In continuation of the Water Diplomacy 4.0 Lab hosted by GDL member Kathryn Bryk Friedman, fellow member, co-host and CEO of the Red Dot Foundation, ElsaMarie D’Silva pitched a side event at the UN Water Conference from 22nd to 24 of March. The event was co-conceptualised with Women in Water Diplomacy Network, as it shares similar ideas for the future of the field.

Four GDL members took on leading roles in the event. Irena Creed, a professor of hydrology, shared her take on water intelligence as a prerequisite for addressing the global water crisis. Water diplomacy expert Kathryn Bryk Friedman discussed the methodology used during her Labs, aimed at encouraging people-to-people-diplomacy. ElsaMarie D’Silva launched a new book featuring 29 inspiring women working in water diplomacy just prior to the conference, which she co-authors with Irena Creed. Omair Ahmad, a water, climate and nature journalist wrapped up by sharing an inspiring call to action with the attendees. You can read more about the event here.

Other partners of the event are The Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM); The Orange Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM); The International Joint Commission (IJC); UNDP Cap-Net; Central Asia Regional Environmental Center (CAREC); The UNESCO International Centre for Water Cooperation (ICWC); The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI); The Environmental Law Institute (ELI); The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); The World Bank Equal Aqua; The Environmental Peacebuilding Association (EnPax); The Sudanese Youth for Water Parliament; The Community of Women in Water – Latin America; Women + Water at the Global Water Institute at the University of Saskatchewan; IHE Delft; The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center.