Note: The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Newday Impact. Any content provided by our authors is of their opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything.

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THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER:

IMPACT COMMENTARY

Sustainable Water for Peace

With the upcoming 31st celebration of World Water Day on March 22nd, it’s important to take a moment to consider one of our planet’s most valuable resources – water. The theme chosen for this year’s World Water Day by the UN is “Leveraging Water for Peace,” as scarcity or contamination of water, along with challenges in obtaining clean water, can lead to tensions and conflicts.  Around half of the global population has faced significant water shortages at some point due to the limited availability of clean and fresh water that cannot be replaced.  This is why water sustainability is a crucial consideration for our future, particularly for the 2.2 billion individuals who lack access to safe water.

Photo: UN-Water

Ensuring water sustainability means securing potable water to meet future generations’ needs, including agricultural activities, water usage, and biodiversity. Despite this, our water supply faces a multitude of obstacles. As urban areas and human populations continue to grow, there is a corresponding increase in water demand. Agriculture, the largest consumer of freshwater, necessitates a substantial quantity for livestock and irrigation purposes. Moreover, water usage has increased significantly due to the industrial revolution in recent decades. This rise in water usage has led to the exhaustion of more than half of the world’s major aquifers, putting future water security at risk. Climate change is also increasing the frequency and severity of weather events, which leads to an increase in droughts, storms, and floods compared to any other time in recorded history. This damages the infrastructure of affected areas, resulting in unreliable water systems and food shortages. Given the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, it is crucial to prioritize sustainability and water management.

Water systems and practices should be designed to meet current needs without depleting water resources for future generations. Groundwater plays a vital role as a global freshwater source, but unsustainable extraction practices are quickly affecting it. Groundwater levels are decreasing and contamination is rising, which is reducing the overall availability of water worldwide. Surface water varies in abundance worldwide and human activity and pollution frequently make numerous surface water sources unfit for drinking without treatment.

This surge in global demand has resulted in an increased need for safe drinking water. If carried out sustainably, desalination, or the removal of salt from water, has the potential to greatly enhance global water availability. Nevertheless, existing practices necessitate greater energy consumption in comparison to groundwater and surface water treatment, often rendering desalination unviable. One possible solution is to power desalination plants with renewable energy, such as solar.

Protecting marine life and preserving our oceans is also essential for ensuring water sustainability. The ocean is the largest ecosystem on Earth, and plays an important role in providing rainwater, drinking water, and oxygen that is essential for life. Our planet depends on a thriving ocean to sustain its global ecosystem. Thus, a comprehensive understanding and assessment of water sustainability requires taking marine conservation into account.

With increasing threats to water resources, it’s clear that water sustainability is not just a choice but a necessity. It’s a critical step towards ensuring a secure future for our planet and its inhabitants. By understanding its importance and implementing sustainable practices, we can contribute to a future where water, the lifeblood of our planet, is no longer a threatened resource.

As we commemorate World Water Day in a few weeks, each nation, community, and individual must recognize the significance of water sustainability and work towards its realization. Only through our coordinated and collective efforts can we guarantee a sustainable future and utilize water as a catalyst for peace for future generations.

Please visit Newday Impact’s water advocacy partners and see how you can help. 

Georgia Badiel Foundation – Georgiebadielfoundation 

Earth Echo International – EarthEcho International

Special Message From Our Impact Partner, Georgie Badiel, Founder of the Georgie Badiel Foundation

Written by: Georgie Badiel

Happy International Women’s Day! This year’s theme is “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”.

For the past 7 years, the Georgie Badiel Foundation (GBF) has focused on investing in women in rural communities in Burkina Faso by teaching them basic engineering skills to sustain their water projects.

I initiated this program because, during my visits to villages in the early stages of GBF, I often encountered broken wells. When I asked the women where they fetched water, they mentioned it was a three- to four-hour journey to the nearest village. Surprisingly, they admitted they didn’t know how to repair the broken wells. That’s when I decided to empower them by teaching basic engineering skills. Alongside GBF’s local engineers, we developed a 13-month curriculum consisting of theoretical classes, practical skill training, and a final assessment. This curriculum has been tailored over the years to cater to women with diverse educational backgrounds, which has contributed to the success of our program.

Our trainers include an Engineer with 10 years of experience, a history and geography teacher, and two pump technicians each with over 15 years of experience, all holding government-recognized degrees. Courses are conducted in the Mooré language, spoken by over 50% of the Burkinabè population.

In theoretical classes, women learn about Burkina Faso’s history, geography, underground water, water contamination, drilling wells, hygiene, sanitation, and more. Practical training covers hygiene practices, well repair, monitoring, data transfer, and community strengthening.

Burkina Faso has over 9,000 broken wells, with the Ministry of Water reporting 5,769. However, due to challenges, especially in areas affected by terrorist attacks in the north, the actual number may be higher.

Currently, there are 278 women in GBF’s network of women engineers. We recently partnered with L’Oreal Funds For Women, who provided funds to train an additional 143 women. We are grateful for their support.

I am determined to address the water crisis in Burkina Faso by empowering women to sustain their water projects. As we celebrate Women’s Day, I invite you to join us in our mission. Your support can help empower women and create sustainable water projects for generations to come. You can donate by clicking this link.

I am also excited to announce a special virtual event in collaboration with Newday Impact, hosted by renowned journalist Mitch Ratcliffe, on March 21st to celebrate World Water Day. Click this link to RSVP. 

We are also launching a monthly donation campaign to provide clean drinking water to families in rural Burkina Faso. Follow GBF on social media to find out how you can play a key part in this mission.

https://www.facebook.com/GeorgieBadielFoundation

https://www.instagram.com/georgiebfoundation/

In conclusion, I would like to thank you for your continued support. Your contribution means the world to me. Together, let’s invest in women, accelerate progress, and create a brighter future for all.

Thank you

COUNTRY GOVERNANCE RESEARCH COMMENTARY

Ukraine fights to maintain its defense after two-years of war

Two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has defied initial expectations of their quick defeat, and they have managed to retake around fifty percent of the land Russia had initially occupied.  Despite the underwhelming results from their summer counteroffensive, there were other successes during that time.  Notably, the Ukrainians have been able to resume grain exports in the Black Sea, and they have conducted a number of long-range strikes in occupied Crimea and inside of Russia.  However, now entering the war’s third year their further progress more than ever depends on continued support from their Western partners.  After some delays, the European Union passed a substantial package of $54 billion in financial assistance, but the $60 billion in aid that President Biden proposed in October remains blocked in the House of Representatives.  Following the Republican majority’s demand for immigration reforms in exchange for their support, the Senate spent months negotiating a bipartisan border security bill, only for it to be summarily rejected by Republicans after Donald Trump came out against the bill.  The Senate subsequently overwhelmingly passed the supplemental stripped of its border provisions.  Expectations are that it would pass by a similar margin in the House, but as of this writing Speaker Johnson has not yet agreed to allow it to come up for a vote.  

Implications:  The death of Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, in an Artic prison is a reminder of the common values Ukraine is fighting to defend.  The delay in delivering support is already having a real impact on the battlefield, with ammunition shortages being blamed for Ukraine’s recent decision to withdraw from the strategic town of Avdiivka.

Negotiations continue for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire

Negotiators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar have been working to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, now in its fifth month.  President Biden has expressed hope that a deal could be reached soon, though both Israel and Hamas have since said they did not think an agreement was imminent.  The broad contours of a deal have been reported to include a 40 day pause in fighting and the exchange of roughly forty hostages for Palestinian prisoners.  Aid deliveries would also be increased during any cease-fire.  Greater aid flows are seen as vital to easing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.  The authorities in Hamas controlled Gaza have claimed that the conflict has killed almost 30,000 people, and large parts of the territory have been decimated by the fighting.  Further complicating the situation, a breakdown of civil order and increasing lawlessness has hindered aid deliveries.   A UN official recently told the Security Council that a quarter of Gaza’s population is close to famine.  Sticking points to a ceasefire agreement include the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, and also the types of prisoners to be exchanged – Hamas has asked to include some individuals serving life sentences for murder.  

Implications: The start of Ramadan around March 10 is seen as an important date for reaching a deal.  The Israeli government has warned that if the hostages are not released by then that they will enter southern city of Rafa, where they believe hostages are being held and where also some 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere in Gaza.  The leader of Hamas, in turn, has called for Palestinians to mark the start of Ramadan by marching to the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, a highly symbolic site that has been a flashpoint for past Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Save the Date: March 21, 2024 — 11am-12:30pm PDT

World Water Day: Water for Peace Virtual Event

Join us for a special virtual event in honor of World Water Day!

On March 21, 2024, at 12:30 PM PDT, Mitch Radcliffe of Intentional Futures will host an inspiring conversation with Georgie Badiel, founder of the Georgie Badiel Foundation, and Doug Heske, CEO of Newday Impact.

During this event, we’ll dive into the important work of the Georgie Badiel Foundation in Burkina Faso, as well as the launch of their new micro-donation campaign. Learn how you can make a difference and drive donations to support access to clean water while contributing to peace-building efforts in Burkina Faso.

Additionally, we’ll introduce you to Newday’s water-related initiatives and innovative financing vehicles that are creating positive change in communities around the world.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from two incredible leaders in the water advocacy space and discover how you can get involved. RSVP today to secure your spot!

FROM OUR SOCIAL

WATCH | Ocean Health: How saving krill can help save the planet

During this wide-ranging discussion, a range of experts in ocean health discussed the overfishing of krill, vital technologies to ocean efforts, and leveraging private and public partnerships to fight for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and other collaborative solutions for ocean conversation:

• Millicent Pitts (Ocean Exchange)
• Aaron Niederhelman (Monger.fish)
• Melissa Walton (formerly As You Sow)
• Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau (EarthEcho International)
• Philipp Stratmann (Ocean Power Technologies)
• Doug Heske, (Newday Impact)

Watch the recording here.

WATCH: Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) Seminar with Newday Impact

In a compelling fireside chat, GPSA Program Manager Aly Rahim and Newday Impact CEO Doug Heske explored the intersection between multilateral development banks, impact investors, and the crucial role of civil society in strengthening this alliance. The conversation highlighted the pressing need for innovative solutions to reflect the urgency of current global challenges.

Participants also addressed concerns such as the erosion of trust in traditional financial systems and the urgency to formalize partnerships with civil society while ensuring climate justice integration. The conversation underscored the necessity for authenticity in the investment landscape and the empowerment of future generations to tackle climate challenges head-on.

Watch the recording here.