Outlook on GEF6 – Proposed International Waters Strategy

Astrid HillersGEF International Waters Focal Area

IWC 7 Barbados

International Waters Focal Area

Goal: to promote collective management for transboundary water systems and foster policy, legal, and institutional reforms and investments towards sustainable use and maintenance of ecosystem services.

Focus: joint management of shared water systems to balance competing uses and enabling sharing of benefits from their utilization.

Key approaches/tools are still valid…

Delivering GEF International Waters Global Environment Benefits

Foundational Capacity Building/Enabling

environments, Basic Policy and cooperation framework

Strengthening policy and legal and institutional frameworks

Full-scale SAP Implementation

TDA

SAP

Transformational

Change

GEF IW investments through series of interventions

• Water is key to development – balance water needs across sectors and borders continues to be key.

• Cooperation across borders takes time – GEF 6 remains to aim at supporting series of interventions

• Climate change - no longer is the past a predictor for the future; to be addressed in ALL new TDA/SAPs – update early ones

• Cooperation needs investments & investments need cooperation – GEF 6 foundational activities will continue to build in tangible demonstrations

What have we learned & influence onGEF-6 IW Strategy approaches (1)

• Bridge science-policy gap – scientists and technicians need to produce information in a form accessible & relevant to decision makers– From perceptions to facts – game changer– Advance economic evaluation – implications of development

decisions• Food demand likely increase groundwater use - Advancing

conjunctive management in tb basins/basin organisations & on national level and strengthening groundwater governance

• OUT OF THE WATER BOX - Supporting green growth/green economy through delivery on Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystem Nexus

GEF-6 IW Strategy approaches (2)

• Melting High Altitude Glaciers - special challenge & attention –over 1 billion people dependent on water resources of Himalayas alone

• Ocean Health – address key threats to oceans ecosystem health in an integrated way. Address multiple stresses on their shared LMEs and coasts through three interlinked programs:

1. Reduce Ocean Hypoxia2. Prevent Loss and Degradation of Coastal Habitats 3. Foster Sustainable Fisheries

GEF-6 IW Strategy approaches (3)

• Knowledge Management and Learning – build into all interventions. IW Learn has been an essential mechanism through GEF life & will expand into a wider partnership.

• Targeted Research – staying ahead of curve• Results – clearer indicators to allow demonstrating impacts• Gender – more explicit attention & tracking access of gender

differentiated indicators

GEF-6 IW Strategy approaches (3)

Proposed GEF-6 IW Strategy

Objective 1: Catalyze Sustainable Management of

Transboundary Waters

Objective 2: Balance Competing Water-uses in the

Management of Transboundary Surface and

Groundwater

Objective 3: Rebuild Marine Fisheries, Restore and Protect Coastal Habitats, and Reduce Pollution of Coasts and LMEs

1.1 Foster Cooperation for Sustainable use of Trans- boundary Water Systems & Economic Growth

1.2 Increase Resilience & Flow of Ecosystems Services in Context of Melting High Altitude Glaciers

2.1 Advance Conjunctive Management of Surface & Groundwater systems

2.2 Water/Food/Energy/Ecosystem Security Nexus

3.1 Reduce Ocean Hypoxia

3.2 Prevent the Loss and Degradation of Coastal Habitat

3.3 Foster Sustainable Fisheries

Goal: To promote collective management of transboundary water systems and implementation of the full range of policy, legal and institutional reforms and

investments contributing to sustainable use and maintenance of ecosystem services

+ Proposed Signature Program: Rebuilding Global Fisheries

Thank You!