Dalton, James

Building River Dialogue and Governance (BRIDGE) has been running since 2011 with the goal to secure sustainable development, livelihoods and peace through transboundary cooperation. This document aims at presenting a summary of the unique approach of the programme which has been built over the last almost fifteen years, taking stock of key elements of the programmes approach in support of effective water management arrangements in over twenty river and lake basins worldwide.

Historically, droughts have caused extensive damage. Effective responses to drought remain a challenge, with reactive and crisis-oriented approaches dominating many interventions. The consequences of drought extend beyond households and rural livelihoods, impacting industrial operations and sectors such as energy, agriculture and water supply. Integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into drought policies requires a comprehensive, context-aware approach.

Biodiversity is context-specific, and there are no one-size-fits-all indicators or monitoring methodologies.

To showcase how increased returns on investment opportunities can be achieved by applying a nexus approach, best practices of the water-energy-food nexus were collected in the form of several case studies. The best practice cases focus on water, energy and food security dimensions that advance socio-economic development and propose the nexus as a promising approach to resolving competition over limited resources. 

To showcase how increased returns on investment opportunities can be achieved by applying a nexus approach, best practices of the water-energy-food nexus were collected in the form of several case studies. The best practice cases focus on water, energy and food security dimensions that advance socio-economic development and propose the nexus as a promising approach to resolving competition over limited resources. 

The purpose of this study has been to collect insights into corporate ‘water stewardship’ based on exchanges of information and views with representatives of private companies, public agencies, NGOs and other organisations involved in corporate water management. The discussion was extended to consider how water stewardship contributes to water resources management and how it connects with efforts by governments to implement ‘integrated’ water resources management (IWRM) under the Sustainable Development Goals.

This study presents some lessons from a selection of IUCN interventions in dryland areas that have adapted to a greater or lesser extent to the conditions of drylands, notably focusing on water management to deal with scarcity and variability. The study is intended as a means of capturing lessons learned from these interventions on the challenges and opportunities for improving water development in drylands.