UN-Water has announced that the theme for World Water Day in 2022 is ‘Groundwater – Making the Invisible Visible’. Groundwater forms the backbone of water security and climate resilience across the world. With climate change intensifying water-related weather extremes, and further stress on limited water resources from population growth, groundwater is set to become more important for adaptation while also coming under increasing pressure. The bright side of this vast challenge is that with a better understanding of the resource and investments in its proper management, rural and urban populations can continue to harness the unmatched benefits of this resource long into the future.

The Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice (GRIPP), coordinated by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in collaboration with the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), and the University of Victoria, are hosting a webinar series together with other co-convening partners at this year’s virtual World Water Week (#WWWeek organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

The aim of this webinar series is to discuss the role of groundwater in a resilient development pathway under climate change and other slow- or fast-onset global disrupters. Initiatives underway to identify groundwater-smart solutions, management strategies and partnerships to enhance resilience of the resource as well as the populations and ecosystems depending on it will be showcased and discussed. The webinar series is targeted towards policy makers, practitioners, researchers, development partners and the private sector.