UNESCO’s Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate (MAWAC) is an international collaboration platform of megacities around the world focusing on sustainable urban water management and climate change adaptation.
MAWAC is launching a global consultation on the Draft Global Strategic Framework (MAWAC-SGF), a document that describes the Terms of Reference of the Alliance and invites the active participation of global megacities and partners to the forthcoming activities in 2021 and 2022. Regional meetings are organized from May to July 2021 to facilitate the consultation process.
MAWAC will be officially established and membership of the platform will be launched at the General Assembly of the MAWAC, during the Second International Conference on Water, Megacities and Global Change (EauMega 2022) from 11 to 14 January 2022 in Paris, France.
UNESCO serves as the Secretariat for the Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate (MAWAC). The call for the establishment of MAWAC was made during the 1st International Conference “Water, Megacities, and Global Change” held at UNESCO in 2015, and it will materialize through the agreement of megacities’ representatives at the 2nd International Conference (EauMega 2022).
Heading towards the EauMega 2022, UNESCO invites key water stakeholders of megacities and partners to contribute to the following activities in 2021 and 2022:
- Review of the 1st Draft of MAWAC Strategic Global Framework;
- Development and publication of new Water Monographies (2020-2022);
- Participation in the online MAWAC Regional Meetings, from May to July 2021, for:
- Latin America and the Caribbean (MAWAC-LAC) | 26-27 May 2021
- Asia and the Pacific (MAWAC-ASPAC) | 14-16 June 2021
- Africa (AFR) | 21-22 June 2021
- Europe and North America (ENA) | 6-7 July 2021
- Participation to the 2nd International Conference “Water, Megacities and Global Change” (EauMega 2022) | 11-14 January 2022;
The MAWAC is based on the coordination and cooperation of 4 key stakeholders related to water and climate management, consisting of decision makers, water and wastewater operators and utilities, academia and river basin authorities. Furthermore, it recognizes the role and importance of a wide range of actors from the public and private sectors, civil society, regional and international organizations and foundations, as well as individual specialists as key partners and facilitators for the Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate. This concept was developed based on the ARCEAU model and following year-long discussions of a Working Group established by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme to comprehensively elaborate the scope and capability for global cooperation among megacities on water and climate issues.
Opportunities to support and contribute to the Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate (MAWAC) are now open. For more information, please contact Mr. Alexandros Makarigakis and the Water for Human Settlements team of UNESCO.
Context
To date, MAWAC has achieved several milestones, including joining the Global Alliance for Water and Climate (GAFWAC) and the UNESCO Cities Platform (UCP), the 2016 and 2019 publication of 16 Megacities Monographies, the organization of the 1st regional meeting in Latin America in Sao Paulo in 2019 and of the Pre-Conference “Water, Megacities, and Global Change” held virtually in 2020. The MAWAC has ensured regular participation to key global events such as World Water Week, the World Urban Forum and Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) showcasing the opportunities for megacities to disseminate knowledge, share experiences and network.
More information
Participating megacities
The invitation to megacities is based on the World Urban Prospect 2018. Local authorities of the following megacities are invited to participate:
- MAWAC-ASPAC: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bangkok, Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Karachi, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Manila, Mumbai, Nanjing, New Delhi, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Tehran, Tokyo, Wuhan, Xi’an;
- MAWAC-LAC: Buenos Aires, Lima, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Sao Paulo;
- MAWAC-ENA: Istanbul, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Paris, Chicago;
- MAWAC-AFR: Cairo, Johannesburg, Kinshasa, Lagos;
UNESCO Contacts
Headquarters | Mr. Alexandros Makarigakis, a.makarigakis@unesco.org
Asian and the Pacific region (MAWAC-ASPAC)
- Bangkok Office | Mr. Benno Boer, b.boer@unesco.org
- Beijing Office | Mr. Philippe Pypaert, p.pypaert@unesco.org
- Hanoi Office | Ms. Lan Huong Tran, l.tran@unesco.org
- Jakarta Office (main) | Mr. Hans Thulstrup, h.thulstrup@unesco.org
- New Delhi Office | Ms. Neha Midha, n.midha@unesco.org
- Tehran Office | Ms. Mehrasa Mehrdadi, m.mehrdadi@unesco.org
- Islamabad Office | Mr. Raza Shah, r.shah@unesco.org
Latin America and the Caribbean region (MAWAC-LAC)
- Montevideo Office (main) | Mr. Miguel Doria, m.doria@unesco.org
- Brasilia Office | Mr. Glauco Kimura, g.kimura@unesco.org
- Lima Office | Mr. Ernesto Fernandez Polcuch, e.fernandez-polcuch@unesco.org
Europe and North America region (MAWAC-ENA)
- Venice Office (main) | Mr. Jonathan Baker, j.baker@unesco.org
- New York Liaison Office |Ms. Lily Gray, l.gray@unesco.org
Africa region (MAWAC-AFR)
- Nairobi Office | Mr. Samuel Partey, s.partey@unesco.org
- Abuja Office | Ms. Enang Efiom Moma, ee.moma@unesco.org
- Cairo Office (main) | Mr. Imam Bisher, i.bisher@unesco.org
- Kinshasa Office | Mr. Jean-Pierre Ilboudo, jp.ilboudo@unesco.org
- Harare Office | Mr. Koen Verbist, k.verbist@unesco.org
- Yaounde Office | Ms. Annie Claude Nsom Zamo, ac.nsom-zamo@unesco.org