Water as Leverage: how a holistic approach is changing the way we deal with water

Ahead of Stockholm World Water Week taking place August 25-29, Partners for Water invited three experts from Dutch companies working on water and climate issues, to share their experiences with the Water as Leverage programme. Water may be the root of many problems, but it is also a key solution as well.

Given the climate challenges we face, the interconnectedness between water management, urban planning and climate adaptation has never been more important. Experts like Naomi Hoogervorst, a senior urban planner at UN-Habitat, biologist Eduardo Marin, an associate partner at Felixx Landscape Architects and Planners and renowned Thai landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom, have been at the forefront of ground-breaking solutions that are reshaping how cities interact with their water systems.  

All three of them represent pillars of the Water as Leverage (WaL) programme, an innovative initiative launched by the Dutch government in 2018.

WaL, comprising 3 pillars: the Academy; the Factory and the Initiative, brings together experts, international organisations and regional local partners in a holistic way, to go beyond traditional design, and look at the needs of multiple communities. The WaL Academy promotes  knowledge sharing  and capacity building. The Factory focuses on implementing water solutions at various levels and the Initiatives introduces specific projects in several locations

A range of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have since been implemented across various projects around the world. In Thailand, the WaL Academy is exploring alternatives to traditional designs for coastal erosion management and Bangkok has started revitalising its canal systems to improve drainage and water quality.

Synthesise perspectives

Biologist and landscape architect Eduardo Marin, is an enthusiastic supporter of the approach to water management advocated by WaL.  He describes the role of landscape architects as facilitators who synthesise diverse perspectives, from clients to engineers, to create environmentally and financially viable projects. His work includes developing integrated water management projects that focus on the role of the basic fundamental natural systems as part of the solution needed.

In collaboration with the World Bank, he created the “Catalogue of Nature-based Solutions for Urban Resilience.” Previously, he contributed to Rotterdam’s Water Square, an innovative public space designed to collect and manage rainwater efficiently. He also participated in the design competition “Rebuild by Design” aimed at integrating water management into the future planning of the New York and New Jersey region. Out of the 10 competing teams, the majority were Dutch or Dutch-based companies.

Mapping water in Cartagena

Felixx Landscape Architects and Planners along with Eduardo Marin started “Roots of Cartagena” in 2023 as part of the multidisciplinary project to find innovative solutions within the Water as Leverage programme. They began by mapping the intricate relationship between water, the environment and the community in the port city of Cartagena on Colombia’s northern Caribbean coast. The city’s rapid disproportionate growth and unequal urban expansion led to clogged water systems affecting both the environment and local livelihoods. Rather than simply installing new infrastructure, Marin explains that they introduced a water-plan that emphasises public spaces and natural development as functional water management systems transforming water management from a technical problem into an opportunity for environmental improvement. “The main problem is that in most cases the link between the water cycle and the city is not in balance so water always ends up in the wrong place,” Marin says.

By cleaning and widening canals, planting vegetation and creating parks that can store and utilise water, the whole community can benefit. “In the end, it is about the people who are living there, not about the pipes, dams and pumps.”

This project is a prime example of how WaL can transform a city’s relationship with its water systems. Rather than relying solely on traditional infrastructure solutions, Marin’s team engaged with the community and local stakeholders in developing strategies that are culturally and socially relevant.

Bright future for WaL

Naomi Hoogervorst, a senior planner at UN Habitat’s headquarters in Nairobi became involved with WaL two years ago and has since advocated for the approach that is “so  fundamentally different from traditional water management strategies”, explains Hoogervorst. She also notes that the collaboration across institutions and sectors, is often lacking in water management projects. Hoogervorst has been actively promoting sustainable urban development and participatory planning including through the Global Future Cities Program, which aligns urban projects with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“It’s not just about engineering solutions,” Hoogervorst explains. “WaL connects water issues with broader social, economic and climate-related challenges”. This approach has led to innovative projects like the Chennai initiative, which combines water catchment and treatment with a school and green spaces, simultaneously addressing multiple community needs.

Hoogervorst is particularly involved with the WaL Factory, focusing on implementing water solutions at various planning levels. Despite financial challenges for scaling up WaL, she envisions a bright future: “We’re aiming to establish WaL as a global programme for the next decade. Water issues require sustained effort and long-term partnerships“, Hoogervorst says. UN-Habitat has been involved in many initiatives. Like the one in the city of Prayagraj, India, near the Ganges, where a workshop marked the launch of WaL with a national river-cleaning initiative as part of the “Namami Gange” project. This flagship programme was launched by the Indian government in June 2014 as part of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to reduce pollution and rejuvenate the Ganga (Ganges) River. Representatives from national, local and regional governments gathered to discuss how collaborative efforts across various jurisdictions could address water issues. Participants, including engineers, talked about not only technological solutions such as water treatment plants, but also the broader impacts of water management on wetlands, flooding and pollution.

The workshop drew parallels to successful projects in other regions, such as Chennai, where innovative collaborations have transformed water infrastructure into multifunctional public spaces.

No hierarchical boundaries

In Thailand, landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom brings a local perspective to the WaL approach. As a participant in the WaL Academy, she saw how the programme impacted her country by reshaping water management and urban planning .

Voraakhom shared that “The Academy provides opportunities for local experts to learn from Dutch water management expertise while adapting solutions to a Thai context.”

She mentions several projects emerging from WaL Academy discussions, including canal systems revitalisation in Bangkok and exploring Nature-based Solutions for coastal erosion in Thailand.

What is most important for her is the opportunity that now exists to communicate without hierarchical boundaries. She sees the Academy as more than just a temporary programme: “It’s about capacity building and changing mindsets, encouraging officials to consider water issues in relation to environment, engineering and livelihoods, not just about drainage.“

The work of Naomi Hoogervorst, Eduardo Marin and Korch Voraakhom illustrate the growing recognition that water management, urban planning and climate adaptation are inextricably linked.

Partners for Water and Water as Leverage

Partners for Water and as Water as Leverage are both programmes facilitated by the Dutch government and carried out by the Netherlands Enterprise and Development Agency (RVO). There is a significant link between these two programmes namely that Partners for Water is co-financing several Water as Leverage initiatives in Cartagena, Colombia and Chennai, India.

WaL will be at the World Water Week in Stockholm (24-29 August) at the NL pavilion

Water as Leverage will be hosting a pre-launch of the City Champion Challenge at the NL pavilion on:

Tuesday 15.00 -16.00

Speakers: Robert Proos, Coordinator Urban Adaptation and Water International Partners for water / Water as Leverage (Netherlands Enterprise and Development Agency), Sabrina Couvin Rodriguez, Advisor Water Governance (Deltares), Asa Jonsson, Head of Global Water Operator’s Partnership Alliance (GWOPA)

Check out our full programme at SWWW 2024.