About 90 percent of USAID’s water priority countries are conflict-affected or fragile. Last year, over 60 million people around the world were affected by more than 280 natural disasters. Effective water resource management is complex in times of peace and prosperity. Effective water resource management in a time of crisis—whether war or disaster—can mean the difference between building resilience or compounding tragedy.
Food and water security are deeply entwined. Seventy percent of global water use is for agriculture while more than 25 percent of the global population lives in areas facing severe water scarcity and more than 820 million people face chronic food deprivation. As the global population continues to rise and changing weather and climate patterns disrupts food and water availability, we need innovative and forward-looking approaches to securing food and water for vulnerable populations.
Seventy percent of global water use is for agriculture, while more than 25 percent of the global population lives in areas facing severe water scarcity and more than 820 million people face chronic food deprivation. A rising global population and changing weather and climate patterns disrupts food and water availability, requiring innovative and forward-looking approaches to securing food and water for vulnerable populations.
This technical guidance manual was developed to assist Missions and partners in understanding the importance of environmental flow (E-flow) regimes and their benefits to water security and sustainable development outcomes. Recognizing that there is a vast body of literature exploring the environmental dimensions and practical assessments of E-flows, we explore and emphasize the broader community and societal benefits of E-flow regimes.
Improving the sustainability of a watershed requires active engagement with all major water users — particularly private sector actors, which can be large, impactful and politically influential water users. However, engaging the private sector in broader water security efforts requires understanding their motivations and drivers, including their water risks and business opportunities.
This supporting paper presents local decision-makers and practitioners with various tools that can be used within the context of a Water Security Improvement (WSI) process. The goal of the paper is to review the various types of tools that are used for water resources assessment and planning efforts and to summarize the appropriate usage of these tools within a decision-making framework. It begins by defining what we mean by “tools” and then presenting general categories that are used in water planning efforts.
How is the world’s water being used? And how can we manage it better? SWP Director Eric Viala explains in this new video.
The Sustainable Water Partnership’s Water Security Improvement (WSI) process helps stakeholders address water-related risks in a specific geographic area. This free webinar focuses on WSI processes and creating participatory, holistic approaches to water security management. Watch below to join Winrock International’s Eric Viala, SWP Director, and Tetra Tech’s John Parker, Deputy Director, to learn more about the WSI process.
New Beginnings in Transboundary Water Cooperation
Winding for nearly 14,000 kilometers, the Mara River is a vital source of life in Kenya and Tanzania. The river traverses the towering Mau Forest, wanders through tea plantations and growing settlements in the upper Basin, and waters the rangelands of Maasai pastoral communities. The river also sustains the region’s stunning biodiversity, from forest ecosystems to the wildebeests migrating between Serengeti National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Improving water security means empowering everyone — water managers and users, businesses, and citizens — to regularly assess and address water risks. By collaborating with communities, we can negotiate project activities which will best reduce negative effects of a particular area’s primary water risks. The Sustainable Water Partnership’s Water Security Improvement (WSI) process relies heavily on changing behaviors away from polluting, wasteful practices and conventional engineering approaches that often prevail in many countries. It builds on eight essential practices:
