Invited by WMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas and UN Water Chair Gilbert Houngbo, the “Water and Climate Leaders” aim to set and pursue an integrated global Water and Climate Agenda in support of sustainable development and national mitigation and adaptation actions. Their focus is on catalysing action through leadership and example.
The Panel will provide strategic guidance on integrating the water and climate agendas, as well as maximizing synergies in designing and implementing actions to achieve SDGs 6 and 13, alongside ensuring effective climate action for adaptation and resilience.
The “Water and Climate Leaders” are a a panel of eminent representatives of UN Members, civil society and the private sector.
Mr. Emomali Rahmon
President, Republic of Tajikistan
Mr. János Áder
President, Hungary
Mrs. Hilda Heine
Past President, Republic of the Marshall Islands
Mr. Komi Sélom Klassou
Past Prime Minister, Republic of Togo
Mr. Han Seung-soo
Past Prime Minister, Republic of Korea
Dr. Mohamed Abdel Aty
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt
Mr. Carl-Hermann Gustav Schlettwein
President AMCOW; Minister, Republic of Namibia
Ms. Barbara Visser
Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Mr. Abdelkader Amara
Minister, Kingdom of Morocco
Mrs. Hannele Pokka
Professor; Past Minister, Republic of Finland
Mrs. Haydée Rodriguez
Vice Minister, Republic of Costa Rica
Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo
Chair UN-Water; President IFAD
Mr. Petteri Taalas
Secretary General WMO
Mrs. Mari Elka Pangestu
World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships
Mr. Howard Bamsey
Chair Global Water Partnership
Mrs. Lindsey Blodgétt
World Youth Parliaments for Water
Mr. Matthias Berninger
SVP Public Affairs & Sustainability BAYER
Mr. Ernest Gibson
UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change
Tangible Outcomes
Global water
observing system
Financing rationale to take into account societal benefit in water & climate development
Cooperation frameworks for assessing and sharing benefits of river basin scale adaptation activities
Unified mechanism for integrated climate and water stocktake
International mechanism to monitor and address water loss from melting cryosphere
Overview of the Leaders Milestones
2022
2023
Cooperation frameworks for assessing and sharing benefits of joint adaptation at river basins scale presented in 2022
Concept for global water observing system agreed on 2023 conference
Global mechanism for financing the preservation glaciers
2025
Mechanism supports measuring and sharing benefits of regional adaptation
Cooperation frameworks for assessing and sharing benefits of joint adaptation at river basins scale presented in 2022
Mechanism for integrated water and climate stocktake presented in 2023
Concept for financing integrated water and climate action presented at 2023 conference
Year of preservation of glaciers
Advisors Group
The Advisors are experts appointed by the members of the Panel to support the “Water and Climate Leaders”.
The Advisors support the Coalition and provide information for the Panel Members to advocate for urgent climate and water related action. They also serve as the custodians of the Matrix of action of the Coalition. They create impact through: