Water Security Task Force
About the IWRA Water Security Task Force
The IWRA Water Security Task Force was formed to position IWRA in discussions on water security and inform its debates. The Water Security Bureau (WSB) leads the Task Force. The WSB’s role is to govern and lead the IWRA Water Security Task Force, and to identify topics of interest from the IWRA membership at the interface of science and policy, to work in an interdisciplinary way to better understand the issues and develop solutions, as well as to offer policy advice at country, regional, and international levels. The WSB has, therefore, created a number of working groups (WG) that have clear mandates, activities, and deliverables associated with timelines.
The IWRA Water Security Task Force was established to position the International Water Resources Association (IWRA) as a leading platform at the science–policy–finance interface in global water security debates. Starting in 2026, the Task Force enters a renewed strategic phase aimed at scaling its impact, strengthening its relevance to decision-makers, and aligning its work with global governance and financing frameworks. This renewal builds on existing IWRA engagements, including the UN Water Action Agenda (Action #50198), and deepened collaboration with IWRA strategic partners.
Under this renewed mandate (2026–2029), the Task Force advances from facilitating dialogue to delivering applied tools, policy-relevant knowledge, and finance-aligned guidance that support climate-resilient water security at local, national, regional, and global levels. It responds to escalating water risks driven by climate change, rapid urbanization, socio-economic pressures, and evolving governance and financing landscapes.
“Water security is no longer a sectoral concern — it is the strategic backbone of climate stability, economic resilience, and geopolitical security. In this new phase, our Task Force will bridge science, finance, and governance to deliver actionable pathways that move from knowledge to implementation at scale.” — Hassan Aboelnga, Chair, IWRA Water Security Task Force
Water Security Bureau Members
- Hassan Aboelnga – Co-Chair
- Jan Hofman – Co-Chair
- Cecilia Tortajada – Lead, Policy & Governance Interfac
- Raya Stephan – Lead, Global Water Security Series
- Amrisha Pandey – Lead, Global Storytelling & Podcast Series
- Emmanuel M. Akpabio – Lead, Sanitation & Socio-cultural Dimensions
- Chad Staddon – Lead, Household Water Insecurity Experiences
Water Security Working Groups
Global Water Security Issues (GWSI)
To document relevant research on water security issues, the Global Water Security Issues (GWSI) series is an annual publication by i-WSSM UNESCO in collaboration with and coordinated by IWRA. The Working Group therefore provides independent assessments and comments on draft manuscripts to assist IWRA in ensuring the GWSI publication is informative regarding a range of water security issues.Urban Water Security
A rapidly urbanising world means existing freshwater sources and water infrastructure projects need to be adapted to address emerging challenges of urban water insecurity. Through webinars, workshops, research papers, guidelines, policy briefs and dialogues, the Urban Water Security Working Group aims to advance knowledge on water security related issues to improve the operational conditions and management of urban water.Water Security Podcast
Too much, too little, or too polluted – the global water crisis confronts us with a range of challenges compounded by climate change, biodiversity loss, and socio-economic pressures. This Working Group aims to use the medium of podcasting to facilitate a global conversation on water security at the science-policy interface. The podcast series will feature experts who reflect on pathways to water security from a range of perspectives and explore solutions developed in different contexts across the world.
Global Water Security Issues
The mission of the Working Group is to provide independent assessments and comments on draft manuscripts to assist IWRA in ensuring the GWSI publication is informative regarding a range of water security issues. Given the complexity and range of topics on water security, a theme is selected each year to provide a focus for the GWSI Paper Series.
New challenges to water security are emerging since climate change is manifesting through the water cycle, resulting in dramatic changes in precipitation patterns on local to continental scales. There is an urgent need to conduct research on emerging and future global water security issues in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. To document relevant research on water security issues, UNESCO Headquarters and UNESCO i-WSSM (International Centre for Water Security and Sustainable Management) are annually co-publishing the Global Water Security Issues (GWSI) Paper Series. The Global Water Security Issues (GWSI) series is, therefore, an annual publication by i-WSSM UNESCO in collaboration with IWRA.
The Working Group undertakes peer reviews of the draft chapters planned for each annual GWSI publication. The final product is, therefore, a GWSI publication that has been vetted by peers with water security expertise.
The GWSI is scheduled for early in the calendar year with a call for proposals in the first quarter of the year. Peer review of manuscripts from accepted proposals is planned for mid-year. Due to various factors, the schedule may vary from year to year including call for peer reviewers.
Urban Water Security Working Group
The objective of the Urban Water Security Working Group is to research and advance knowledge in issues of water security to water professionals and industry, utilities and young professionals, and community representatives at all levels of government, including national and international agencies, to improve the operational conditions and management of urban water with the goal of providing water security for all.
Devoted to promoting solutions and best practices for the water community, the WG seeks to develop a series of engagements that facilitate dialogues to address the pressing social, economic, and political challenges. We hope to facilitate debates around possible solutions that attend to issues faced by urban communities in diverse economic and political circumstances to have a holistic and sustainable impact.
Activities within the WG seek to facilitate key dialogues on the strategic goals and questions around sustainable water transitions and achieving urban water security for sustainable development. through webinars, workshops, research papers, guidelines, policy briefs and dialogues, among others.
This would be addressed by answering key questions as,
- How are sustainable water systems defined? What are differences across regions and economies? What are the implications for governance, policy, development, and financing?
- To what extent have, urban areas adopted a new paradigm of sustainable transition toward water secure cities and urban water systems incorporated or adopted processes and practices of sustainability?
- How can meaningful change towards sustainable urban water transitions incorporate values of equity and civic participation and what are the implications for urban systems?
This would help in better understanding urban water security (what does it mean, how we can assess urban water security, what are key challenges and opportunities), distil good practices and existing challenges of achieving urban water security, as well as defining the priorities of countries and /regions towards urban water security at different scales.
The WG has developed quarterly milestones for each calendar year with plans to produce one tangible output per year.
Water Security Podcast Working Group
The Water Security Podcast Working Group aims to use podcasting to facilitate a global conversation on water security at the science-policy interface.
The quarterly podcast series features experts who reflect on pathways to water security from a range of perspectives and explore solutions developed in different contexts across the world.
The WG convenes 4-5 times a year to define the scope & format of the podcast pilot and provide inputs on draft outlines/scripts and positioning strategy.
In parallel, the episodes will be developed in separate work streams under the coordination of a content lead. The Working Group aims launch a pilot podcast series comprising 3-4 episodes by the end of 2021. Currently, the Working Group is exploring thematic episodes to focus on the following facets of water security: nature-based solutions for water security; water diplomacy to share transboundary water resources; water pricing and market-based instruments; smart and digitally enabled water management; urban water security.