
The Netherlands accelerates global progress through water knowledge and capacity development
Nineteen months after the Water Action Agenda (WAA) launch at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York, the Netherlands remains an indispensable player in advancing global water solutions. Over a hundred commitments on the WAA platform involve Dutch stakeholders which represent a wide array of sectors—from governmental bodies to NGOs, knowledge institutes, and private enterprises.
Dutch expertise enhances several WAA commitments aimed at strengthening global water management through capacity development and knowledge sharing in various areas, including water education, data access, and gender inclusivity in the water sector. Here are four commitments that are already yielding positive results.


Strengthen regional training centres and their networks
The Global Water Education Network (GWEN) is a key collaborative initiative focused on capacity expansion and exchange of water management knowledge. It aims to provide necessary education and services for the water sector, especially in low and middle-income countries. Aligned with the UN-Water SDG 6 Capacity Development Initiative, GWEN serves as a global coordination mechanism, engaging diverse partners in the development and delivery of water education programmes.
Since its launch at the Stockholm World Water Week 2023, GWEN has established a governance structure and developed a transformative model to enhance access to water knowledge. Its primary focus lies on capacity development through capacity building programmes, co-curated educational products, and a centralised knowledge brokering platform. These efforts support national governments and pivotal water organisations by identifying and addressing capacity gaps.
GWEN’s founding partners are UNESCO and the Global Education Alliance of IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Stockholm International Water Institute and Cap-Net UNDP. Dutch water expertise is shared through IHE Delft, which collaborates with partners to address water and sanitation challenges through education, research and capacity development, and promote knowledge sharing across regions.
Gaetano Casale, IHE Delft GWEN’s coordinator, reflects on the recent activities with regards to the commitment: “We are happy to have received enthusiastic response from prospective partners and donors who have provided inputs on how GWEN could support their agendas, and have prepared an implementation plan that will include quick wins for all interested and financially contributing parties.”


Improving data quality for the efficiency of water sector stakeholders
Akvo, a leader in data management, is applying its expertise to enhance decision-making in the water sector to ensure that water sector stakeholders —ranging from local governments to NGOs— have access to reliable, timely data for effective water resource allocation, climate resilience, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.
In collaboration with UNICEF, Akvo has developed a blueprint to build WASH data capacities at the national level and has its release set in the coming months. This blueprint has received endorsements from multiple countries and funding partners, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank. These organisations are now committed to supporting partner countries in advancing their WASH data systems, paving the way for highly coordinated data collection and analysis – critical for informed water management.
Emeline Béréziat, the Water lead at Akvo, elaborates on the commitment’s developments: “In 2024, Akvo made some progress in its WAA commitment through its involvement in a USAID-funded programme on Water Security Sanitation and Hygiene Data and Analytics. This programme supports USAID in developing decision support tools and monitoring for its global WASH portfolio. With this initiative, running until 2027, Akvo will engage in WASH data sharing and analytics across 22 countries, accelerating our Water Action Commitment in more countries than initially planned.”
Looking ahead, Akvo aims to expand partnerships to support WASH ministries and other stakeholders in building digital capacity. The goal is to establish a holistic data ecosystem that treats data as a common good, which in turn will foster collaboration and accountability across the water sector.


Producing and disseminating open global groundwater datasets
The International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), established in the Netherlands, leads a commitment to address the critical need for transparent and accessible groundwater data. This data is essential for informed decision-making and effective water management.
To implement this commitment, IGRAC has expanded the Global Groundwater Monitoring Network by adding new groundwater level data from six countries and updating data from existing ones. Additionally, IGRAC has started updating the global transboundary aquifer map, a key tool for understanding shared water resources and promoting cooperation between nations.
To summarise the impact of these efforts, Elisabeth Lictevout, the Director of IGRAC, states: "We are investing time to engage with countries, and we see a growing interest to share groundwater data. This is very promising. And, of course, this is not just about data sharing but also about supporting them to analyse the data and report on the status of the groundwater resources. This is a win-win initiative."
Looking ahead, IGRAC will focus on further enriching these datasets and increasing data accessibility through its Global Groundwater Information System. By continuing to compile and disseminate reliable groundwater data, IGRAC aims to support global assessments, aid in SDG reporting, and enhance climate adaptation efforts worldwide.


Enabling women as actors in the water domain
The Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) is leading a commitment to integrate women into water governance through advocacy, education, and resource allocation. This initiative promotes gender-sensitive budgeting, vocational training for women in water-related fields, and aims to enhance access to critical resources such as financing and land rights.
To uphold their commitment, WfWP hosted the 'Water Action Plans For and By Women' symposium in collaboration with the Dutch Women’s Council and the Netherlands Association for the United Nations, with support from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. During the event, attendees discussed existing and potential commitments from Dutch women’s organisations, emphasising the need for continuous action on water quality, pollution prevention, and resilience against floods and droughts.
Throughout 2024, WfWP has worked on developing additional training resources to enhance the commitment, and has continued fundraising efforts to further strengthen women’s roles in water governance worldwide.
Inspiring Water Action Worldwide
The Netherlands remains dedicated to fostering international collaboration in water management, promoting knowledge sharing, and strengthening global capacities to address water challenges. Through initiatives like the ones highlighted above, Dutch organisations are inspiring action and working across sectors to advance global water solutions.