Blog by Eleanor Treadwell
As part of the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021, this podcast is co-convened by the Government of the Netherlands through the Valuing Water Initiative and Future Water Leaders of Amsterdam International Water Web. Listen to the podact below or click here.
This session is the result of collective curiosity; what is the future of water, and how should we value this vital resource? What path will we take to get there and who is going to lead the way? Through an interdisciplinary and futuristic lens, we ask our speakers to reflect on the Valuing Water Principles, to envision the actions we need that will help to realise a more resilient water future. The Principles aim to restructure our valuation of water to ultimately help us make better decisions that impact water. This begins with the need to recognise and embrace water’s multiple values to different groups, followed by the need to reconcile these values and build trust in ways that are equitable, transparent and inclusive.
We draw on the experiences of speakers who bring in depth and diversity of professions, perspectives and geographies. This resulted in an organic dialogue that embodies the meaning of adaptability. Together, we arrived at creative solutions to ensure that all were represented in the discussion. When we were ‘breaking bread’ in the warm up to this discussion, we asked why they wanted to be part of this conversation. The reflections were unanimous- water is life, we cannot NOT talk about the value of water. Therefore we begin this podcast with a shared value, and during the conversation, our speakers take us on a journey that flows through concepts of empathy, leadership, representation, uncertainty and pluralism. This emphasises the position of water as a cross-cutting medium: a system within systems.
We ask you, when you join this session, to take a walk or a window seat, and map out your thoughts on how you #valuewater. Then, please share a photo of your reflections using #valuewater on social media platforms. In this way, together we can develop the narrative of how we #valuewater, throughout the UN Year of Valuing Water to hopefully better inform decisions of the future based on our values.
Eleanor Treadwell
