Students from the ‘Water Futures’ project seminar led by Prof. Dr. Mariele Evers took part in the UNESCO Water Youth Dialogue in Paris from 12 to 13 June 2025. The dialogue took place in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and 60 years of UNESCO water research, in which over 500 representatives from all over the world took part. The dialogue is organised by UNESCO in cooperation with the Global Youth Movement for Water (GYMW).
During the event at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, 60 young representatives from 40 water youth organisations to jointly develop a strategy paper. The paper on the Water Youth Strategy is intended to form the basis for strengthening young, marginalised voices in global political decision-making processes, particularly in matters of water management and water governance. Even before the official dialogue, the organisers and participants met to identify areas for action and develop and discuss the first aspects of the strategy.
On site, there was input for the students and other young representatives in lectures on water advocacy, water diplomacy, international water cooperation, and workshops led by experts from various organisations, such as IHE Delft and the French Water Partnership. In working groups, participants contributed to the further development of the Water Youth Strategy – a draft based on international preparatory work such as the Fill up the Glass campaign (UN Water Conference 2023) and the Bali Youth Targets (10th World Water Forum 2024) The strategy is an essential part of GWYM's comprehensive efforts to develop a joint water youth strategy in cooperation with UN organisations.
The students brought the necessary expertise and knowledge from the ‘Water Futures’ project seminar led by Prof. Dr. Mariele Evers, UNESCO Chair in Human-Water Systems. Among other things, the seminar addressed questions such as: What are the current water problems – regionally and globally? How might these develop in the future? What methods can be used to develop future scenarios, and how?
In Paris, the 14 students were able to contribute their knowledge, network internationally and jointly develop visions for a more equitable water future.