Water and Nature

a collection of photos of freshwater, including aerial view of a river, a man standing on a small boat, a marsh, and a young girl collecting water

The Water and Nature Declaration

No water security without ecological security
No ecological security without water security

A virtuous cycle exists between the integrity of our shared water resources and the health of the planet’s natural systems. Public policies dedicated to improving water security and those focused on ecological security, therefore, must be better coordinated and more thoughtfully integrated by all vested parties.

The Water and Nature Declaration is an initiative of the World Water Council that aims to strengthen the links between water practitioners and the nature community and foster a new level of collaboration.

Only by breaking down barriers and working together can we deliver water security and ecological security for all. Please join us.

View the Declaration in English | French

Sign the Declaration to show your support >

The Declaration

No water security without ecological security
No ecological security without water security

On the initiative of the World Water Council and its partners, the signatories of this declaration

Considering

The strong interlinkages between water resources and natural systems,
The role of ecosystems in maintaining biodiversity richness, cultural significance, water provisioning and regulating services, therefore sustaining the universal right for water, including for the most vulnerable populations,
The need, once again demonstrated by the COVID-19 crisis, for enhanced resilience all over the world, taking into account the complex nature of ecosystems and their sensitivity to climate change, unrestrained human activities impacts, and disasters,
The international agenda related to biodiversity, climate change, development, disaster resilience, and water,
The particular responsibility that should be the one of the water sector at the core of sustainable development, and in setting up of virtuous circles between public policies dedicated to water security and ecological security,

Commit To

Further promote a better articulation between the management of water for human needs and water for nature,
Support a better integration of ecosystems in the water sector activities, including climate change adaptation strategies, water resources protection and provision, basin level approaches, disaster risk reduction, equitable economic development and livelihoods, with the aim of long-term resilience for rural and urban communities, and food production,
Promote more integrated public policies connecting water management, biodiversity preservation, social equity, disaster resilience, and sustainable economic development, and foster in parallel the implementation of relevant environmental, social and governance principles by companies,
Promote the implementation of NbS as actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems in ways that address societal challenges effectively & adaptively, to provide both human well-being and biodiversity benefits at basin, community, subnational and national levels, clarify and promote their business case, and strengthen the cost effectiveness assessment and financial and governance mechanisms dedicated to their implementation,
Increase the production and sharing of knowledge and coherent monitoring systems for water resources and biodiversity preservation,
Raise awareness among the public at large, and involve water and environmental managers/planners, users and communities in integrated resources management strategies,
Mobilize through the world their partners, especially water practitioners and biodiversity managers, to adopt, promote and implement the declaration.