Kathmandu / Marrakech - As global water stress intensifies under the combined pressures of climate change, population growth, and environmental degradation, a key message emerged from the XIX World Water Congress in Marrakech: the world does not suffer from a lack of solutions, but from a failure to connect and scale them effectively.
Experts and practitioners gathered at the Congress emphasized that technological innovation in the water sector has advanced rapidly. However, without integration across water, food, energy, ecosystems, finance, and governance, these solutions often remain fragmented and short-lived. The focus, speakers noted, must shift from isolated interventions to systems thinking that enables long-term, cross-sectoral impact.
Teams from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), working across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, presented practical experiences demonstrating how integrated approaches can strengthen water security. Their work ranged from gender-responsive Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus frameworks to integrated crop-aquaculture systems, AI-enabled water monitoring, and safe wastewater reuse for agriculture.
Despite differences in geography and socio-economic contexts, a shared lesson emerged from these initiatives: technology alone does not deliver impact. Sustainable outcomes depend on inclusive public policies, capable institutions, community participation, and strong partnerships among governments, researchers, and development actors.
Reflections featured in a CGIAR-supported blog by Youssef Brouziyne, Sanju Koirala, Pacem Kotchofa, and Seifu Tilahun highlighted a growing shift in global water discourse. According to the contributors, systems thinking is increasingly moving from theory to practice-linking local watershed management with national planning and global water governance.
The discussions at the Congress underscored that addressing today’s water challenges requires not only innovation, but also coordination, political commitment, and scaling strategies that ensure solutions endure beyond pilot projects.
As countries strive to meet water-related Sustainable Development Goals amid escalating climate risks, the Marrakech Congress reinforced a crucial reminder: the future of water security lies in connecting solutions, not multiplying disconnected ones.
