Outlook on GEF6 – Proposed International Waters Strategy
Astrid HillersGEF International Waters Focal Area
IWC 7 Barbados
International Waters Focal Area
Goal: to promote collective management for transboundary water systems and foster policy, legal, and institutional reforms and investments towards sustainable use and maintenance of ecosystem services.
Focus: joint management of shared water systems to balance competing uses and enabling sharing of benefits from their utilization.
Key approaches/tools are still valid…
Delivering GEF International Waters Global Environment Benefits
Foundational Capacity Building/Enabling
environments, Basic Policy and cooperation framework
Strengthening policy and legal and institutional frameworks
Full-scale SAP Implementation
TDA
SAP
Transformational
Change
GEF IW investments through series of interventions
• Water is key to development – balance water needs across sectors and borders continues to be key.
• Cooperation across borders takes time – GEF 6 remains to aim at supporting series of interventions
• Climate change - no longer is the past a predictor for the future; to be addressed in ALL new TDA/SAPs – update early ones
• Cooperation needs investments & investments need cooperation – GEF 6 foundational activities will continue to build in tangible demonstrations
What have we learned & influence onGEF-6 IW Strategy approaches (1)
• Bridge science-policy gap – scientists and technicians need to produce information in a form accessible & relevant to decision makers– From perceptions to facts – game changer– Advance economic evaluation – implications of development
decisions• Food demand likely increase groundwater use - Advancing
conjunctive management in tb basins/basin organisations & on national level and strengthening groundwater governance
• OUT OF THE WATER BOX - Supporting green growth/green economy through delivery on Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystem Nexus
GEF-6 IW Strategy approaches (2)
• Melting High Altitude Glaciers - special challenge & attention –over 1 billion people dependent on water resources of Himalayas alone
• Ocean Health – address key threats to oceans ecosystem health in an integrated way. Address multiple stresses on their shared LMEs and coasts through three interlinked programs:
1. Reduce Ocean Hypoxia2. Prevent Loss and Degradation of Coastal Habitats 3. Foster Sustainable Fisheries
GEF-6 IW Strategy approaches (3)
• Knowledge Management and Learning – build into all interventions. IW Learn has been an essential mechanism through GEF life & will expand into a wider partnership.
• Targeted Research – staying ahead of curve• Results – clearer indicators to allow demonstrating impacts• Gender – more explicit attention & tracking access of gender
differentiated indicators
GEF-6 IW Strategy approaches (3)
Proposed GEF-6 IW Strategy
Objective 1: Catalyze Sustainable Management of
Transboundary Waters
Objective 2: Balance Competing Water-uses in the
Management of Transboundary Surface and
Groundwater
Objective 3: Rebuild Marine Fisheries, Restore and Protect Coastal Habitats, and Reduce Pollution of Coasts and LMEs
1.1 Foster Cooperation for Sustainable use of Trans- boundary Water Systems & Economic Growth
1.2 Increase Resilience & Flow of Ecosystems Services in Context of Melting High Altitude Glaciers
2.1 Advance Conjunctive Management of Surface & Groundwater systems
2.2 Water/Food/Energy/Ecosystem Security Nexus
3.1 Reduce Ocean Hypoxia
3.2 Prevent the Loss and Degradation of Coastal Habitat
3.3 Foster Sustainable Fisheries
Goal: To promote collective management of transboundary water systems and implementation of the full range of policy, legal and institutional reforms and
investments contributing to sustainable use and maintenance of ecosystem services
+ Proposed Signature Program: Rebuilding Global Fisheries
Thank You!