Driving innovation for the Swiss Water Partnership
SKAT co-steers Swiss stakeholder engagement in the international water landscape.
Delphine Magara, Advisor Water Governance at SKAT, what role does the Swiss Water Partnership play in addressing global water challenges?
It unites around 70 Swiss organisations to develop, share, and implement sustainable solutions in developing and transition countries. It fosters collaboration among experts and promotes innovative approaches to tackling water-related issues worldwide.
How does SKAT contribute to this?
We support the network by facilitating expert dialogue, coordinating Switzerland’s presence at major international events, and empowering young people to drive innovation and participate in decision-making.
In terms of youth empowerment, SWP Youth’s work in 2024 enabled four youth-led grassroots projects in Ghana, Rwanda, India, and DRC to implement their water-for-development solutions through SWP mentorship and seed funding. SWP Youth furthermore launched an initiative we call “Maturamentoring” to connect high school students writing their final year project on water with SWP members. Finally, we had the opportunity to organise a youth dialogue on peacebuilding through transboundary water cooperation during the Stockholm World Water Week. Fostering intergenerational collaboration ensures that Swiss actors in water for development continue to evolve sustainably.