Summer 2015 Update

The U.S. Water Partnership (USWP) continues to grow and mature with a sharpened focus on building a more water secure world. The USWP recently initiated the “American Leadership for a WaterSecure World” Campaign to build support and resources for the USWP mission. This Campaign is led by Dr. Madeleine K. Albright and General Colin Powell with support from a uniquely qualified National Executive Committee. More information on the Campaign’s leadership is available here.

Following a successful three-year incubation, the USWP is filing to be separate 501(c)(3) organization with leadership from a new Board of Directors. Initial Directors include Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, Ms. Monica Ellis and Mr. Tom Harvey.  We encourage partners to  continue to engage with guidance on program priorities and/or operational support through seconded staff, such as the in-kind, detailed staff support provided by World Vision, Millennium Challenge Corporation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Army Reserve and the U.S. State Department. The Board is continuing to consult with Steering Committee members who held their final official meeting on February 27, 2015 and will establish a formal consultative committee during the next six months to ensure ongoing input into USWP content development.  

Membership

The USWP has grown from 28 partners to 107 partners, with the Atlantic Council joining as the 100^th partner at an event on women, youth and water. A complete list of partners is available here. We would like to recognize and welcome the following new partners:

• American Geophysical Union – Thriving Earth Exchange
• American Water Works Association (AWWA)
• Atlantic Council
• Bank of America
• CDM Smith
• Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST)
• Global Water Alliance
• NextWater
• OSIsoft, LLC
• PackH2O
• Re-inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt)
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
• Stanford University’s Water in the West Program

The USWP Secretariat is testing appropriate revenue and non-revenue membership levels to begin implementation in Q1 2016. The multiple levels are flexible to offer partners a comfortable price point to continue participation and ensure that all partners have a vested interest in our ongoing success. This approach will continue our commitment to leveraging USWP your expertise and contributions with resources from a diverse range of partners. The draft membership levels and benefits are available here. Please email feedback or comments on the proposed levels to Chuck Chaitovitz with the USWP Secretariat at Chuck@getf.org. 

Signature Initiatives

Key signature initiatives activities continued in Q1-Q2 2015. A brief update includes:

• Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) – AGWA released four new installments of the #ClimateIsWater series which covered issues such as flooding in Pakistan, insights into coastal communities in Indonesia, and climate change adaptation in Paris. The series is available here. AGWA is interested to engage USWP partners for future episodes of #ClimateIsWater. For more information, please email Dr. John Matthews, Director, AGWA at johoma@alliance4water.org.

• CIRCLES – This five-year pilot project will empower 600 rural farmers in Northern Tanzania by providing them access to center pivot irrigation systems. As a result, the farmers’ crop productivity and income will increase by six to 13 times. The initiative is supported by the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska, Valmont Industries, and World Vision. Project implementation will start in Q4 2015 by providing farmers with a center pivot irrigation system, training, equipment and access to markets. For more information, please email Dr. Carole Abourached, Program Associate, World Vision at cabourached@worldvision.org.

• Great Rivers Partnership – In May 2015, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) sent a delegation to the Fifth World Hydropower Congress in Beijing to share the importance of river conservation to hydropower development and management. At the Congress, TNC released its new white paper, “The Power of Rivers: Finding balance between energy and conservation in hydropower development,”​which addresses the global expansion of hydropower dams and the need to find development scenarios that provide energy, but also work for communities and nature. For more information, please email Jeff Opperman, Lead Scientist, Great Rivers Partnership at jopperman@tnc.org.

• H2infO – Since its launch at Stockholm World Water Week in September 2014, H2infO, provides a single entry point for developing world users to access high-value water information that will help address diverse water challenges. H2infO has grown steadily and more than 4,800 users across almost 150 countries visited the site seeking resources on water issues. Most recently, H2infO was featured at the Seventh World Water Forum in Daegu, South Korea. In the coming year in addition to expanding content through USWP partner support, H2infO plans to add functionality including sub-portals, virtual communities of practice and multi-language capabilities. To contribute or feature sources, please email Victoria Phillips with the USWP Secretariat at Victoria.Phillips@Getf.org.

• R3ADY Asia-Pacific – R3ADY Asia-Pacific was the recipient of the 2015 Pacific Risk Management `Ohana (PRiMO) Partnership Award. This award recognized R3ADY Asia-Pacific’s works in enhancing resilience in Pacific communities. This includes its work focused on building community-based early warning systems in Central Java, Indonesia with its partners, University of Gadjah Mada, the Pacific Disaster Center and the University of Hawaii Social Science Research Institute. For more information, please email Jainey Bavishi, Executive Director, R3ADY Asia-Pacific at jainey@r3ady.org.

• Utility Strengthening – This new signature initiative will build the financial, operational, managerial and governance performance of water and wastewater utilities in developing countries through public-private partnerships, utility twinning arrangements, technical assistance and training. With support from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), CH2M, The Coca-Cola Company, Inter-American Development Bank and the Global Water Operators Partnership Alliance (GWOPA), this initiative is planning workshops in Zambia and Sierra Leone. In addition it is exploring a potential study tour of the Washington, D.C. area for stakeholders from Cape Verde and a twinning between San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and SABESP in Brazil. For more information, please email Stephen Gaull, Senior Operations Advisor, MCC at gaullsb@mcc.gov.