As the recent water shortage in Cape Town, South Africa, has shown so graphically, a changing climate together with economic growth and rapid urban development are placing unprecedented stress on water resources. To achieve enduring water security requires diverse approaches that rely on nature’s bounty as well as human ingenuity.
The “nature for water” theme of this year’s World Water Day is a clear call to pursue the multiple possibilities that well-managed ecosystems offer for harnessing the benefits of water, while simultaneously curbing its destructive potential. Based on years of pioneering research, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is well prepared to support such efforts and joins many others today in calling attention to the value of nature-based solutions for addressing the enormous water challenges of our time.