The International Secretariat for Water (ISW) has launched #WaterGeneration, a new global hub for youth, water, and sustainable development.
“The International Secretariat for Water is contributing to build a sustainable and peaceful world by mobilizing, connecting, and supporting youth,” said Sarah Dousse, executive director of the International Secretariat for Water. “Yesterday’s #WaterGeneration Beyond Borders: Co-creating the future we want!” workshop is a taste of the youth-led innovations and inter-generational collaboration to come. Strong leadership is needed to tackle the world’s water challenges.”
“By 2050, 45 per cent of the world GDP may originate in water-related stressed areas and half of the population may be living in water-stressed regions,” Dousse added. “In that regard, we are honored to work closely with the City of Montréal, the Government of Québec, and the Government of Canada.”
The ISW will establish a resource centre as part of its #WaterGeneration strategy to facilitate the mobilization and connectivity of youth—leveraging more than 20 years of experience with cross-cutting programming supporting youth actions to solve global water issues.
“Climate change is forcing us to act swiftly,” said Valérie Plante, mayor of Montréal “We must make it a priority to raise awareness among Montrealers concerning the importance of water. Youth also play an important role, as they will be the most likely to observe the impact of climate disruption on our daily lives. The creation of this new global hub for youth, water, and sustainable development by the International Secretariat for Water is an excellent initiative. Montréal is already engaged in the ecological transition and this global hub will certainly contribute to our success.”
More than half of the global population is below the age of 30. These young people need to be equipped to inherit a world in which 52 per cent of the world’s population will live in areas affected by water stress by 2050.
“#WaterGeneration will not only raise young people’s awareness of these issues, it will also help promote Montréal’s leadership on those topics,” said Hubert Bolduc, president and chief executive officer of Montréal International. “Montréal International is proud to support international organizations such as the International Water Secretariat, in carrying out major projects that will shape the sustainable world of tomorrow.”
Representatives from the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec, and the City of Montréal joined local and international young leaders on November 28, 2019 to discuss sustainable water management in Montréal and strategies for international youth cooperation. The inauguration event, hosted at Maison du développement durable, is following two-full days of workshops where young leaders from Québec and abroad were invited to present innovative solutions to water-related challenges.
This project became a reality with the support of Montréal International, the City of Montréal, the Government of Québec, and the Government of Canada.
