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Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI)

The Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI) is a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together different United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia, the private sector, development banks, and others. The GWWI has been working over the past 10 years to implement and scale-up efforts to tackle wastewater pollution worldwide. It was formed in 2013 and is anchored to the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA).

Wastewater is one of the biggest challenges of our time: huge quantities of untreated wastewater end up in the environment with damaging consequences for people’s health, socioeconomic development, and ecosystems.

GWWI seeks to change the paradigm of how wastewater is commonly seen, from simple waste to a valuable and rich resource. Wastewater, if managed properly, can help address other challenges, including climate change, biogas production and the creation of green jobs.

GWWI encompasses an integrated perspective of wastewater, which includes domestic effluent (black-grey water and faecal sludge), stormwater, industrial effluent, and agricultural effluent and run-off. The initiative focuses on four areas: policy, technology, awareness-raising, and capacity-building. It collaborates extensively with other global partnerships such as the GPML, GPNM and WWQA.

The Initiative supports countries in achieving several global targets, especially those in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and specifically SDG 6 on “Water and Sanitation for All” and SDG 14 on “Life below Water”.

GWWI is the only global partnership that facilitates cooperation and coordination to better understand and address wastewater challenges and opportunities worldwide. The Initiative is led by a Steering Committee. UNEP acts as the Secretariat for GWWI and the Initiative is currently chaired by the Turkish Water Institute (SUEN).

Down the drain lies a promising climate and nature solution – UN report

Nairobi, 23 August 2023 – Wastewater is a growing health and environmental threat, accounting for almost as much planet warming emissions as the aviation industry. Yet with the right policies, wastewater could…

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Newsletters

The GWWI's periodic newsletter shares latest updates on wastewater initiatives, partners and more.

ISSUE #7: April 2023

ISSUE #6: April 2022

ISSUE #5: July 2021

 

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A multi-stakeholder platform that facilitates cooperation and coordination to better understand and address wastewater challenges and opportunities worldwide.

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Contact us

For more information, email: 

unep-gwwi@un.org