Stakeholder consultation on the Netherlands International Water Ambition (NIWA) in June 2024

The Dutch government and public, private and knowledge partners cooperate together to optimise the Netherlands’ contribution to international water-related challenges and the Dutch earning capacity, whilst gaining knowledge from other countries.

‘Increasing water security for over a hundred million people worldwide by 2030’. That is the goal of the Netherlands International Water Ambition which four Dutch ministries – Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, Infrastructuur en Waterstaat, Economische Zaken en Klimaat en Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit-  set in 2019. We are now halfway and this year the NIWA will be assessed. What progress has been made?  What do Dutch internationally operating actors involved with tackling water-related challenges need to succeed and increase earning capacity? On 24 June, the collaborating Dutch ministries and RVO (Partners for Water) are hosting a stakeholder consultation to discuss which sector-specific and societal challenges should be addressed in the upcoming years under the NIWA.

What will be discussed?

In five years, a lot can change. With global and local situations changing faster than ever, it is important to evaluate the ambition now, as well as the approach to achieve it. At the stakeholder consultation, experts and professionals from companies and knowledge institutions with a link to international water challenges are invited to share experiences, review the progress so far, and explore opportunities to sharpen the ambition going forward. We invite you to join the discussion and share your knowledge and ideas.

We know water

The Netherlands has a long tradition in and good global reputation for our water management and water-related engineering. Water opens international doors for the Netherlands. By leveraging our knowledge and expertise, the government and water sector aim to increase and optimize Dutch involvement in water security for people, plants and animals worldwide, while at the same time increasing Dutch earning capacity.

The impacts of climate change are experienced through water and water is the accelerator for adaptation action. The current NIWA therefore places a strong emphasis on this topic.

NIWA Approach

The approach to achieving NIWA is based on three pillars:

1.    Strengthening local ability to achieve results

2.    Applying an integral approach to water security

3.    Putting forward the Netherlands as a Centre of Excellence

Shared contribution

The main purpose of the current NIWA is to achieve SDG goal 6, Clean water and Sanitation, and related SDG goals: ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’. Improving water security takes a long time. Long-term partnerships are crucial in making a difference. The NIWA aims to create more coherence in water-related international policy instruments, such as programs. It is also an important platform for collaboration with the private sector.