Fair Water Footprints for Africa, 11-12 May 2023, Addis Ababa

Fair Water Footprints for Africa:  investigation, advocacy, and action to embed water stewardship in strategically important export sectors 

Training and joint planning event for civil society, media and researchers.  11-12 May 2023, Addis Ababa. 

This event is a key step to securing water justice across Africa through sustainable, equitable and climate resilient water use in Africa’s key export sectors. It supports delivery of the Glasgow Declaration for Fair Water Footprints signed at COP26 and will build incentives and evidence to transform governance and practice across Africa so that water stewardship becomes the business norm.   Water Witness, ANEW, WIN and our global partners aim to work with civil society groups, NGOs, researchers, media partners and communities on collaborative research into the water-related performance key export sectors across Africa, to ask the following questions: 

  • Is good water stewardship in place, or do we see negative impacts for people, ecosystems and economies through pollution, overexploitation, lack of WASH, and exacerbation of drought, flood and conflict?  

  • Based on the evidence of performance, what change is needed to establish responsible water use at the heart of Africa’s economy?

This event will bring together Africa’s civil society, research, and media leaders over two days to: 

  1. Identify and scope out the priority sectors, countries, and case studies of focus. 

  2. Provide state-of-the-art training for high impact research and investigations into water stewardship performance and supply chains.   

  3. Share insights on effective advocacy for systemic change for water justice and co-develop a shared plan for the Fair Water Footprint campaign in Africa. 

  4. Strengthen the community of practice and develop a financing facility for this work.   

Day 1. 

  • Orientation and introductions 

  • What are Fair Water Footprints? 

  • Principles of impactful investigations, advocacy and campaigns 

  • Scoping Africa’s Priorities – from ideas to evidence-based targeting. 

Day 2. 

  • Design and delivery of impactful investigations 

  • Putting plans into practice – next steps 

  • A Fair Water Footprint Campaign for Africa 

  • Facility design – establishing long term support for delivery and impact.  

There is budget available to bring together 30 people and so spaces are limited.  To register your interest to attend the event please send an email titled ‘FWF event Addis’ to lexiparfitt@waterwitness.org by the deadline of 24th April 2023 which sets out: 

  1. Your contact details and budgetary requirements to travel to the event  

  2. The reasons why you want to attend and how the communities you serve will benefit 

  3. Your CV and an example of a recent written output

Robbie Sage