IAS Participates in Panel on Just Water Partnerships at World Water Week

At World Water Week, one of the world’s leading events on water, IAS presented an assessment of the Brazilian context for the Just Water Partnerships project. World Water WeekThe annual conference, held in Stockholm, Sweden, brings together experts and representatives from government, the private sector, and civil society organizations from around the world.

As part of the opening day program on August 23, the session entitled “Just Water Partnerships: Aligning Finance and Advancing Equity,” was coordinated by WaterAid, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the governments of Ghana and Brazil (through the Ministry of Cities).

Paula Pollini, IAS Coordinator for Engagement and Advocacy, presented a key assessment with findings such as the need for effective national coordination to align different water uses, the fact that historically excluded territories and populations remain beyond the reach of universal access, and the fact that resources are still not being directed as a priority to territories with the greatest deficits and lowest institutional capacity.

The assessment was developed based on a document review, the collection of official data, and interviews with key stakeholders from the water resources, basic sanitation, and climate change sectors. These stakeholders included representatives from the federal government, subnational governments, municipal associations, the private sector, civil society, and academia. 

What Are JWPs (Just Water Partnerships)?

As Just Water Partnerships are platforms proposed by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water that aim to place social equity at the heart of water investment decisions. These multisectoral initiatives bring together governments, development finance institutions, financial institutions, the private sector, academia, philanthropic organizations, and civil society.   

The partnerships are based on the recognition of water as a common good and the human right to water and sanitation. They seek to accelerate solutions that integrate water resources management, sanitation, development, and climate adaptation. 

JWPs are characterized by their explicit incorporation of guiding principles that cover both processes and outcomes. These principles promote accountable, transparent, and participatory governance; equitable and climate-resilient service delivery; and political commitment to addressing structural inequalities and protecting the rights and needs of vulnerable groups.

The principles of the Just Water Partnerships were officially launched at COP30 in Belém in 2025 with support from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, Ghana’s Ministry of Climate Change and Sustainability, Brazil’s Ministry of Cities, the OECD, Instituto Clima e Sociedade, the Development Bank of Brazil, and CliMates Madagascar.

What Happens at World Water Week

Organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), World Water Week 2026 takes place from August 23 to 27 under the theme “Water for People and Progress.”

The conference program will focus on water security and the safe management of drinking water and sanitation as foundations for human development, health, and resilience, with special attention to communities facing persistent inequalities. In line with World Water Day 2026 and the United Nations World Water Development Report, the conference will center on the intersection of water and gender.

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