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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Water Education and Engagement (WE2): Co-Creating the Future of Water Education and Engagement

Water Education and Engagement (WE2) (
Partnership
)
#SDGAction51493
    Description
    Description

    Water Education and Engagement (WE2)’s envisions a future in which water is integrated into decision-making at all levels for the positive future we want. And, it starts with a knowledge base and value structures. We are working with education partners to achieve this vision and will track the collective progress.

    WE2 is building an alliance-based strategy to accelerate the pace of water education and engagement that leads to clean water for all, a stable climate, healthy people and a vibrant planet. Education and engagement are key to capacity development and decision-making for all ages, genders and sectors. These elements connect the dots to shape a global culture in which people are empowered to take action and create positive change.

    Water education is a critical agent in addressing water and climate related issues. This vital work is needed to address pressing water and climate related issues. Water education increases water literacy that encourages people to evaluate their attitudes and behaviors, helping them make informed decisions at all levels. While building capacity for future and current leaders with innovative education tools, WE2 focuses on systems change across sectors to enhance positive outcomes for people, water and the planet. WE2 is focused on water initiatives that connect with youth, women, educators and decision-makers.

    OUR COMMITMENT: WE2 commits to working with water education and engagement initiatives in four key areas to help track progress and build a knowledge-sharing hub to exchange information. These key areas are:

    1. Classroom-based and action-oriented projects
    2. Youth-driven, change-making campaigns
    3. Intergenerational capacity building programs
    4. Data-driven, citizen science engagement projects

    WHAT WE SUPPORT: Water and climate-related projects globally that include under-represented voices working toward a vibrant, healthy future to:
    *Enable and institutionalize youth movements that create change-making campaigns.
    *Create learning and social experiences across generations that share knowledge and power.
    *Develop classroom experiences that illuminate many fields of study through the lens of climate and water (Health, Data Science/Ethics, Climatology, Behavior Sciences, *Economics, Biology, Social Sciences, Storytelling).
    *Curate specific water-focused course projects that enable cross-disciplinary learning.
    *Create water-focused programs for pre-service educators and professional learning opportunities.
    *Connect water with climate change learning standards for local, state and federal levels.
    *Develop meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that increase water literacy by actively engaging communities in ways that lead to informed action.

    Expected Impact

    The impact will cross all ages, genders, and sectors. With an emphasis on youth and under-represented voices, WE2 goals will help bring women and frontline communities to the decision-making table and bring about necessary change to public and policy levels. The impact will leverage peoples meaningful connections to our water to help conserve and preserve freshwater resources for the future.
    SDG 4–4.5, 4.7
    SDG 5–5.5, 5.6
    SDG 6–6.a, 6.b

    Partners

    Water Corps
    Project WET
    Water Solutionaries
    Zephyr Mangata
    Sustainable Ocean AllianceLiberian Youth Parliament for Water (LRYPW)
    Mazarine
    African Youth for Community Empowerment Uganda (AYCE Uganda)
    Community Water Services of Milwaukee
    Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges
    Women for Water Partnership
    De la Salle University - Desmarinas, Philippines
    Aqueduct Water Systems, Ltd.
    Food Bank of South Jersey
    World Merit South Africa
    BPW Internationale
    Youth and Young Water Professionals Platform (YYPP), Part of Global Water Partnerships-South Asia

    Additional information

    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 5

    Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

    Goal 5

    5.1

    End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

    5.1.1

    Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sex

    5.2

    Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
    5.2.1

    Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age

    5.2.2

    Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence

    5.3

    Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation
    5.3.1

    Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18

    5.3.2

    Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age

    5.4

    Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate

    5.4.1

    Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location

    5.5

    Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

    5.5.1

    Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments

    5.5.2

    Proportion of women in managerial positions

    5.6

    Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences

    5.6.1

    Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care

    5.6.2

    Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education

    5.a

    Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws

    5.a.1

    (a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure

    5.a.2

    Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control

    5.b

    Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
    5.b.1

    Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex

    5.c

    Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels

    5.c.1

    Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment

    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

    Name Description
    WE2 created and ran a series of sessions with global experts on the future of water education and engagement throughout 2022. March 22, 2022 Topic: Climate Change and Water Education May 18, 2022 Topic: Technology, Innovation and Water Education October 1
    WE2 will help track progress via annual surveys and build a knowledge-sharing hub to exchange information. Dates for survey December 2023, December 2024, December 2025
    WE2 will launch and utilize a LinkedIn Group to keep conversations about water education and engagement initiatives relevant and dynamic.
    Staff / Technical expertise
    Coordination of LinkedIn Group and Survey data
    In-kind contribution
    Partners will submit and share water education and engagement initiatives
    No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
    False
    Action Network
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    Timeline
    22 March 2022 (start date)
    31 December 2025 (date of completion)
    Entity
    Water Education and Engagement (WE2)
    SDGs
    4 5 6
    Region
    1. Global
    Other beneficiaries

    Global educators and the youth they teach
    Water sector jobs
    Local communities

    Countries
    Argentina
    Argentina
    Canada
    Canada
    France
    France
    Kenya
    Kenya
    Liberia
    Liberia
    Mexico
    Mexico
    Netherlands
    Netherlands
    Nigeria
    Nigeria
    Philippines
    Philippines
    South Africa
    South Africa
    Switzerland
    Switzerland
    Uganda
    Uganda
    Contact Information

    Ann, Co-Founder