For more than 20 years, GWPEA has promoted Integrated Water Resources Management as a viable, inclusive, and effective response to water insecurity and climate change.
GWPEA’s legitimacy is grounded in its ability to convene diverse actors, mobilise stakeholders, and facilitate informed dialogue at all levels. Its horizontal integration (across sectors and stakeholder groups) and vertical integration (from local to regional levels) provide a unique platform for participation by public institutions, the private sector, and civil society organisations.
This legitimacy enables GWPEA to:
- Facilitate policy dialogues that highlight critical water management issues that are often overlooked, thereby catalysing collective action;
- Organise and mobilise partners to ensure their perspectives inform water development and management decisions, strengthening bottom-up participation and empowerment.
- Inform, train, and sensitise stakeholders and water users on IWRM policies and programmes, supporting top-down dissemination of knowledge and good practice.
GWPEA actively engages water professionals, particularly government officials and young water professionals, to strengthen their understanding and application of IWRM as a tool for addressing water scarcity, climate variability, and drought-related challenges.
In addition, GWPEA has trained and engaged media practitioners across the region, equipping them with IWRM knowledge and encouraging informed reporting on water security and climate resilience. This has significantly increased both the quality and quantity of media coverage on these issues.
GWPEA has also facilitated national consultations on Water, Food Security, and Nutrition in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda. These consultations brought together representatives from key ministries, academia, UN agencies, and NGOs to assess the relevance of the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) recommendations within national contexts and to inform strategies for achieving water and food security priorities.