Our Partners & stakeholders

As the initial three-year phase 2009 – 2012 of the Water Futures Partnership draws to a close, the founding partners are committed to opening up the knowledge, experience and benefits to a wider set of partners. To this end, we have decided to establish a successor body – the Water Futures Initiative (WFI).

As we design the WFI, we would like to invite organisations, which have a keen interest in action to mitigate watershed-level risks, to discuss with us their possible role in the Water Futures Initiative. Partners will be encouraged to help shape its strategy and programme of work. We recognise that new partners will be able to offer innovative ideas, resources and expertise that we can utilise to develop the Initiative further.

Corporate sector: Without stable water resources, ecosystems and infrastructure, irrigating crops, accessing water for manufacturing processes, or ensuring that consumers have sufficient water to use with products becomes a challenge and potential cost. Further, water risks which affect other stakeholders may also have consequences for a company’s operations. Water insecurity presents a shared risk that must be addressed through partnerships with government and civil society. The Water Futures Initiative offers an innovative model that combines global collaboration and tailored local approaches to facilitate collective action to help businesses address some of the long term water risks they face in the communities in which they operate. 

Public sector: Through their value chains, private sector companies are by far the biggest water users in the world. These companies are also often the largest tax payers and employers in a country and are also the engines of economic growth. Motivating and facilitating the private sector to engage in collective action for water security presents an attractive option to leverage resources and capacity, and create powerful advocates of sustainable water management. Water Futures offers a complementary approach, mobilising the private sector to achieve mutual benefits for business and society. 

Civil society: Water Futures provides a model which provides civil society, including non-governmental organisations, an opportunity to join forces with other actors in areas in which the interests of the society and the private sector overlap and bring their unique knowledge and expertise to the table to find sustainable solutions. By working together to develop appropriate projects in specific watersheds, we can contribute to sustainable change and the mutual goals that we develop. Our expectation is that civil society organisations will recognize the value of this collaborative approach. 

If you are interested in finding out more please contact one of the partners.