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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Valuing Water Initiative Pitch-a-thon

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    Description
    Description
    On 13 October 2020, the NL IHP-HWRP Committee hosted its virtual Valuing Water Initiative Pitch-a-thon. In preparation for World Water Day 2021 which is on the theme of Valuing Water, this event empowered young voices to innovate and implement their own ideas. During the Pitch-a-thon, four teams of young professionals living in the Netherlands pitched their 10-minute project ideas to an interdisciplinary panel of judges and competed for the chance to win 5,000 EUR to implement their project. The Pitch-a-thon began in July 2020 with an open call for video submissions. Young people in groups of maximum five, were invited to digitally submit their project pitches via three-minute videos. These digital video submissions were reviewed by the organizing committee and narrowed down to the best four project pitches. These four finalist teams were instructed to continue developing and finalizing their project pitches for assessment by a panel of experts. The four competing teams were the following: The Wat(er) I Can Do team proposed to bring systemic change in the way water is valued. They believe that the best action is well-informed actions at all scales, and that everyone equally is not just able and responsible, but also valuable in this effort. This team will create a dedicated online platform, which aims to make the VWI actionable and personal by: (1) bringing it to the most basic level of decision-makers in society–to individuals and households, and (2) translating available but mostly specialized or sector-focused resources into simplified information, and doable individual/household solutions. The United Wavemakers Team will empower young people through the creation of an international e-learning academy. The team intends to create an International Wavemaker Academy that will empower students, athletes and young professionals worldwide with a #TalentforWater. Young people enrolled in this Academy will follow five training videos to learn about the multiple functions and values of water and thereby become ambassadors for their local water sectors. As ambassadors, these young leaders will be able to give guest lectures and readings in their own local communities. The Documentary Team will create a short documentary intended for all audiences but mainly focused on the younger ones, this team hopes to showcase the beauty of water systems and make knowledge on their importance more accessible. By combining scientific expertise and storytelling, this documentary will help raise water awareness and inspire the future leaders of tomorrow. The Waterpoort Team advocate for the inclusion of young voices in water lobbying. The team believes that values of water are not brought forth by policy argumentation, but by lobbying. However, because lobbying is seen as an activity mainly done by professionals and lobbyists, it limits the space for young people to partake in it. The Waterpoort team intends to change this by creating a podcast where different players (ministers, activists or trainees) of the lobby process can partake and share their knowledge. Through this knowledge transfer, young people as well can join the lobbying process and act on their values.
    Expected Impact

    To give a little background into what exactly these teams were pitching, it is important go back to why the Valuing Water Initiative was first created and what it represents. In April 2016, the United Nations and the World Bank together convened a High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) to ensure a comprehensive, inclusive and collaborative way to managing water resources and improving water and sanitation services for all. As one of the co-founders of the HLPW, the Netherlands became an active contributor to the HLPW, including by taking a leading role in establishing the Valuing Water Initiative (VWI) during the World Economic Forum of January 2019. The VWI helped to demonstrate the practical application of the five HLPW principles: (1) recognize water’s multiple values; (2) build trust; (3) protect the sources; (4) educate to empower; (5) invest and innovate. Based on a coalition of governments, businesses, investors and NGOs, the VWI attempts to translate these principles into worldwide practices. By bringing together global experiences and leadership of private and global stakeholders, the VWI contributes to changing the way the world values its water. In 2021, the World Water Day will be around the theme of Valuing Water. It is therefore important that in preparation for this day, more attention and support be given to realizing the VWI and its five principles. During the Stockholm World Water Week in 2019, it was recognized that in order to effectively carry forth the VWI, it is critical to identify champions of change that will stand up in policy, communities, corporations and youth movements. It is also critical that the implementation of the Valuing Water Principles move beyond just the water sector and connect through interdisciplinary synergies. As critical advocates for change in their communities, young people are important champions of the VWI. Young leaders can help translate and tailor the HLPW principles to fit their local contexts. It is for this reason, that the Netherlands National IHP-HWRP Committee invited young people living in the Netherlands between the ages of 18-35 years old to pitch their project ideas and win the chance to receive a 5,000 EUR award to make a difference. The project pitches incorporated the HLPW principles and contributed to the promotion of education and public awareness on the value of water and the role it plays across sectors of society. The winning team of the Pitch-a-thon, the International Wavemakers Academy, will continue to make a difference by empowering new water ambassadors worldwide, and thereby create new new waves of valuing water. Ensuring a sustainable future starts by inspiring the next generation of water leaders. Through its worldwide training, this Academy will ensure that ‘Tiny drops of action create a wave of impact’.

    Partners
    NL IHP-HWRP Committee (Partnership), IHE Delft (Academic Institution), NL Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Government), The International Wavemakers Academy (Civil Society Organization)

    Goal 4

    Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

    Goal 4

    4.1

    By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

    4.1.1

    Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex

    4.1.2

    Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)

    4.2

    By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

    4.2.1

    Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex

    4.2.2

    Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex

    4.3

    By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

    4.3.1

    Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex

    4.4

    By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

    4.4.1

    Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill

    4.5

    By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
    4.5.1

    Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated

    4.6

    By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy

    4.6.1

    Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex

    4.7

    By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

    4.7.1

    Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment

    4.a

    Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all

    4.a.1

    Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service

    4.b

    By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries
    4.b.1

    Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study

    4.c

    By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States

    4.c.1

    Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level

    Goal 6

    Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

    Goal 6

    6.1

    By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

    6.1.1

    Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services

    6.2

    By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations

    6.2.1

    Proportion of population using (a) safely managed sanitation services and (b) a hand-washing facility with soap and water

    6.3

    By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally

    6.3.1

    Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated

    6.3.2

    Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality

    6.4

    By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity
    6.4.1

    Change in water-use efficiency over time

    6.4.2

    Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

    6.5

    By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate

    6.5.1

    Degree of integrated water resources management 

    6.5.2

    Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation

    6.6

    By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
    6.6.1

    Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time

    6.a

    By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
    6.a.1

    Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan

    6.b

    Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management

    6.b.1

    Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management

    Goal 17

    Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

    Goal 17

    17.1

    Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection

    17.1.1
    Total government revenue as a proportion of GDP, by source
    17.1.2
    Proportion of domestic budget funded by domestic taxes

    17.2

    Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries

    17.2.1
    Net official development assistance, total and to least developed countries, as a proportion of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee donors’ gross national income (GNI)

    17.3

    Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources

    17.3.1

    Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources 

    17.3.2
    Volume of remittances (in United States dollars) as a proportion of total GDP

    17.4

    Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress

    17.4.1
    Debt service as a proportion of exports of goods and services

    17.5

    Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries

    17.5.1

    Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries

    17.6

    Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism

    17.6.1

     Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed

    17.7

    Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed

    17.7.1

    Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies

    17.8

    Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology

    17.8.1
    Proportion of individuals using the Internet

    17.9

    Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation

    17.9.1

    Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-South, South‑South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing countries

    17.10

    Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda

    17.10.1
    Worldwide weighted tariff-average

    17.11

    Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020

    17.11.1

    Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports

    17.12

    Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access

    17.12.1

    Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States

    17.13

    Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence

    17.13.1
    Macroeconomic Dashboard

    17.14

    Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development

    17.14.1
    Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development

    17.15

    Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development 

    17.15.1
    Extent of use of country-owned results frameworks and planning tools by providers of development cooperation

    17.16

    Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries

    17.16.1

    Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

    17.17

    Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships 

    17.17.1

    Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure

    17.18

    By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts

    17.18.1

    Statistical capacity indicators

    17.18.2
    Number of countries that have national statistical legislation that complies with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics
    17.18.3

    Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding

    17.19

    By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

    17.19.1
    Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen statistical capacity in developing countries
    17.19.2

    Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration

    Name Description
    International Wavemakers Academy empower young water ambassadors across the world through their online trainings
    The four valuing water projects are showcased during World Water Day 2021
    Financing (in USD)
    Prize money of Valuing Water Pitch-a-thon (5,000 EUR) was delivered to the International Wavemakers Academy
    In-kind contribution
    The remaining three teams continue to develop their valuing water projects individually
    No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
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    Action Network
    SDG Acceleration Actions
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    Timeline
    13 October 2020 (start date)
    30 June 2021 (date of completion)
    Entity
    NL IHP-HWRP Committee
    SDGs
    Region
    1. Global
    Geographical coverage
    The Netherlands
    Other beneficiaries
    Netherlands (host country)
    Website/More information
    N/A
    Countries
    N/A
    Contact Information

    Emilie Broek, Coordinator of the NL IHP-HWRP Committee