water resources and forest ecosystems.

Innovative

Solutions

Understanding how water scarcity directly affects food production and availability.

Justice and
Governance

Discussing the role of fair governance in ensuring equitable access to water.

Get Involved: Make Waves of Change

Join us and become a part of this vibrant movement to shape a water-secure future. Here’s how you can get involved:

Engage with Our Content

Watch our Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTo and Linkedin posts covering various thematic issues related to the water crisis. Each video concludes with a call to action, and we want to hear your voice!

Respond to our video posts by stitching a video reply. Share your ideas and perspectives with the Commission and participate in the Youth Water Agenda.

Use the hashtag #YouthWaterAgenda and follow us on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) , LinkedIn  and  Facebook to stay updated and engaged.

Join the movement

Together, alongside other young climate and water champions and leaders, we can redefine the way we value and govern water, ensuring it remains a common good for all.

Join us in shaping a sustainable future where water is a common good for all. Your voice is powerful—use it to make a difference. Let’s create waves of change and build a future where water security is a reality for everyone.

Stay connected, stay informed, and stay passionate. The future of water security depends on us.

For more information and to get involved, contact us directly at [email protected].

Register your interest

Personal Information

Thematic focus

Water and Food Security

By consuming water beyond sustainable limits, the agricultural and food industries are jeopardizing the stability of our water systems and compromising global food security.

Understanding the intricate link between water and food security is paramount for our future. The looming water crisis is already exerting a profound influence on global food accessibility. To meet the needs of Earth’s population, an astonishing 52.8 million gallons of water per second are required. We delve into sustainable methods of productive water use in agriculture and highlight the importance of empowering small-scale farmers.

Water and Forests

The integrity of our forests is crucial for green water circulation and the global hydrological cycle, but they are under threat from industrial activities and unsustainable practices.

Green water is often overlooked and plays a critical role in sustaining life. It resides in clouds, mist, moss, and within forest canopies, facilitating the circulation of water across the atmosphere, land, and oceans. Yet, this invaluable resource is rapidly declining. It’s imperative to reevaluate the importance of green water and acknowledge the indispensable role forests play in maintaining these essential flows. Preserving our forests is paramount for safeguarding the health of the global hydrological cycle.

Water and Innovation

The escalating water crisis calls for immediate innovation; integrating technology, indigenous wisdom, and new approaches is vital to effectively address and mitigate water challenges.

Cutting-edge technology is transforming responses to the water crisis. However, innovation doesn’t stop with current solutions; it involves pioneering new approaches. It’s not just about following trends but leading the way in driving innovation. This ability to inspire novel ideas and foster creative thinking is essential for addressing water challenges effectively. Youth people are a key innovation contributor towards a sustainable water future.

Water as a global common good

As a global common good, water transcends borders and belongs to everyone, yet its sustainability is threatened by environmental degradation and unsustainable practices, necessitating global and local collaboration to ensure its equitable distribution and access.

Recognizing water as a common good is a critical objective in addressing the global water crisis. This recognition is crucial for addressing various challenges, including poverty alleviation and climate resilience, and ensuring access to clean and safe water as a fundamental human right for all individuals, regardless of their socio-economic status or location.

Multilateral Governance

Addressing global water scarcity requires grassroots initiatives and multi-level governance bridging sectors and borders.

Multilateral governance involves collaborative efforts among multiple nations and stakeholders to develop transparent and accountable frameworks for managing water resources effectively. Young leaders play a crucial role in advocating including contributing to such governance structures and promoting cooperation across borders and sectors.

Solutions to the Global Water Crisis

Uniting technology with indigenous wisdom, locally driven solutions hold the key to solving our global water challenges.

The Global Commission on the Economics of Water urges young changemakers to spearhead solutions. It’s time to veer away from past mismanagement and collectively tackle water challenges head-on. This advocacy emphasizes a solutions-oriented approach, showcasing opportunities for innovation and change across economic, social, and natural systems.

The Data Challenge

The water crisis is intensified by data challenges; to address it effectively, we must prioritize collecting, sharing, and using high-quality, transparent data.

Ensuring clean water for everyone is complex, partly due to the scattered nature of water data. Imagine trying to piece together a puzzle with pieces scattered everywhere—that’s what it’s like with water data. Data serves as the scorecard to hold governments accountable and helps secure a healthy water future for everyone. Join us in advocating for transparent and accurate water data.

The Hydrological Cycle

Urgent measures are needed to safeguard the hydrological cycle as disruptions from changing land use and pollution escalate, posing imminent threats to global water systems and communities.

Unravelling the hydrological cycle reveals the intricate processes that sustain life on Earth. From evaporation to precipitation, each step is vital. Disruptions like climate change and deforestation threaten this cycle, leading to water scarcity and environmental degradation. Safeguarding this precious resource is urgent for future generations.

The Three-headed Crisis of Water, Climate, and Biodiversity

We are grappling with interconnected crises of water scarcity, climate instability, and biodiversity loss, which are intensifying and disrupting the hydrological cycle, heightening concerns of justice, access and distribution.

These challenges are interconnected, each worsening the others. Water scarcity affects billions, while climate instability intensifies extreme weather events and disrupts ecosystems. Biodiversity loss undermines ecosystems’ resilience, jeopardizing vital services like water purification. Understanding these interconnections is crucial for young people, urging collective action for a sustainable future.

Cost of Inaction

Each day without taking action on water challenges exacerbates the crisis, endangering public health, social justice, and the stability of our planet.

Understanding the cost of inaction on global water challenges is crucial. Delaying sustainable water management worsens existing problems and escalates long-term risks across economic, social, and environmental fronts. Postponement increases the economic, social, and environmental toll. Issues like water scarcity and pollution not only harm public health but also worsen social inequality and environmental damage

Social Media Toolkit

In our mission to amplify our collective voice and impact, we are thrilled to introduce the Youth Water Agenda Social Media Toolkit. This toolkit is crafted to empower and equip you—the passionate youth champion —with the messaging and visual assets you need to share and promote the critical issues surrounding our water crisis.

Access the toolkit

Why a toolkit?

It’s simple. We understand the power of social media in shaping narratives and fostering change. By providing you with key messages, impactful visuals, and compelling storytelling guides, we aim to make it easier for you to spread the word, educate others, and drive action within your networks.

What's included?

Customizable Graphics

Eye-catching images and infographics that you can tailor with local data or personalize messages to resonate with your community.

For ease of use, we’ve prepared a suite of ready-to-use captions that highlight major water security themes, designed for immediate sharing across platforms.

Use our campaign-specific hashtags to join the global conversation and connect with fellow activists worldwide.

Tips and prompts to help you share your own stories or the stories of those affected by water insecurity, making the global crisis relatable at a personal level.

This toolkit is designed not just for sharing but for sparking meaningful conversations and driving actionable feedback. We encourage you to use these resources to engage, inform, and inspire your peers, policymakers, and the global community at large. Your advocacy can transform awareness into action and indifference into movement.

Join us, arm yourself with the toolkit, and let’s make waves together.

frequently asked questions

How to Stitch a Video Reply

On Instagram: The “Sequence” feature offers a creative opportunity to seamlessly blend multiple clips, weaving them into a cohesive narrative within a single Instagram story.

  1. Locate the reel you wish to stitch a reply to.
  2. Click on the three dots located in the top right corner.
  3. From the options that appear, select the “Sequence” button. This will enable you to stitch together multiple clips.
  4. Trim the clip to show the selection you wish to respond to and click next.
  5. Record or choose a video. You have the option to record your response directly or select a pre-recorded video from your device’s library. Once you are satisfied click “Next”.
  6. Write your caption and adjust the cover and preview to your preferences.
  7. Tag @watercommongood and use #YouthWaterAgenda in your caption.
  8. Once everything looks good, hit the “Post” button to share your video response with your followers!

On TikTok: Stitch is a creation tool that allows you to combine another video on TikTok with one you’re creating. If you allow another person to Stitch with your video, they can use a part of your video as a part of their own video. Keep in mind, you must have a public account to allow others to Stitch with your videos.

  1. In the TikTok app, tap the Share button on the side of the video you’d like to Stitch.
  2. Tap Stitch at the bottom.
  3. Choose the part of the video you’d like to Stitch, then tap Next.
  4. Choose from the filming options on the side panel.
  5. Tap the Record button to start and stop your recording, then tap the check mark.
  6. Edit your video, then tap Next.
  7. Adjust your settings, write a caption, and tap Post.
  1. How can we as young leaders collaborate across borders and sectors to address global water challenges through multi-level governance?
  2. What ideas do you have to tackle the global water crisis?
  3. What can we do to tackle water challenges and protect our future?
  4. Got ideas on how we can leverage data to solve water problems?
  5. What can we do to make sure our water stays safe?
  6. How can we, as young leaders across multiple sectors, join forces to tackle the water, climate, and biodiversity crisis?
  7. How can we act in our communities to advocate for sustainable water practices?
  8. What creative ways can we engage our communities in preserving our forests?
  9. What are your innovative, creative solutions to tackle the global water crisis?
  10. How would you shake things up and transform our approach to water?

Empowering each of you to share impactful stories is at the core of our
mission. These guidelines are crafted to help you weave compelling
narratives around the water crisis, driving empathy, understanding, and
action. Whether you’re sharing your personal experience or highlighting
the plight of communities affected by water insecurity, your story has the
power to move hearts and minds.

  1. Start with Why: Begin by explaining why water security matters to you. Personal connections make your story more relatable and emphasize the urgency of the issue.
  2. Paint a Picture: Use vivid descriptions to create a visual scene for your audience. Whether it’s the beauty of a landscape at risk or the challenges faced by a local community, help your followers see the world through your eyes.
  3. Use Powerful Language: Driving appeal with strong, powerful language can increase engagement with your audience, encouraging them to action. Words have power, so choose phrases that evoke empathy, passion, or hope
  4. Share Real Experiences: Authenticity resonates. Share real stories of how water insecurity has affected you, your family, or your community. Real-world examples amplify the message and underline the importance of collective action.
  5. Highlight Solutions and Actions: While it’s important to showcase the challenges, also shine a light on solutions, however small. Encourage your audience by showing them that change is possible and that their actions have impact.
  6. End with a Call to Action: Always conclude your story with a specific call to action. Whether it’s watching a video, signing a petition, or simply sharing your post, give your audience a clear way to help and be part of the solution.
  7. Use Hashtags Wisely: Incorporate our campaign-specific hashtags (#YouthWaterAgenda) to increase the visibility of your story and connect with a global community.
  8. Seek Consent and Respect Privacy: When sharing stories involving others, especially in vulnerable situations, always seek their consent first and respect their privacy. Blur faces or anonymize details if needed.

By following these guidelines, your storytelling will not only inform but inspire and mobilize. Together, we can use our voices to illuminate the water crisis, advocate for sustainable solutions, and foster a global movement for change. Your story could be the catalyst that drives a fellow activist to action, persuades a policymaker to listen, or even changes a community’s fate.

OECD Environment Directorate

Climate, Biodiversity and Water Division

2, rue André Pascal

75775 Paris Cedex 16

France
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