Water is the most critical resource for life on earth. Local governments making a commitment to sustainable development must aim to ensure that water resources of a sufficient quantity and quality are available to satisfy their citizens’ needs, the local economy and the natural environment.

Promoting sustainable water management and good water governance 

Maintaining the long term balance between natural resources and the well-being of humans is at the core of ICLEI’s goals. To ensure the sustainable use of this available resource, the management of the urban water cycle must respect the long-term needs of all users, including the environment, both within local boundaries and elsewhere in the catchment.

Water resources are not the responsibility of a single actor. ICLEI fosters common platforms of stakeholders for better water management.

Building capacity for ‘Managing Water for the City of the Future’

In partnership with more than 30 internationally-renowned research and other expert organisations, the ICLEI European Secretariat has developed training materials on Integrated Urban Water Management as part of the global project SWITCH – Managing Water for the City of the Future.

The six modules of the SWITCH Training Kit, case studies and a number of other resources are now available on the Training Desk website.

ICLEI invites local governments to send their training requests.

Strengthening the voice of local governments in the global water arena

Working together with the City of Istanbul, the World Water Council and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), ICLEI is a key partner in promoting local water management vis-à-vis national and international organisations.

• Local governments are encouraged to sign up to the Istanbul Water Consensus in order to demonstrate their determination to take a lead in managing water resources at city level sustainably.

Facilitating continental cooperation in water issues

In concert with ICLEI’s worldwide network, the European Secretariat also contributes to building pathways for the exchange of knowledge and experience across continents.

• ACCESSanitation aims at ‘Accelerating City-to-City Exchange on Sustainable Sanitation’ between Asian countries and Africa.

• LoGo Water has resulted in a series of resource materials on Integrated Water Resources Management targeted at local governments in Southern Africa.

More information

Go to our search or contact barbara.anton@iclei.org.