News

Water Resources Commission, Ghana (WRC) officially launched the business case for the Black Volta Watershed in Ghana – a major milestone in the journey to protect one of West Africa’s most critical river basins.

Nature for Water is proud to have supported WRC in developing this case, which outlines how nature-based solutions can help tackle growing water quality challenges driven by agricultural expansion, deforestation of riparian buffers, and illegal mining. These solutions not only protect water resources but also delivering numerous co-benefits for local communities, biodiversity and climate resilience. With WRC’s leadership and the potential to tap into Ghana’s national water tariff as a sustainable funding source, this model could scale across the country, driving long-term impact.

Photo credits: Michael Vice

The N4W Call for Proposals is officially open! If you're working on Nature-Based Solutions to address water scarcity, flooding, or water quality challenges, this is your chance to receive pro-bono technical assistance from our team to develop and scale your program.
 

The Resilient Watershed Network and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) are hosting a webinar on the governance models that drive successful Watershed Investment Programs.

Date: 25th of March 2025
Time: 9:00am ET

Watershed Investment Programs take many forms, from water funds to hosted programs and umbrella agreements. This session will explore:
Different governance models and how they shape implementation
The role of utilities, corporates, and government entities
Case studies, challenges, and lessons learned
 

Around the world, watershed investment programs are helping communities address pressing water security challenges. In the process, they’re also delivering multiple benefits to people and nature.

That’s the case in Quito, Ecuador, where the world’s first water fund was launched 25 years ago - Fondo para la Protección del Agua - FONAG

Here, watershed restoration efforts have not only cost-effectively improved water security, they’ve succeeded in restoring significant portions of the local landscape—and helped biodiversity rebound.

Explore the Quito Water Fund here and discover the beauty of the paramos landscape it’s helping protect. 

Photo credits: Sebastian Di Domenico

Nature-Based Solutions in Action: Norfolk Water Fund Featured in The Nature Conservancy Magazine

It’s inspiring to see the Norfolk Water Fund and its partners featured in The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Magazine—a major milestone in advancing nature-based solutions for water security in Europe.

This initiative is bringing together farmers, local authorities, and conservationists to restore Norfolk’s globally rare chalk streams, proving that investing in nature benefits both people and businesses. With pilot projects already in motion, this work is laying the foundation for long-term water resilience, biodiversity restoration, and sustainable land management.

We’re excited to see the Warwickshire Avon project featured as a WINEP case study—showcasing the role of Nature-based Solutions in addressing key water challenges in the UK.

This collaborative initiative, led by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust alongside Severn Trent, the Environment Agency, and Warwickshire County Council, is working with Nature for Water to explore holistic, sustainable solutions for river health, flood risk management, and habitat restoration.

The project is part of a broader effort to improve water quality, reduce pollutants, and enhance ecosystem resilience—aligning with the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) objectives. 
 

Our Nature for Water team recently had the privilege of joining the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC team in the field—gaining firsthand insights into the challenges and opportunities for watershed restoration and conservation. From tackling invasive alien plant (IAP) clearing to monitoring sedimentation impacts, this trip reinforced the urgency of investing in Nature-based Solutions for water security.

Some key moments include:

• Informal, community-driven clearing of invasives for wood and charcoal—highlighting both impact and opportunity.
• Strategizing for IAP clearing in the first Nbal and identifying areas requiring specialist high-angle teams.
• Collaborating with the Blyde Restoration Working Group to shape a 5-year implementation plan.
• Witnessing severe sedimentation issues from illegal gold mining and discussing the potential risk this poses to the catchments.

A big thank you to the K2C team and partners for their dedication to protecting these vital ecosystems

Photo credits: Jo Douwes

The Nature for Water team recently visited the city of Quito, Ecuador to analyze the costs and benefits of removing exotic species (pine and eucalyptus) from Fondo para la Protección del Agua - FONAG area of influence in the Metropolitan District of Quito. Understanding these trade-offs is important to ensure sustainable watershed management to guarantee water security. 

Photo credits: Amber Waltz

As global water challenges intensify, aligning financial strategies with sustainable water management has never been more critical.

Join The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Water Finance Coalition on January
31 for a special webinar that explores the role Public Development Banks and other financial institutions can play in mainstreaming nature-based solutions for water security.

This year has been full of learning, challenges, and progress in our journey to advance Nature-based Solutions for Water Security. The N4W 2024 Yearbook captures the work we’ve done—not alone, but alongside incredible partners, communities, and colleagues.

In 2024 we had the privilege of learning from communities and partners across the globe and supporting efforts to scale NbS programs at watershed scale with real impact

None of this would be possible without the collaboration, commitment, and vision of so many. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey—we still have much to learn and do together.

Water is the canary in the coalmine of climate change.

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.

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.