The Freshwater Challenge (FWC) is a country-led initiative that aims to support, integrate and accelerate the restoration of 300,000 km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands by 2030, as well as conserve intact freshwater ecosystems. The Challenge aims to substantiate, integrate and accelerate targeted interventions for rivers and wetlands, connecting these with national plans and strategies. It will increase the overall investment into the restoration and conservation of freshwater ecosystems and substantially increase the social and economic returns on those investments.
The institutional arrangements for supporting the Freshwater Challenge at the global level are under development with the leading countries and donors. The Support Unit will provide four major services to the global Freshwater Challenge community:
(i) Set up and manage a Global Tracker for the collection of contributions to the global goals and national targets, aggregating both State and non-state actor projects, programmes and initiatives that comply with the FWC methodology and reporting progress;
(ii) Develop a methodology for restoration and conservation of freshwater ecosystems (e.g. ecological processes and physical characteristics to be addressed in project activities, inclusive governance, etc.), provide support to monitor the implementation and enhance synergy in development;
(iii) Organise an annual meeting of the Member States, back-to-back to an international meeting to keep track of progress, share experiences, lessons, asks, etc.; and
(iv) Mobilize resources, connecting Members and partners at national level to finance and investment opportunities at global and regional levels.