Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Australian Water Partnership (AWP) is a new, innovative and strategic approach to dealing with water scarcity in the Indo-Pacific region—where population growth, food demand, industrialisation, urbanisation and climate change have significantly affected water scarcity and quality in recent years.
Peter Varghese AO, DFAT Secretary, will officially launch the AWP during the opening plenary session at the International Riversymposium in September.
The AWP offers a unique opportunity to bring together the Australian development and water sectors under a long-term strategic engagement framework. By sharing its experiences from three decades of water reform, and from learning to manage water as a scarce economic good, Australia can help international partners to:
- develop a better understanding of their sustainable water resource base
- implement robust basin-scale planning
- enact governance reforms supported by innovative policy and legal frameworks
- strengthen institutions and build professional capability
- develop water sensitive cities
- improve water quality and ecological health, and
- manage demand and improve water use efficiency.
A dedicated special session on the AWP will be held during the Riversymposium on the afternoon of Monday 21 September, featuring presentations on key issues in the Indo-Pacific, regional views on the demand for Australian knowledge and partnerships, and the AWP’s strategic focus and practice. Audience members will then be invited to participate in a question and answer session.
