Aerial photographs of places like Egypt show a bright green band wending its way through the barren desert – the green banks of the Nile bright with life. At the same time, and as the World Economic Forum is consistently acknowledging, water is in crisis.

Water is an immense topic. From water access, water sanitation and hygiene to water scarcity. There is much to learn, to share and to understand, and even more to do if we are to protect and preserve our world’s water supplies for the future.

This report explores the lessons and learnings from climate change that we can extract and apply to water – as much what we should avoid, as what should apply.

Many of the solutions required to address the water crisis are already in operation in particular regions and through specific organisation platforms. What is required however, is rapid scaling of these existing solutions accelerated through collaboration.

This report draws out some of the examples of the existing strengths within the water sector, and reflects on learnings we can take from the pitfalls within it. All of this is done within the context of the lessons we can take from within the climate space, which can be applied to accelerating action towards water’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This report was produced by the Pollination Group, with key authors being Martijn Wilder AM, Mina Guli, Olivia Kelly, Richard Saines and Marisa Martin. Thanks also goes to Debra Jason for design. Additional contributions were provided by Holly Buschman, Howard Bamsey, Dr Emma Carmody, Peter Gleick, Gemma James, Erika Korosi, Stuart Orr, Colin Strong and Jed Youngs.

This report is targeted to those who are working in the water space as well as investors and corporates who have a critical role to play in ensuring a secure water future. We are grateful for the funding provided by the BHP Group to assist in conceiving and contributing to this report and in doing so to encourage new thinking for global water stewardship.

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