International cooperation and solidarity are crucial if the goals of the 2030 Agenda are to be achieved
Berlin, March 22nd 2023 – “Accelerating Change”: The United Nations is calling for action on the occasion of World Water Day. 2023 marks the mid-term for the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 6 on the global availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation. Currently, 2.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and 4.2 billion people are not connected to adequate sanitation[1].
Target achievement is critical due to population growth, climate change, wars and crises. The Covid-19 pandemic has further worsened the situation. Accelerating the shift towards safe and clean water and sanitation for all requires global partnerships, individually tailored solutions, as well as technological innovation and sustainable knowledge transfer.
“Water is our most precious resource and it is up to all of us to preserve this scarce resource for future generations. Effective international cooperation and solidarity-based efforts by all are therefore needed to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda,” emphasises Gunda Röstel, Chair of the Board of German Water Partnership e.V. and Commercial Director of Stadtentwässerung Dresden GmbH. “For 15 years now, German Water Partnership e.V. (GWP) has been promoting the expansion of sustainable and safe water and wastewater management in large parts of the world by closely linking foreign trade promotion and development cooperation,” explains Gunda Röstel.
Partnership networks to meet global challenges
With its more than 300 members, GWP unites Germany’s internationally oriented water sector – from university institutes and numerous small and medium-sized enterprises to globally represented component manufacturers. Together with its members and through the support of various federal ministries, the association successfully implements projects to strengthen a clean and safe water supply worldwide, for example through the Export Initiative Environmental Protection – GreenTech “Made in Germany” of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) or the format of chamber and association partnerships, promoted by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Current GWP projects
- GAPWAS – German Water Partnership
- AGTIWAS – German Water Partnership
- Greendustrial Dialogues – German Water Partnership
- Industriewasserkompendium – German Water Partnership
- BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues – German Water Partnership
Further information
About World Water Day
World Water Day has been held annually on 22 March since 1993. Against the backdrop of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its water-related goals, in particular Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, the day of action aims to raise awareness among the general public about the global targets and their local relevance, as well as the challenges of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.[2]
About German Water Partnership e.V.
German Water Partnership and its over 300 members have been working since 2008 to solve water and wastewater management challenges worldwide. International partnerships play a special role in this. Through close exchange and knowledge transfer on sustainable technologies, GWP thus contributes holistically to the improvement of water supply and wastewater disposal worldwide.
Contact
Rebekka Neef
German Water Partnership e.V.
Reinhardtstraße 32
D-10117 Berlin
neef[at]germanwaterpartnership.de
+49 30 300199-1227
www.germanwaterpartnership.de\en
[1] Vgl.: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, SDG 6: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-6, abgerufen am 20.03.2023.
[2] Vgl.: Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz, Weltwassertag 2023: https://www.bmuv.de/themen/wasser-ressourcen-abfall/binnengewaesser/gewaesserschutzpolitik/international/weltwassertag-am-22-maerz-2022, abgerufen am 20.03.2023.