Freshwater management is a major challenge for society, especially in developing economies. It is also becoming increasingly difficult due to the impacts of climate change.

Hydropower infrastructure is capable of storing water, setting it apart from other renewable technologies. Hydropower’s storage capabilities enable it to provide climate adaptation services to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events, such as prolonged drought and significant flood events. At the crossroads of the water and energy nexus, hydropower can serve as the driver for the development of more multipurpose reservoirs. It therefore has the potential to play a fundamental role in achieving most of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular ensuring availability and sustainable management of water for all.

Do current policies provide an adequate framework to respond to the challenges of sustainable water management and achieve the SDGs? How can hard and soft infrastructure work together to deliver water services?

In this plenary session, representatives from governments, business and civil society organisations will share the challenges that they face and ideas and solutions based on proven good practices and success stories from around the world.