The Masterclass on Catalysing resilience through innovative and bankable urban projects: Exploring the Water as Leverage Approach ran over till midnight! It’s been a pleasure to be a panelist and talk about the challenges we face in the water sector, which are multifaceted and complex. Climate change exacerbates water scarcity, flooding, and water quality issues, while rapid urbanization puts immense pressure on aging water infrastructure. More than business-as-usual approaches are required to address these pressing concerns.
The Water as Leverage (hashtag#WaL) methodology offers a transformative and inclusive approach to developing projects, programs, and initiatives that enhance water security resilience. By breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across sectors, WaL harnesses the power of water as a catalyst for building climate-resilient cities.
Financing is crucial for scaling up WaL initiatives. The approach emphasizes mobilizing catalytic investments that attract larger-scale funding from public and private sources. By demonstrating the economic, social, and environmental benefits of WaL projects, we can unlock the necessary resources to build resilient cities.
WaL approach follows some fundamental principles such as:
1. Integrated and inclusive: Engaging diverse stakeholders and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
2. Design-based: Utilizing design thinking to develop innovative and context-specific solutions.
3. Finance-driven: Aligning financing approaches with ambitious sustainability goals.
4. Transformative: Catalyzing systemic change and building long-term resilience.
5. Impact-oriented: Measuring and demonstrating the positive outcomes of projects.
6. Knowledge-sharing: Disseminating lessons learned and best practices.
7. Capacity-building: Empowering local communities and stakeholders.
8. Partnership-focused: Fostering collaboration among governments, the private sector, and civil society.
Bapon (SHM) Fakhruddin, PhD 