Launch on 18 March 2025
Climate change has significantly impacted the hydrological cycle. In many parts of the world, this change is leading to shorter, more intense periods of precipitation, followed by longer dry periods. Higher temperatures and the pressures of urban growth have also led to an increase in water quality problems. Consequently, most urban areas today experience water as being either “too little, too much, or too dirty” and, in most cases, a combination of the three states.
The “Cities with Water” webinar series aims to share experiences and raise awareness of practical approaches for promoting urban water resilience. The series will address specific issues around urban water resilience, with an emphasis on representatives from local governments (primarily cities of various sizes) sharing their experiences in developing innovative solutions to local water supply, sanitation, wastewater treatment, and flooding challenges. Reflecting the need for multilevel governance, the series will also look at the relationships between local and regional water authorities and water utilities that enable resilience at the local level.
In parallel, a photography competition will be run to select images portraying innovative and inspirational approaches to addressing urban water resilience. The winners across the three categories of "too little, too much, or too dirty" will be announced at the closing webinar in November 2025 and awarded cash prizes.
The Cities with Water series will follow a program of five webinars, consisting of (1) an introduction (18 March 2025), (2–4) a core series of three webinars , each dedicated to one of the three themes, and (5) a concluding session in November 2025.
The primary target audience of the webinar series are local government officials that hold the mandate for the management of water and related systems in their cities as well as key focal points in related national and regional water authorities. The secondary audience comprises a combination of representatives from development finance institutions (who may play a role in financing water infrastructure), commercial financiers, water utilities (public and private), consulting service companies, and local community organizations (representing the water-related interests of residents).
Further information will be available on the ICLEI Africa website in January 2025.