IWRA is now accepting general applications to join its
Water Security Task Force & Working Groups
IWRA is pleased to announce the general call for IWRA members to join its Water Security Task Force, and one or more of its current Working Groups! The relationship between the Water Security Bureau and its Working Groups is depicted in the below figure.
While applications to join this Task Force will remain open for all IWRA members, we ask all interested members to contact the Water Security Bureau before 22nd February 2021. This will ensure that you can be part of the development of the following current three Working Group topics, and the future new proposed working groups directly related to water security:
- The Global Water Security Issues (GWSI)
- Urban Water Security
- Water Security Podcast
The Working Groups will decide the outputs of their joint work, including policy briefs, policy dialogues, academic papers, podcasts, webinars, workshops, and conference sessions. The work products of each Working Group will also be used as a basis for presentations at IWRA’s World Water Congresses.
The IWRA Water Security Task Force – Bureau
The IWRA Water Security Task Force – Bureau was formed to position IWRA in discussions on water security and inform its debates. The Task Force – Bureau’s role is to identify topics of interest from the IWRA membership at the interface of science and policy, to work in an interdisciplinary way to better understand the issues and develop solutions, as well as offer policy advice at country, regional, and international levels.
The Task Force – Bureau will form Working Groups drawn from its membership to produce specific concept notes, academic research, policy briefs or webinars around various sub-themes of interest.
Call for Working Groups for Action
We are seeking applications from all interested IWRA members to join the Task Force. If you just want to find out more on this important topic, or to join one or more of the Working Groups to help produce specific outputs directly related to water security, then have a look at the details as set out below.
IWRA members are encouraged to get in touch with the Water Security Bureau to let us know your areas of interest, or key messages that IWRA should pursue with regards to water security.
Members will be put in contact with working group leads in order to contribute to the development of activities related to these sub-themes. Depending on members interest, more topics will be introduced in future. For a start, the following Working Groups (WG) have been proposed:
The Global Water Security Issues (GWSI)
The Global Water Security Issues (GWSI) series is an annual publication by i-WSSM UNESCO in collaboration with and coordinated by IWRA. The mission of the Working Group is to provide independent assessments and comments on draft manuscripts to assist IWRA in ensuring the GWSI publication is informative regarding a range of water security issues. The GWSI schedule is intended to commence early in the calendar year with a call for proposals in the first quarter of the year and peer review of manuscripts planned for mid-year. The final product is a GWSI publication that has been vetted by peers with water security expertise.
Urban Water Security
A rapidly urbanising world means existing freshwater sources and water infrastructure projects are not adequate to address the challenges of urban water insecurity. The objective of the Urban Water Security Working Group is to advance knowledge on water security related issues to improve the operational conditions and management of urban water. The Working Group activities seek to facilitate dialogues on strategic goals and questions around sustainable water transitions and achieving urban water security for sustainable development through webinars, workshops, research papers, guidelines, policy briefs and dialogues, among others. The Working Group has developed quarterly milestones for each calendar year with plans to produce one tangible output per year.
Water Security Podcast
Too much, too little, or too polluted – the global water crisis confronts us with a range of challenges compounded by climate change, biodiversity loss, and socio-economic pressures. This Working Group aims to use the medium of podcasting to facilitate a global conversation on water security at the science-policy interface. The podcast series will feature experts who reflect on pathways to water security from a range of perspectives and explore solutions developed in different contexts across the world. Preliminary ideas on topics include:
- Urban water security
- Digital innovation and technology for water security
- Water markets and implications of new future market trading
- Water diplomacy in a water-scarce world
- Water security and ecosystem health
How can you join this Water Security Task Force and its Working Groups?
- Ensure that you have an updated IWRA membership
- Send an email to office@iwra.org with “Water Security Task Force- membership” in the subject line. In the body of the email also state your name, email, location, affiliation, and IWRA membership number (you can find this on your membership profile – but if you cannot find this, we will find it for you)
- Finally, do not forget to tell us what your particular area of interest is related to Water Security, and if you would be interested in joining any of the three current Working Groups.
