(Commonwealth)_ When Commonwealth Heads of Government in 2022 in Rwanda endorsed the Living Lands Charter, they placed water at the heart of their vision for sustainable development. The Charter recognizes the inherent function of land and water bodies to support livelihoods, food security, and well-being, and their inherent function in the global climate system as a source and sink of greenhouse gases.
It was a dream before the Commonwealth Secretariat became a part of World Water Week 2025 in Stockholm in August under the theme “Water for Climate Action.” The annual conference had more than 15,000 in-person and virtual participants comprising policymakers, researchers, development partners, and young leaders. For the Secretariat’s Living Lands program, the conference provided a significant platform for international stakeholder interactions, progress on climate–water–health integrated solutions, and solidified partnerships ahead of COP30 in November.
Commonwealth-Led Engagement
The Commonwealth Secretariat not only participated in the broader debates but also organized three events throughout the week. These were co-convened with Amref Health Africa, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The sessions brought up the interlinkages between water, climate change, and public health. Scientific evidence of the ongoing effects of climate change on water was illustrated, as well as policy gaps, cost and affordability, and how coordinated programming could be made easy. Policymaker coordination, climate-resilient infrastructure investment, and professional networking were highlighted as essential in solving these issues.
The Secretariat took the opportunity to reiterate its current commitment to environmental sustainability and greater cooperation with governments, partner entities, and other climate action-committed partners.
Inclusion at the Forefront
The Commonwealth agenda placed a high premium on inclusion, i.e., youth and Indigenous Peoples’ voices. The Secretariat has been adamant in its insistence upon Indigenous leadership in managing the environment, e.g., through schemes such as the COP29 film promoting Guyana’s Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development. At the Stockholm meeting of this year, Indigenous leaders demanded that they take the lead in decision-making about their lands and resources.
Youth participation was also on the conference agenda. Elyse Blondell, an intern from the Living Lands program, was a dynamic member of the Commonwealth delegation, not only co-hosting one of the Secretariat sessions but also serving as a panellist. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2025 was also one of the highlights of the youth innovation function. German students Jana Spiller and Niklas Ruf won the award for their flood warning system for small streams, which can be scaled up, and Divyasri Kothapalli of the United Kingdom won the People’s Choice Award.
Building Global Partnerships
World Water Week offered a forum for an intersectoral and interdisciplinary spectrum of stakeholders, from academics to donor agencies, private sector visitors, and development organizations. The turnout represented the scale of the problem of water in the world and the necessity to span sectors and disciplines.
For the Commonwealth, the conference served to reaffirm the imperative of putting water at the top of priorities in the Living Lands Charter. The Secretariat is creating a Thematic Working Group on Water and Soil, led by Malta, for the water agenda. The initiative aims to help member states that are highly affected by water, like those with extreme droughts, devastating floods, and desertification effects. These climatic stresses have extensive implications, some of which are food insecurity, epidemic outbreaks, and pollution of pristine water sources.
Looking Ahead
World Water Week 2025 gave the Commonwealth the chance to encourage its integrated approach to water, climate, and health. The Secretariat’s focus on collaboration, on inclusivity, and on feasible solutions chimed with its long-term vision for sustainable development. With COP30 preparations already underway, whatever is negotiated and agreed in Stockholm will go on to shape the Commonwealth’s contribution to realizing Living Lands Charter commitments into action and to assisting member states to become more resilient to climate change and water insecurity.
