News

Rivers are our Earth’s arteries. They are lifelines for people, animals, and ecosystems, connecting us to the oceans that sustain life. 

At Nature for Water, we believe in restoring and protecting these critical systems, ensuring rivers bring nourishment to our oceans. Today, we are honored to be recognized by the Lewis Pugh Foundation as part of their RiverWarriors series — Inspired by the dedication of everyone on this list to protect our waterways.

Already, 50% of global drinking water resources are degraded, and 1.8 billion people face absolute water scarcity. The urgency to build water resilience has never been clearer – and nature-based solutions hold the key.

We’re honored to see Nature for Water featured in the World Economic Forum blog on leveraging nature's power to address our global water crisis. By partnering with local communities, governments, and private sector stakeholders, we’ve supported over 30 watershed programs worldwide – protecting water, restoring ecosystems, and improving livelihoods.

©Petar Sabol / TNC Photo Contest 2018

What we call watersheds, others call home. Some are home to Indigenous Peoples, who have lived in there since time immemorial and are deeply connected with place. In other areas, farming communities may be living in the watershed, where they depend on healthy soil and water for their livelihoods. These are just two examples. There are countless, diverse communities across our places of work, and it is essential that we listen, learn, and partner with them in our conservation efforts.

This webinar is organized by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Resilient Watersheds where we will unpack the newly developed Indigenous People and Local Communities guide for Watershed Investment Programs as well as bring experiences from our flagship projects in LAR, NAR, and Africa.

Date: Tuesday January 28, 2025 | 10:00 am – 11:30 am ET/ 6:00pm - 7:30 pm Nairobi via Zoom
 

©Manh Cuong Vu/TNC Photo Contest 2021

Are you a passionate advocate for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and their potential to achieve water security? Do you thrive in a leadership role where you can guide scientific projects and ensure the integrity of data and modeling? If you're an expert in hydrological modeling and spatial analysis tools, eager to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, and possess excellent communication skills, we want to hear from you! We are seeking for a talented Science Lead to spearhead critical scientific workstreams focused on NbS for water security.

This full-remote position is open to candidates in the following locations in Europe (Belgium, Croatia, Germany, United Kingdom) and Africa (Angola, Gabon, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia)

Science Lead posting (ideally with 4+ years of professional experience and Master's degree (or higher) in civil engineering, hydrology, or similar)

Nature for Water team gathered in Manizales, Colombia, for our annual retreat—an inspiring, educational, and cultural experience. Against the stunning backdrop of the Chinchiná River basin, we reflected on our values of partnership, open-mindedness, humility, gratitude, and leadership.

A heartfelt thank you to Vivo Cuenca for being outstanding hosts, to our advisory board and our generous donors for making this possible. Together, we continue to strengthen our team, align our mission, and celebrate our impact.

©Guy Bowden, 2024

Last week we officially launched the Ground Outcomes (GO) Fund at a special cocktail event during New York Climate Week, co-hosted by our donors, with remarks from The Nature Conservancy’s CEO Jennifer Morris and the Global Managing Director Michael Doane, and a thoughtful panel including comments from Elizabeth Wathuti, Venkat Iyer, Oliver Karius, and Marina T. Campos.

The GO Fund is designed to accelerate the scaling of watershed investment programs around the world by jumpstarting critical projects and mobilizing the long-term funding they need to thrive. To address the connected - and intensifying - climate and water crises, we must move faster. The GO Fund can help.

We're proud to support impactful initiatives like the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC in South Africa, the Norfolk Water Strategy Program by Water Resources East in England, and the River Yala Water Fund supported by Women in Water & Natural Resources Conservation Kenya. These projects are designed to restore ecosystems, enhance water security, and mobilize long-term funding.

©Ken Geiger/TNC

We're excited to announce that we are expanding our Asia team! We’re looking for passionate individuals with backgrounds in management consultancy, project finance, or integrated watershed management to make a significant impact as our first permanent hire in the region.

This is a fantastic opportunity for candidates based in Australia, Singapore, or Indonesia. If you're eager to contribute to the prioritization of NbS for watersheds, we want to hear from you.

The Nature Conservancy Resilient Watersheds team launched the newly rebranded Resilient Watersheds Network & Toolbox, the webinar covered the new resources and tools required to develop and implement Watershed Investment Programs including Water Funds using Nature-based Solutions.

Join us today at World Water Week in Stockholm. 

This session is co-convened by CEO Water Mandate, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), WaterAid, WaterAid India, Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), GSK, Gap Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Diageo and Meta.

Looking forward to seeing you there! Visit us at The Nature Conservancy Nature Hub booth.

Recently, our team visited the Mpanga Catchment - nestled between Lake George and the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains in Western Uganda - as part of our pre-feasibility study for a catchment investment programme in the area. The trip provided valuable insights into the water security challenges in the catchment, as well as efforts that are being undertaken to combat these challenges and promote sustainable livelihoods for communities in the area. 

Highlights:
Stakeholder Workshops: We gained key observations from stakeholders across a range of sectors at both national and catchment levels. 
Conservation Agriculture: We observed innovative techniques being adopted to protect and enhance the environment in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains.
Riparian Conservation: In Kamwenge district, efforts are underway to conserve and reforest key riparian areas in the midstream.
Community Beekeeping: An inspiring alternative livelihoods project is underway in the mid-stream, where we enjoyed sampling some delicious honey produced by the local community.

However, the trip also revealed areas of concern:

Unsustainable Practices: On the upper-mid stream, we witnessed troubling farming practices on steep slopes, as well as poorly maintained roads - leading to widespread erosion. We also noticed the draining of wetlands for agriculture and large-scale artisanal stone and sand mining throughout the catchment.

These observations highlight the need for continued support and education to promote sustainable practices and protect our vital ecosystems. We're committed to working towards solutions that balance development with environmental stewardship.

Are you a results-oriented individual passionate about applying scientific solutions to real-world water security challenges? Do you possess a strong foundation in spatial analysis and hydrological modeling, and thrive in a collaborative environment working with diverse partners?

If you're eager to contribute to the prioritization of NbS for watersheds and develop innovative management tools, we want to hear from you! Nature for Water seeks a talented Science Associate to join our team.

Hiring in Latin America & Caribbean

Science Associate posting (3+ years desired experience)

Are you a passionate advocate for NbS and their potential to achieve water security? Do you thrive in a leadership role where you can guide scientific projects and ensure the integrity of data and modeling?

If you're an expert in hydrological modeling and spatial analysis tools, eager to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, and possess excellent communication skills, then we want to hear from you! Nature for Water is searching for a talented Science Lead to spearhead critical scientific workstreams focused on NbS for water security.

Hiring in Latin America & Caribbean

Science Lead posting (5+ years desired experience). 

The Kenya country director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and climate change signed the Aide Memoir for the Global Environment Facility's eighth funding cycle for the Yala-Nyando Conservation Water Fund (YNCWF), led by Women in Water & Natural Resources Conservation (WWANC).

This significant milestone approved the design mission that has been ongoing, solidifying The Nature Conservancy as the official executing agency for the implementation.
 

Join the launch of the partnership "climate resilient watershed investments" between The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Blue Deal, WaterWorX, NWB Fonds and Nature for Water

Nature for Water is growing fast, and we are hiring. We're looking for a sustainability champion with experience in water, agriculture, or climate change.  A background in watershed Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) is a plus.  Analytical and quantitative background is desired. 

The location for this position is flexible within countries in Latin America, Caribbean, Africa and Continental Europe where TNC has the ability to hire (full remote).

In a bid to address the pressing challenges of global water security, a new partnership between Nature for Water, The Nature Conservancy, NWB Fund, WaterWorX, and BlueDeal has been made. 

This collaboration aims to harness Nature-based Solutions to combat the degradation of drinking water sources, which currently affects nearly half of the world's population. By combining their expertise and resources, these organizations aspire to develop, implement, and finance NbS projects worldwide, ensuring sustainable water resources for communities, cities, farmers, and businesses. 

In February 2024, with the help of Nature for Water, the NWSP released a business plan for a £30 million portfolio of nature-based solutions that offer a holistic approach to managing the region’s water resources. The plan prioritizes action along the Wensum, Yare, Bure and Ant rivers to build more resilient watersheds by reducing, slowing and infiltrating runoff, as well as changing land use in priority areas through interventions like leaky ponds, buffer strips and soil management. These solutions can be integrated into schemes for local nature recovery with limited land take that fit within a productive farmed landscape.

Kruger to Canyons recently launched their business case proposing a comprehensive Catchment Investment Program in the region.  Read more on LinkedIN

Celebrate world water day by joining the Nature for Water Facility!  We are looking for a dynamic, commercially-minded Engagement Manager with 3+ years experience in project finance / management consultancy / capital markets settings. Engagement Managers partner with N4W Science Leads to own the development and execution of on-the-ground projects.

Open to all geographies in North America, Europe, Africa, and Latin America where TNC has the ability to hire (full remote). 

We're delighted to partner with Stella Wanjala and her team from Women in Water to protect critical water resources in the Yala River Catchment, Kenya.  N4W is partnering with Women in Water and Natural Resource Conservation to complete a feasibility study for the region.