Population growth, climate change and drinking water scarcity mean that sustainably managing global water resources is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. To help solve the conflicts developing around this “blue gold”, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has initiated the "Water as a global Ressource (GRoW)“funding measure on the basis of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
A short summary of GRoW’s first year paints a positive picture. The research projects have started well and are also attracting a great deal of international attention. They have begun developing partnerships and networks with public and private international stakeholders, and are finding support among global environmental organisations. This keen interest shows that GRoW is doing relevant, topical work – primarily because it is successfully developing local and regional, globally transferrable solutions for protecting water resources.
