From 24–28 August 2025, Stockholm hosted World Water Week. During this leading annual gathering of the international water community, thousands of experts, policymakers, businesses and civil society came together to exchange knowledge and shape action. Under the theme Water for Climate Action, discussions highlighted water as the foundation of climate resilience. For the Government of the Netherlands, a strategic partner of World Water Week, it was a key moment to share expertise, build partnerships and shape the global agenda.

During this week, the focus was on local and international water and climate management. But before speaking about systems, policies and progress, it’s important to pause and recognise water itself. Not merely as a resource, but as a presence that sustains every being. As Taylor Galvin, member of the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation in Canada, reminded us during the opening of World Water Week 2025: “Science offers us statistics, data and charts, but we must also humble ourselves, carry the rhythms and heart of Mother Earth, and honour the water.”

The Netherlands at World Water Week

World Water Week (WWW) 2025 provided the Netherlands with a key platform to showcase its expertise in water management and security, while strengthening international cooperation. The Dutch delegation contributed through high-level panels, the Water & Business programme and multiple partner sessions.

At the core of this presence were three key themes: the hydrological cycle and global governance, the water–food–energy–biodiversity nexus, and business stewardship. Together, these messages aimed to accelerate progress on the Water Action Agenda launched at the 2023 UN Water Conference, and to prepare for COP30 in 2025 and the UN Water Conference in 2026.

“I am proud to see how the Dutch water sector is contributing to a water-secure world, and to witness how our expertise is valued worldwide,” reflected Dutch Water Envoy Meike van Ginneken. “Sharing this knowhow is part of our soft power in bilateral relations. Equally, by working abroad, Dutch organisations learn, grow and innovate.”

The international water agenda

“Global water governance is not an end in itself, but a means to provide people with clean drinking water, food security and protection against floods,” explained van Ginneken during the High-Level Panel Water’s Pathway in Global Processes, organised by the Netherlands and Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). Throughout the week, participants emphasised that water forms the foundation of our collective future. Not as a separate theme, but as a global common good.

The true strength of the week was rooted in the presence of so many international stakeholders collectively looking ahead. As van Ginneken emphasised: “Now is the time not only to talk about global governance, but to put it into practice by linking knowledge, convening power and concrete action.”

Hydrological cycle

Henk Ovink, former Dutch Water Envoy and founding commissioner of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, highlighted how the hydrological cycle has become disrupted. In several sessions, he and other Dutch speakers stressed that the entire system – blue, white and green water – must be recognised and valued as a global common good.

“More than half of our precipitation comes from plants and trees through transpiration. When you take those away, you take away the very source of rain.” He added: “We have to understand the full picture of the hydrological cycle, or we will never provide solutions that really work.”

Water–biodiversity–food–energy nexus

In a session about the interconnection between water, biodiversity, food and energy, Ovink underlined: “Without a stable water cycle, food security is impossible. Biodiversity loss increases the vulnerability of agriculture and energy supply.”

In order to find holistic solutions, we must integrate water management, land use and ecosystem restoration. The Netherlands contributed by hosting sessions that focused on these approaches. As Liliane Geerling from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency reflected: “This week saw valuable conversations and collaboration between knowledge institutes, landscape architects, NGOs and Indigenous representatives, mainstreaming biodiversity and advancing integrated, landscape-based approaches.”

Yet participants stressed that engaging beyond the water sector is vital in order to drive change across the nexus. “COP30 offers an important opportunity to take this forward.”

Water and business stewardship

“Water stewardship is not just about managing risk. It is about taking responsibility across the value chain,” said Joana Barata Correia of IKEA during the Water & Business programme. Together with other multinationals, she showed how companies are making water use more transparent and setting ambitious targets. Organised by the Dutch government and SIWI, the programme made clear that water has shifted from being an environmental issue to a critical business risk.

For the Netherlands, it was an opportunity to demonstrate how public–private cooperation can drive systems change. Inge de Boer from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs underlined a shared consensus: “Business cases must be broader. Not just financially, but also socially and ecologically. At the same time, investors need predictable frameworks. Without stable policies, sustainable choices are impossible.”

Voices of Indigenous communities

“I may be a student, but I carry knowledge that is thousands of years old. Knowledge that predates science as a discipline itself,” said Taylor Galvin (Brokenhead Ojibway Nation) during the opening session of WWW. Her words captured the urgency of including Indigenous voices. “I don’t want to be here as just a measurable outcome. I’m not a box to check. Our knowledge is what will protect the water, because we’ve been doing it far longer.”

This call echoed in Dutch contributions, with sessions on landscape-based and Nature-based Solutions showing how biocultural values can shape water management. As Geerling reflected: “Indigenous sessions reminded me that water governance is not only about models, infrastructure, or finance. It is also about values, respect, and rights.”

Future perspectives

It is evident that climate and water resilience go hand in hand. “The climate has already changed. Now we need adaptation,” stressed van Ginneken, “And Dutch water expertise can support recovery and climate adaptation”.

Looking ahead to COP30 and the UN Water Conference in 2026, it’s clear that water can no longer be treated as a separate theme. For the Netherlands, this means building cross-sectoral and cross-boundary bridges in diplomacy and policy, scaling up innovative approaches such as Nature-based Solutions, and creating space for more inclusive voices. To repeat van Ginneken’s words: “Let’s not talk about water governance – let’s do it.”

From 2 to 4 July, water professionals from around the world gathered at the Knowledge and Capacity Symposium at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education to address how the water sector can advance knowledge and capacity development to address international water challenges. Over three days, speakers, including Partners for Water representatives, challenged traditional approaches, arguing that real change requires a renewed focus on power distribution, trust and local needs.

Capacity and knowledge development for young people was at the heart of the symposium, as well as a widespread recognition that the next generation of water professionals will play a vital role in shaping a sustainable water future. Yet while members of this new generation are often called on to take responsibility, they are not always equipped with the resources or influence needed to match that responsibility.

Addressing water challenges: the question of empowerment

Several speakers asked whether young professionals are truly being given space to lead within the water sector. For instance, Igbal Ali, a young professional from Sudan and project management assistant at IHE shared how she was invited to take part in high-level talks, but without substantial support:

“I was placed in a high-level setting where social science was dismissed, and everything had to follow an engineering lens. It set me up to step back, not because I lacked motivation, but because I lacked support. It made me ask: are we confusing inclusion with empowerment? When we bring young people into the room, are we giving them a voice, or just a seat?

“Are we confusing inclusion with empowerment?”

Others echoed this concern, noting that empowerment requires more than presence; it needs trust, support and a shift in how decisions are made. Botagoz Sharipova, a PhD candidate at IHE from Kazakhstan, explained: “Many older experts say there is a new generation who will solve tomorrow’s environmental problems. That’s a good thing, and a natural development. However, I’d like to advocate for not only redistributing responsibilities but also resources, powers, and everything else.”

Redefining the ‘new generation’

This raised a deeper question that echoed throughout the symposium: who exactly is this ‘new generation’ that is being called upon to lead change? Dr Hajar Choukrani, researcher at the Institut agronomique et vétérinaire Hassan II in Morocco explained: “The new generation is not about age. You can be young and still maintain hierarchies and inequalities – or be older and actively break them. It’s not about saying a lot or publishing a lot – it’s about daring to challenge dominant narratives.”

Former Dutch Water Envoy Henk Ovink amplified this by arguing that change is not about age but about courage: “True change means challenging the institutions that are still led by people like me: white, male, close to sixty. And that’s hard, because it means giving up power. But change isn’t only about age. It’s about the capacity to face an uncertain future, and to draw hope and courage from partnerships that do the same. Every day, we need to find allies – across generations, across backgrounds – who are willing to question the way things are. Even when it feels vulnerable. Because keeping that courage alive is the only way forward.”

Local expertise and contextual understanding

Throughout the symposium, the conversation moved to local capacity, especially in places where external actors often dominate. Several participants shared frustrations about how local expertise is too often overlooked or undervalued.

Sharipova shared: “I’ve seen many international donors arrive with good intentions, but little understanding of our context in Kazakhstan. They read a report about our problems and assume they know what we need. They bring polished tools and models, and suddenly you start to feel like your own systems aren’t good enough. That’s not real empowerment. It creates dependency, not capacity.”

Partners for Water: learning from long-term challenges

Partners for Water’s programme coordinator, Liliane Geerling, also shed light on a topic that often goes under the radar: the Build-Neglect-Rebuild (BNR) cycle. Through a fishbowl discussion, she highlighted how BNR still receives too little attention within the water sector.

The BNR cycle refers to a recurring issue in infrastructure: systems are built, but without long-term budgets or maintenance plans, they gradually fall into disrepair, only to be rebuilt again. It’s a costly waste of time, money and trust. Partners for Water research shows that breaking this cycle requires structural change in how we plan, fund and manage water projects. We should transition to programmes instead of projects.

“BNR is an important issue, but it hasn’t been talked about much, not even here,” Geerling said. “We need to speak more openly about our failures and mistakes if we want real progress. Young professionals aren’t always connected to these long-term patterns. That’s why intergenerational exchange and sharing our failures is so crucial.”

Four questions for reflection

The message throughout the symposium was consistent: if we want lasting change – whether through youth leadership or local ownership – we need to bring our failures to light, go beyond talk and provide time, funding and space to act.
Rather than an agenda full of action points, the symposium closed with four reflection questions meant to spark a change in direction:

• What characterises the new generation in your efforts?
• How are your capacity efforts challenging power dynamics?
• When do your capacity efforts actually translate into empowerment?
• How can co-creation lead to meaningful, long-term change?

Moving forward

The symposium didn’t offer easy answers, but it did create the space to ask difficult questions, and to have honest conversations about the topics that are often overlooked or uncomfortable. Participants concluded that we should all take these questions forward into our own work and partnerships. The next step is not only to keep the conversation going, but to translate it into action on the ground.

Want to take the next step? Join Partners for Water at Stockholm World Water Week, where we’ll continue exploring BNR challenges and the value of sharing failures in dedicated workshops with water professionals worldwide.

On Monday 7 July, Partners for Water hosted the India Water Platform Meeting in The Hague. The well-attended session brought together professionals from across the Dutch water sector to discuss the latest developments in Dutch-Indian water cooperation and to explore upcoming opportunities for collaboration.

Key highlights

The meeting was opened by H.E. Mrs Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India. She shared valuable insights into the evolving partnership between the Netherlands and India, with a focus on the Strategic Partnership on Water. Two major new initiatives were announced:

• The upcoming launch of the International Centre of Excellence on Water, in collaboration with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD). This initiative will open new doors for Dutch and Indian water organisations alike.
• Dutch involvement in the Coalition for Disaster and Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), including the development of a capacity-building programme on urban water resilience, that will become publicly accessible later this year.

Two ongoing initiatives were also presented, offering practical insights into current bilateral cooperation efforts. Mr. Jasper Leuven of the Dutch engineering consulting firm Haskoning explained about improving flood resilience in the Sundarbans.

Ms. Esmee van de Ridder (RVO – Netherlands Enterprise Agency) and Mr. Hans Gehrels (Deltares) gave a presentation about the Water as Leverage initiative for Resilient Cities in India. And last but not least, Mr. Leon Weisscher explained about Invest International and its work in India.

Upcoming activities

Participants were informed about several opportunities to stay engaged:

• A Dutch sector visit to IFAT India trade fair, taking place in Mumbai from 14–16 October 2025.
  If you are interested to visit IFAT, please contact Ms. Mirjam van Buchem for more information and registration.
• A delegation programme around the opening of the Centre of Excellence on Water, in New Delhi, planned for 17 October 2025 (date to be confirmed), aimed especially at water technology companies.
  Water technology companies can contact Mr. Steven van Rossum directly in order to express an interest and participate in a visit during the planned opening of the Centre of Excellence.

Download the presentations

The presentations shared during the meeting are now available for download:
📥 Download the presentations

Want to stay involved?

Partners for Water regularly organises platform meetings and matchmaking opportunities focused on priority countries and themes. Interested in joining future events or connecting with the India water platform? Visit our events page.

Furthermore, the Delta team in India is working on developing the Centre Of Excellence on Water. More information about this can be obtained from Mr. Sander Carpaij (Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management), Ms. Fernanda van der Velde (RVO – Netherlands Enterprise Agency), and Ms. Nishi Pant (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Partners for Water will share its knowledge and experiences in sustainable water management at the 7th International Symposium on Knowledge and Capacity for the Water Sector, taking place from 2 to 4 July 2025 at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. Our team will contribute to two key sessions, focusing on breaking the build–neglect–repair (BNR) cycle and implementing landscape-based solutions for long-term water security. 

The water sector is undergoing rapid and complex changes, driven by climate change, digitalisation, and socio-political dynamics. Addressing these developments requires interdisciplinary collaboration, innovative thinking, and new skillsets. Strengthening the capacities of current and future professionals is essential in order to ensure sustainable and resilient water systems worldwide.

The symposium explores how such changes influence the way we build and share knowledge, and how knowledge and capacity strengthening efforts can be better aligned with these emerging developments. It brings together an international community of practitioners, researchers and policymakers to foster collaboration and exchange. Core themes include identifying knowledge gaps, analysing capacity development trends, exploring sustainable water solutions, and shaping a forward-looking agenda for the sector.

Partners for Water’s Programme Coordinator, Liliane Geerling, will moderate Session 1, together with Ilyas Masih, Associate Professor of Water Resources Planning at IHE: ‘Assessing and bridging the knowledge and capacity gap’, held on 2 July. In addition to this session, Partners for Water will present two thematic contributions that reflect our integrated approach to sustainable watermanagement, namely a session on breaking the BNR cycle and adopting landscape-based solutions.

Breaking the build-neglect-repair cycle

The persistent BNR cycle affects water security globally. This cycle emerges when water infrastructure such as embankments, drainage canals, sluice gates, or water treatment facilities are developed without sustainable asset management in place. Ensuring long-term operation and maintenance requires not only adequate budgets, but also strong organisational capacity.

Root causes of the BNR cycle include gaps in institutional capacity, lack of clear procedures, insufficient technical expertise, inadequate tools, poor urban planning, and unaligned community behaviour. During this session, we will highlight practical strategies and encourage participants to discuss how to break the cycle effectively.

Landscape-based solutions for water security

Integrating Indigenous and local knowledge into landscape-based conservation strategies offers a powerful opportunity to reshape water governance. This session highlights how Indigenous-led approaches can inform water and land management policies. Traditional knowledge – refined over generations – can be combined with modern practices to develop solutions that are both culturally meaningful and ecologically sound, particularly at river basin scale. Participants of this session will gain insights into aligning landscape-based solutions with long-term water security goals and be encouraged to explore inclusive, place-based governance strategies.

Stockholm World Water Week 2025

These themes also serve as preparation for Partners for Water’s upcoming workshops during Stockholm World Water Week (SWWW), where they will be explored in greater depth with international water professionals.

Symposium details

The 7th International Symposium on Knowledge and Capacity for the Water Sector takes place from 2–4 July 2025 at IHE Delft, in a hybrid format allowing both in-person and online participation. Together with an international community of practitioners, academics and policymakers, we’ll explore how changes in the water sector impact knowledge and capacity strengthening and reconsider capacity strengthening approaches.

On 28 January 2025, water professionals from the Netherlands and Colombia gathered in The Hague for the Colombia Platform Meeting. The event was an opportunity for discussions on strengthening bilateral water cooperation and exploring future possibilities in sustainable water management.

Water Envoy Meike van Ginneken opened the meeting by reflecting on the key takeaways from the COP16 Biodiversity Conference, held in November 2024 in Cali, Colombia. She emphasised the importance of integrating biodiversity into Dutch-Colombian water management practices, highlighting the need for sustainable Nature-based Solutions.

This was followed with an engaging panel discussion featuring industry experts who shared their experiences and insights on managing Colombia’s water sector. Speakers included Jeroen Klooster (Arcadis), Eduardo Marín (Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners), Evelyn Aparicio Medrano, PhD (Future Water) and Betsy Romero (Deltares). They spoke about recent collaborations, lessons learned and emerging opportunities for Dutch expertise in Colombia.

Key insights from the panel discussion:

• Working with the government on policy and planning: Jeroen (Arcadis) stressed the importance of working with governments to establish effective governance structures. He highlighted how essential it is to involve local knowledge in project planning in order to look at water issues from a different perspective.
• Designing inclusive and integral projects: Eduardo (Felixx) focused on the need to reassess the costs of water management consequences and to design projects that align with long-term urban and delta development, with a particular focus on flood prevention.
• Supporting project implementation: Evelyn (Future Water) encouraged the group to cooperate with like-minded people and continue consulting with local stakeholders. She also emphasised that solutions should be based on the actual needs of the community to ensure effectiveness.
• Improving water management for agriculture and biodiversity: Betsy (Deltares) highlighted the importance of engaging local people, understanding their needs and working collaboratively to improve water management practices in agricultural systems that would enhance both biodiversity and water use efficiency.

A longstanding partnership for water security

Colombia is one of the seven delta countries within the Partners for Water programme 2022–2027. Through long-term partnerships, we aim to enhance water security and climate adaptation in Colombia’s delta cities and agricultural regions. Our collaboration with national and local governments, private sector stakeholders, NGOs and knowledge institutions focuses on:

• Implementing master plans: Supporting Colombia’s national government in areas such as coastal erosion, dredging and river transport through case studies and innovative solutions.
• Strengthening the water-biodiversity-food nexus: Facilitating sustainable water use in agriculture, with a focus on palm oil, coffee and banana production in the northern Magdalena region.
• Water as Leverage: Engaging in the Water as Leverage Cartagena Initiative, developing inclusive and innovative climate adaptation projects with Colombian, Dutch and international partners.

The Colombia Platform Meeting was another step towards strengthening Dutch-Colombian cooperation, highlighting opportunities to employ Dutch expertise in sustainable water management.

Are you involved in water projects in Colombia or looking to collaborate? Visit our Deltacountry page to explore partnership opportunities or reach out to Partners for Water’s Project Advisor for Colombia, Robert Proos.

On 16 January, the second matchmaking event took place at the Social Impact Factory in Utrecht. The name of the location is undoubtedly fitting, as the event brought together a diverse and enthusiastic audience of government employees, NGOs, companies, lobbyists, and even a few journalists, all eager to explore how they could support one another and collaborate more effectively to achieve a shared goal: improving water security globally. The main objective of the afternoon was to generate new subsidy applications for innovative water projects under the Partners for Water Subsidy Scheme.

Bram van der Wielen from Partners for Water kicked off the event by providing an overview of the projects currently supported by the organisation. At present, there are 57 projects in 28 countries, most notably in Vietnam, with six specific projects there. Van der Wielen explained that there are both feasibility and pilot projects running. Feasibility projects focus on research and analysis to assess whether an idea is viable, while pilot projects are focused on testing solutions in the field to confirm their practical application before scaling up.

Knowledge transfer and global water challenges

The attendees were then divided into two rounds across five tables, each focused on a specific theme. At Table 4, where Infrastructure and sustainable waterways were discussed, one participant emphasised the importance of avoiding repeated investments in the same infrastructure. This can be achieved by making locations financially, institutionally, and knowledge-wise independent. Throughout the discussions at the various tables, the focus was strongly on knowledge transfer and self-reliance, rather than dependency.

At Table 3, Water-Biodiversity-Food, one participant expressed the ambitious desire to clean “all the water in the Netherlands and beyond,” while another highlighted the urgent need for assistance in Spain, where significant social issues and rising saltwater levels have a large impact. “This is a huge problem in the Mediterranean,” was emphasised during the discussion.

Water availability, climate adaptation, and local solutions

Table 1, which was dedicated to Water Quality and Availability, was particularly crowded during the second round. Everyone took turns introducing themselves, after which Gábor Szántó from Partners for Water asked follow-up questions to explore the potential for collaboration. For example, journalist Vincent Kuypers spoke about the situation in the Nile Delta, where 2 million people have been relocated in the past two years. The local authorities had asked him: “Can you go to Holland and see how we can collaborate?” “Despite my long experience in the field, I have never seen anything like this before,” said Kuypers. The aim was for the people of Egypt —not just the wealthy—to be able to protect themselves and secure their future.

At the Climate Adaptation table, number 2, a participant from Ghana focused on giving ownership to vulnerable groups and emphasised the need to explore which crops and foodstuffs would be most economically viable in the local environment. “Does anyone have a solution for me?” he asked his tablemates directly. Cards, phone numbers, and social media accounts were exchanged in abundance.

Reflections on another dynamic matchmaking event

Given the numerous conversations between different parties in various languages—during which not only a great deal of information was exchanged but also much laughter shared—the event can be considered a success. We hope that many valuable connections were made, leading to fruitful collaborations and exciting projects in the future. We aimed to provide more information on the Partners for Water subsidy scheme, making the application process easier for everyone. Did we succeed? Or do you have any feedback? Please let us know your thoughts by sending us an email: partnersforwater@congresbureau.nl

“The water sector plays a critical role in Indonesia’s well-being and is fundamental for development across multiple dimensions,” stated Royhan Wahab, Minister Counsellor for Economic Cooperation at the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague. Speaking about the longstanding Dutch-Indonesian water cooperation, he outlined key priorities for future collaboration: establishing a national roadmap for sustainable water management; building Indonesia’s giant seawall system; creating Centres of Excellence for Water Management; improving drinking water systems through lake and seawater conversion and strengthening existing partnerships.

The counsellors’ enthusiasm and ambitious words set the tone for the Platform Meeting, which reflected on past achievements and future opportunities and through focussed break-out sessions explored themes such as Nature-based Solutions (NBS), the BlueDeal, Lowland Development and Irrigation and the Welang River Basin Transformation Project.

Deep dive sessions

Nature-based Solutions: Turning theory into practice

“Indonesia has demonstrated a strong commitment to implementing NbS, incorporating them into their national midterm development plan for 2025-2029 and is one of the focuses under for the Dutch-Indonesian water collaboration,” begins Tom Wilms from Witteveen + Bos during his breakout session on NbS implementation guidelines for the Indonesian government. “Despite this enthusiasm and political backing, the Indonesian government faces challenges in practical implementation of NbS.”
To bridge this gap between theory and practice, Dutch and Indonesian experts will support the Indonesian Ministries of National Development Planning (Bappenas) and Public Works (PU) by integrating NbS into two guideline documents: a strategic guideline for flood risk management and a technical guideline for establishing river planning criteria. The support is the result of an ongoing fruitful collaboration between the Asian Development Bank and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and will be provided by experts from Witteveen + Bos, Deltares and Royal Haskoning DHV.

However, translating these guidelines from theory into practice remains a challenge. During the plenary discussion, several key points emerged to support implementation:

• Create synergies with existing local NbS projects to benefit from their experiences and avoid reinventing the wheel.
• Recognise that whilst government guidelines provide the framework, local communities, farmers and the private sector have been implementing NbS for generations.
• This requires rethinking traditional partnership models to better support small-scale, community-driven initiatives alongside larger governmental programmes.
  Invest time in building strong political relationships, as these connections often prove crucial for turning plans into reality.

Welang River Basin Transformation

In East Java, the Welang River serves as a vital water source for local communities. However, urban growth has introduced significant challenges, including flooding, erosion, pollution and water distribution issues. Maarten Onneweer, from AidEnvironment, spoke about the Welang River Basin Transformation Project: an Indonesian-Dutch collaborative project demonstrating how grassroots participation can effectively address these water management challenges. “By uniting local residents, government officials, the private sector and environmental specialists, we have successfully implemented NbS through an integrated, participatory approach,” shared Onneweer. “Now it’s time to scale up to other watersheds in Java. Opportunities for follow-up were discussed with the local authorities, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.”
During the plenary discussion, a common dilemma for scaling up such projects was identified: quantifying the impact of NbS. Whilst these small-scale interventions collectively appear to significantly improve catchment water management, the evidence often remains anecdotal. To justify similar approaches elsewhere, it’s crucial to turn practice into theory and learn from implemented examples, incorporating these lessons into a scaling-up strategy for other watersheds across Indonesia.

Blue Deal Indonesia

The Blue Deal, running from 2018 to 2030, brings together Dutch Water Authorities with local governments around the world in providing 20 million people access to clean, safe water. “Since 2023, the Blue Deal has officially become part of the water cooperation between the Netherlands and Indonesia,” explains Robin Bos from Dutch Water Board Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier. “We currently focus on flood risk, coastal zone and wastewater management in Tangerang, Pekalongan and Semarang, but we’re also open to collaborations in other regions connected to our projects,”

The programme operates across three layers of water governance— knowledge, institutional and relational—whilst providing advice, training and facilitating the implementation of practical solutions. One example is a demonstration project in the Batik industry to address water pollution. “Drawing from past experiences, we observed that local governments often struggle to manage large-scale wastewater treatment facilities,” notes Bos. “In response, we’re initiating a small-scale and low-tech pilot project using NbS to treat Batik industry wastewater.” This initiative complements a recently funded Partners for Water subsidy scheme project, which also tackles water pollution in the Batik industry.

A key factor to their success? Bos emphasizes the importance of working simultaneously at different scales, combining top-down and bottom-up approaches. “Strong relationships with relevant officials and stakeholders are essential. If they don’t know your project, if they don’t know you, it can be very difficult to take steps with the local government.”

Lowland development and irrigation: knowledge exchange

Irrigated lowland areas play a crucial role in Indonesia’s journey towards the national priority of food independence. The Netherlands, with its historical expertise in water management, has been a key partner in this quest. However, valuable knowledge of lowland development resides primarily with experienced older professionals both countries. To prevent this expertise from being lost, it is critical to actively transfer it to the next generation of water managers.

During this breakout session, Sur Suryadi from IHE Delft shared historical initiatives in lowland development, providing insights into the ongoing collaboration in Dadahup, Kalimantan and discussed knowledge exchange strategies. A lively discussion took place among the participants on strategies for effectively transferring essential lowland expertise to future water managers. This topic will be further developed in the coming year with the Ministry of Public Works and local knowledge institutions.

Building relationships for the future

The day’s deep dive into Dutch-Indonesian water collaborations concluded with networking and drinks, underscoring a key insight: sustainable water management is achieved through genuine relationship-building across all levels. Success requires bringing together diverse voices—from local communities to government officials. While this inclusive approach may be more complex, it yields more sustainable and far-reaching results, creating the foundation for lasting impact.

From 21 October to 1 November, representatives from 196 countries gathered in Cali, Colombia for COP16 on Biological Diversity. Together, they discussed progress and the protection of global biodiversity.

The Netherlands made an active contribution with its own pavilion, hosted by Partners for Water, where new insights, lessons and collaborations emerged on biodiversity, water, food, landscape-based approaches and greening finance. Keep reading to discover the key insights from two weeks of dynamic discussions.

Insights from the Netherlands Pavilion at COP16

The Netherlands Pavilion emerged as a dynamic hub where greening finance, the water-biodiversity-food nexus, and landscape-based solutions for bio-cultural diversity seamlessly came together. Throughout the week, engaging discussions and workshops generated fresh insights and fostered valuable collaborations. A significant milestone was reached when the WWF and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, pledging to promote Nature-based Solutions (NBS) across Europe to tackle both climate change and biodiversity loss.

The Netherlands Water Envoy Meike van Ginneken visited the Netherlands Pavilion and highlighted the importance of bridging the gaps between different practitioners in the water, biodiversity and food sectors. A key insight? True capacity building happens when we openly discuss challenges, share practical lessons learned, and collaborate on solutions. When we move beyond presentation mode to problem-solving mode, we create lasting impact. “Landscape binds people, binds knowledge, binds nature.” – the Netherlands Water Envoy Meike van Ginneken

The Netherlands Pavilion welcomed UN Youth Representatives on Biodiversity, who shared their insights on their work at COP. Find out what they have to say in the video below.

COP16’s key insights on biodiversity, water, food and more

Finance and biodiversity
At COP16’s Netherlands Pavilion, the message was clear: If we want to see real change, we need to think beyond traditional funding models. While public funding alone can’t solve biodiversity challenges, blending public and private investments opens new possibilities for nature. For instance, government and philanthropic support can help reduce risks for private investors, though new financial structures are still evolving. “Public funding alone is insufficient to tackle the biodiversity challenge. Blended finance is key to unlocking private investment for nature.” – Caroline Van Leenders, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)

Value chains and biodiversity
The dialogue on value chains at COP16 challenged conventional thinking. Rather than hard contracts, experts advocated for soft approaches. A communal vision emerged to push towards localised food systems. Rather than maintaining the status quo of global supply chains, the focus should shift to celebrating and protecting local diversity while sharing risks across the entire value chains.

Biodiversity assessment tools
ASN Bank’s portfolio analysis revealed unexpected insights about groundwater impact, highlighting a crucial lesson: assessment tools can uncover hidden environmental impacts, encouraging organisations to begin measuring their biodiversity footprint. A key message that emerged: starting with available information is better than waiting for complete datasets. “Don’t wait for perfect data to measure biodiversity impact. Even with limited data, you can start assessing with what you have.” – Lucian Peppelenbos, Robeco

Localised landscape restoration
“Return on Inspiration (ROI) is where landscape restoration begins,” noted Willem Ferwerda from Commonland, reflecting the belief that local communities must believe in a better future to make restoration succeed. He emphasised that true change requires a 20-year commitment. A key insight? An area-based approach is essential; let nature define the project’s scale while ensuring long-term stakeholder engagement. “If you truly want to regenerate landscapes, focus on the most degraded areas rather than those that are easy to showcase success with.” – Daan Groot, Nature Squared

Indigenous knowledge, water and biodiversity
Ancient wisdom offers modern solutions, as demonstrated by the Zenu case study where historical canal systems combat flooding while supporting agriculture and aquaculture. These discussions at COP16 highlighted how traditional practices can effectively restore biodiversity and water systems, and repeatedly highlighted the power of collective thinking over individual approaches. Indigenous voices are crucial guides in our journey towards better biodiversity management; their perspective isn’t just valuable – it’s essential for creating lasting change.

Liliane Geerling from Partners for Water discussed incorporating Indigenous knowledge into landscape-based approaches with various experts present at COP16. Watch the video below to learn more.

“Like salsa dancing in Cali – the world’s salsa capital –, COP16 was all about making meaningful connections!” – Martine van Weelden, Capitals Coalition

Moving forward with nature

COP16 demonstrated that protecting biodiversity requires long-term commitment, collective thinking, and innovative funding models. As shown at the Netherlands Pavilion, success lies in bridging sectors, incorporating indigenous knowledge and turning discussions into action. “The way forward is not through war but through working with the other party,” emphasized Colombia’s Minister of Environment Susana Muhamad. So let’s start working together with nature to create a water, food and biodiversity-secure future.

Watch the recap video for a glimpse of the vibrant atmosphere.

In the heart of the coffee-growing region of Magdalena, the Netherlands and Colombia are combining forces to improve water efficiency and biodiversity conservation. This week, representatives from 196 countries including scientists, indigenous communities, business representatives and environment ministers are gathering in Cali, Colombia at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP). Agreements on progress and protection of biodiversity will be discussed extensively until 1 November.

Amid the many discussions, the collaborative partnership between the Netherlands and Colombia reflects a committed effort to promote biodiversity conservation, particularly in the coffee sector. One notable project, “Improving Water Efficiency in the Coffee Sector in the Magdalena Region” is funded by the Dutch government’s Partners for Water (PFW) programme and coordinated by AidEnvironment, a non-profit consultancy specialising in sustainable development and environmental conservation. AidEnvironment works in close partnership with the local Fundación Herencia Ambiental Caribe and Deltares, a Dutch research institute focused on water management, environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

The project

The “Improving Water Efficiency in the Coffee Sector in the Magdalena Region” project is implemented in Colombia’s key coffee-growing regions in the watersheds of the Aracataca. This is the birthplace of the famous writer and Nobel prize winner Gabriel García Márquez and is located in the Magdalena department by the Fundación rivers in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) mountain range. The region covers 18,000 hectares of coffee farms comprising of over 5,000 small-scale farmers. The project aims to find a balance between the economic importance of coffee production and the need to preserve ecosystems downstream, including the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM), a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Since 1981, annual rainfall has steadily declined, resulting in water scarcity that poses a significant threat to both coffee farming and the biodiversity of the CGSM wetlands, which depend on reliable upstream water flows. The region’s traditional wet-processing methods pollute the water and place additional stress on both surface and groundwater resources.

Smallholder coffee farmers, who are vital to the local economy, are especially susceptible to these environmental shifts. Their limited financial resources further hinder their ability to adapt, making it more urgent to find affordable, locally tailored solutions. Keje Nagel, Coordinator of AidEnvironment, conducted extensive field research in various countries to understand the conditions and challenges that coffee farmers face, particularly around economic hardships and environmental degradation caused by coffee production. “It is essential,” he says in a video call from Colombia, “to create more circular agricultural systems that reduce environmental harm.”

The challenges

To tackle the challenges, Nagel explains that a two-phased approach will be implemented that actively engages coffee producers. In the first phase, “we will collaborate closely with local farmers to thoroughly understand their realities, challenges and the socio-cultural contexts. This will enable us to identify innovative water-saving and decontamination technologies specifically tailored to their needs and financial capabilities. Green filters for water purification will be explored, as well as other methods for reducing agrochemical use and innovative post-harvesting techniques for water-scarce conditions.

In the second phase, these technologies will be deployed on a pilot farm “to ensure they are both technically effective and culturally relevant”. Each farm will be treated as a micro-watershed, emphasising water retention, minimising runoff and enhancing soil health. By actively involving farmers in the implementation process and offering training in sustainable practices, the idea is to reduce dependencies on chemical inputs and optimise overall water management. A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework will track key indicators, including water availability, soil moisture and biodiversity health, allowing the long-term impact of these interventions to be assessed.

Reducing water consumption and nutrient runoff

Coffee is one of the key crops for soil conservation. However, coffee processing poses a risk of nutrient leakage, which can cause contamination when nutrient levels reach unnaturally high concentrations and end up in local rivers, contributing to water pollution. This occurs when nutrient-rich pulp and wastewater, used in washing the coffee cherries, are discharged into nearby rivers or streams. While this process may appear small, it leads to harmful nutrient peaks as piles of pulp partly end up in the water through rainfall. Nagel adds: “When these piles are left uncovered there is a significant risk of nutrient leakage which can cause serious damage to aquatic biodiversity. Fish and other species may struggle to survive in these altered environments.”

Maintaining nutrient flows and minimising external inputs such as fertilizers, is becoming increasingly expensive and unsustainable, especially in economically disadvantaged regions. “The ideal model for coffee farming,” says Nagel, “balances economic stability for farmers with environmentally sustainable practices, involving long-term contracts and regenerative agricultural techniques that support biodiversity and prevent resource depletion.”

Their findings show that the primary issue in coffee production, is exactly that: the economic disparity in the value chain, where producers receive a very small portion of the generated value (around 10%). This financial instability makes it difficult for farmers to get around and they often have other priorities than complying with environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, water pollution and soil degradation.

Pilot farms

Currently the National Coffee Federation (FNC) is implementing various technologies aimed at reducing water use and contamination. They are promoting two different filters that filter water wastewater with plants such as vetiver grass to remove excess nutrients from coffee processing. The other option is the use of Eco mills, innovative coffee processing machines that drastically reduce water usage. “The Eco mill processes coffee from cherry to parchment without impacting the overall production system”, Nagel adds.

However, these technologies are expensive, ranging from €2,500 and €5,000, making them inaccessible for many smallholder farmers. Moreover, green filter technology currently lacks a component that ensures the re-use of the collected nutrients. The project, therefore, is still in its development phase aiming to find scalable, affordable solutions tailored to different farm sizes and local contexts, with closed nutrient cycles. Farmers are encouraged to implement various agroforestry techniques before they become eligible for subsidies. By doing this, greater awareness among farmers can lead to their active contribution to sustainable practices.

Local institutions like CENICAFÉ, the research arm of the National Coffee Federation (Federación Nacional de Cafetéros de Colombia) is essential in ensuring not only the best technology, but also its adaptability and scalability within the region.

Rather than inventing new technologies these existing technologies built on previous research, are taken as departure points ensuring that any potential additions proposed can be easily adopted by the FNC, who are closely connected to the local context.

The road ahead

Over the next six months, the team will develop a technological design for a farm and work closely with local partners to ensure that the systems are effective and sustainable. This will be followed by a nine-month implementation phase. As with any project of this scale, however, patience and persistence are required. Cultural change in farming communities takes time and the team recognises that building trust and demonstrating success will be essential for long-term adaptation.

Looking for ways to get involved?

Are you currently working on water projects in Colombia or exploring how to do so? Or just curious about participating in the Partners for Water initiatives? Here are ways for you to get involved:

• Apply for our tenders focused on innovative solutions in delta countries like Colombia.
• Join our annual Colombia platform meeting or one of the other Partners for Water events.
• Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on our tenders, activities, events and projects.
• Apply for the Partners for Water subsidy. Explore whether you are eligible.
• Get in touch with our Project Advisor for Colombia: Robert Proos