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The document assesses the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar, highlighting the impacts of climate change, deforestation, and mining on water quality, biodiversity, and livelihoods. It details the transition of local communities from river-based to groundwater-based water use and argues for an integrated, bottom-up approach to water governance through the Chindwin River Basin Organization (RBO).

The Strategic Collaborative Fund Phase 2 (SCF2), implemented by SEI Asia and funded by Sida, operated from 2018 to 2023 to advance the 2030 Agenda in Asia. The programme focused on four components: inter-regional cooperation (ASEAN, China, and Europe), regional cooperation in Asia on transboundary issues, learning and capacity development via MOOCs, and programme management. Key achievements include the support of the China-ASEAN Environment Cooperation Forum and the Asia-Europe Environment Forum, the development of courses on human rights and gender equality, and the promotion of inclusive climate finance and nature-based solutions in South and Southeast Asian cities.

The document examines how water risks—driven by population growth, economic expansion, and climate change—contribute to political instability and food insecurity. It identifies three primary pathways to water insecurity: diminished supply or quality, increased demand, and extreme flood events. The text emphasizes that water crises are contributing factors rather than sole causes of conflict, with outcomes heavily dependent on a community's governance capacity and resilience. Proposed mitigation strategies include improving irrigation efficiency, implementing water demand caps, and strengthening governance systems.

The document identifies seven key principles for water adaptation: gender, equity, and social justice; inclusion of Indigenous and local knowledge; participative and bottom-up engagement; access to appropriate technologies; adequate finance; effective water governance; and strong political support. It emphasizes that climate change impacts are primarily experienced through the water cycle, manifesting as more frequent and intense droughts, storms, and flooding, which threaten health, food security, and political stability.

The ACWA Platform is a pan-African coalition led by WRI and various partners to address projected tripling of water demand and extreme climate risks in African cities by 2050. It operates alongside the ACWA Fund, a blended finance instrument providing grants and investments to transform strategic plans into investment-ready projects. The platform focuses on nine strategic priorities, including prioritizing vulnerable communities and leveraging emerging technology, with a goal to increase water resilience in 100 city-regions by 2032.

The ACWA Platform is a pan-African alliance of 24 organizations and cities launched at COP27 to address water resilience in Africa. It aims to provide 29 million people across 100 cities with improved water services and protection from shocks by 2032. The platform offers a four-level engagement model: widening the discourse through community engagement, providing a resilience toolbox of analysis and planning tools, facilitating a community of practice for knowledge transfer, and operating gamechanger labs for place-based ideation and testing.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is implementing a three-year initiative (2022-2024) in the Tana Subbasin of Ethiopia, specifically within the North Mecha, Farta, and Dera woredas of the Amhara Region. The project aims to reduce water stress and increase climate resilience by strengthening data systems, analytical capacities, and cross-sectoral coordination. It employs an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach to balance water demand with available supplies and protect the watersheds that support water provision. The project is structured around four objectives: building capacity for water-and climate-wise decisions, institutionalizing IWRM, implementing watershed restoration in the Koga micro-watershed, and advocating for these solutions nationally and internationally.

Groundwater constitutes nearly all of the world's liquid freshwater and is essential for drinking water, agriculture, and maintaining river flows. In the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basin, groundwater is critically overdrawn and endangered by climate change and population growth, leading to initiatives like WWF-Mexico's nature-based aquifer recharge projects.

The document outlines the AWS International Water Stewardship Standard, a voluntary, six-step framework designed to help businesses move from water risk concern to action. It emphasizes that sustainable water management requires a stakeholder-inclusive process that looks beyond a facility's 'fence line' to the broader catchment. The guide details the four desired outcomes of the standard—good water governance, sustainable water balance, good water quality status, and viable important water-related areas—and provides a step-by-step roadmap from initial commitment to public disclosure and certification.

The report highlights that over one-quarter of global irrigated food production relies on unsustainable groundwater extraction, leading to land subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and ecological damage. It proposes four key strategies for sustainable management: measuring and managing data, setting sustainable extraction limits, enhancing recharge through managed and nature-based solutions, and reducing demand through crop shifting or fallowing. The authors emphasize that strong water governance and local partnerships are essential to implement these technical solutions effectively.

The document details water stress in cities including São Paulo, Mexico City, Karachi, Los Angeles, Nairobi, Brisbane, and Seville, highlighting the roles of poor planning, climate-driven drought, and infrastructure failure. It advocates for a transition to climate-resilient water budgets through demand reduction, diversified water sources, and improved governance to avoid 'Day Zero' scenarios.

WWF South Africa collaborated with government, business, and civil society to improve freshwater quality and quantity through strategic water source area partnerships. Key initiatives included hiring full-time coordinators for the uMhlathuze and uMkhomazi partnerships, implementing real-time monitoring tools, and protecting 43 natural springs in the uMzimvubu Catchment Partnership. These efforts were supported by funding from Mondi, Sappi, Nedbank, and Sanlam.

The document outlines WWF South Africa's strategy to address the historical over-emphasis on surface water by integrating groundwater management into its freshwater initiatives. It assesses current groundwater activities across several Strategic Water Source Areas, identifies gaps in institutional knowledge and governance, and proposes a roadmap for future action. This includes conducting baseline studies, enhancing stakeholder engagement with commercial farmers and corporate partners, and defining WWF's potential roles as a secretariat, implementer, or convener within water partnerships.

The uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership (UWASP) is a multistakeholder platform established following a severe drought in 2016 to address water scarcity and security in the uMhlathuze catchment. The catchment is a high-risk area where water demand is projected to rise, with Richards Bay alone expected to require 20 million m³ per annum by 2025. UWASP's new five-year strategy focuses on five strategic areas: integrated knowledge management, stakeholder mobilisation, capacity building, strengthening water governance, and implementing climate-aware water stewardship projects. Past successes include the development of real-time monitoring tools like FlowTracker, invasive alien plant strategies, and providing Good Agricultural Practices training to over 50 smallholder farmers.

The WWF-Sappi partnership, established in 2021, focuses on strengthening water governance and biodiversity conservation in the Umkhomazi catchment. Key initiatives include the creation of the Umkhomazi Catchment Working Group, the clearing of 188 hectares of invasive alien vegetation to replenish 205.2 megalitres of water, and the implementation of sustainable rangeland management across 2,323 hectares. The project aims to secure 30,000 hectares of key biodiversity land, particularly within the Southern Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area, while providing employment and environmental education to local communities.

WWF South Africa aims to achieve water security by protecting strategic water source areas, which comprise 10% of the land surface but provide 50% of river and dam inflow. The strategy focuses on strengthening water governance, promoting water stewardship, and establishing community-public-private partnerships at the catchment level to address threats from agriculture, forestry, mining, and invasive alien species.

WWF South Africa is mobilising Water Source Partnerships to address a water governance crisis in South Africa. Research indicates that 10% of the country's land provides 50% of its surface water, yet only 16% of strategic water source areas are formally protected. These partnerships aim to coordinate action between government, the private sector, and communities to stop land degradation, enable coordinated governance, and create sustainable economic opportunities in critical catchments.