Water Resilience for Economic Resilience - WR4ER

Resilient Economies Amid a Shifting Climate

The Water Resilience for Economic Resilience (WR4ER) initiative works to inform the principles, theories, tools, and practices for ensuring that financial and economic institutions can manage and invest in building resilient economies that will endure and thrive amid a shifting climate.

WR4ER efforts are dedicated to defining the practice of water resilience for economic planning, evaluation, and management by aligning our existing activities and messages and developing new, common tools and approaches to enable water-centric economic resilience principles.

WR4ER Flagship Report

Managing Water for Economic Resilience: De-Risking Is Not Enough is a critical analysis of how to correct deep contradictions in how we manage our economies and financial systems for resilience even as we face increasing uncertainty. The report has been developed with a broad array of economists and climate specialists, with a short section on specific policy and procedural recommendations as well as a dozen cases studies led by topical experts.

Background

Water resources have been central to modern economies, linking sectors that range from health, energy, agriculture, cities, and manufacturing. Water is also central to the natural capital of countries, acting as a bridge between human and natural systems. However, the IPCC’s 2022 report from Working Group 2 makes clear that climate change is already and will continue to be having important impacts on the quantity and quality of water resources, including increasing temperatures and extreme events such as more intense droughts and devastating floods, and that these impacts present significant challenges to predict with confidence. As a result, how we manage the water within and between sectors and between human and natural systems represents profound challenges to how we manage national economies and guide them towards wealth, progressive economic development, and prosperity in a time of ongoing, committed change.

In the words of the IPCC, water-based adaptation and resilience to climate change are essential to maintain and improve the social and economic welfare and opportunities of cities, rural areas, countries and regions.

Activities

The WR4ER initiative encompasses a range of activities. Engagement covers the following areas:

  • Improving knowledge for better understanding the importance of water resilience for economic resilience

  • Reaching out to economic actors and decision makers to better understand the way water related risks are considered in their decision making and the tools they use

  • Reviewing existing methods and tools of analysis that can help in making the economic case for water resilience and identify what needs to be developed

  • Mapping out, sharing, and keeping track of the initiatives, partners, and projects of signatories who may support and collaborate in this initiative

  • Developing guidance and reports, as appropriate.

  • Promoting change in the way economic decision makers take into consideration the water risks and the need to promote water resilience.

Webinar Series - Unlocking Economic Resilience: Mobilizing Water & Climate for Thriving Economies

WR4ER is hosting a webinar series to examine how resilience, economics, and water resources can lead to more prosperous, equitable climate solutions. Four topical sessions are planned for 2024, beginning in April. Read more about the topics and view previous installments in the Resilient Waters blog here.

Case Studies

How to Get Involved

Individuals and organizations are encouraged to join the collaborative effort. For a specific set of entry points and activities, see our WR4ER Launch Announcement. Opportunities include in-person or virtual meetings to shape messaging and priorities, contributions of case studies and research, and engaging on these topics through social media and other venues. We’ll also circulate a recurring WR4ER newsletter with articles and announcements related to the initiative.

Partners

An initial group of individuals and institutions began conversations on this topic in 2020, representing very diverse backgrounds and sectors. We hope to see the list of partners grow!

Listed alphabetically

  • Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA)

  • Asian Development Bank

  • Deltares

  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany

  • Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Spain

  • Ministry for Infrastructure and Water, The Netherlands

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

  • UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office

  • Wetlands International

  • World Bank Group

Funders

 

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