As the G20 Summit approaches, addressing water scarcity and its impact on livelihoods and economic development remains a critical global priority. For the first time, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) was invited to join the G20 as a thought partner, bringing decades of global expertise in water security, data-driven solutions and sustainable water management practices to the table.
Henry Roman, IWMI’s Regional Representative for Southern Africa and Country Representative for South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, is representing the Institute on South Africa’s G20 Environmental, Climate and Sustainability Working Group.
In this conversation, Roman offered an insider’s perspective on IWMI’s growing influence in shaping water policy, playing a central role in ensuring the G20 Water Dialogue is part of the agenda during the South Africa Presidency and helping governments translate science into policy.
This is the first time IWMI is part of the G20 Advisory Committee. What does this role entail and what are the main outcomes so far?
Henry Roman: IWMI was invited by South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment to serve as a thought leader — essentially, a knowledge and policy advisor — on water-related issues within the G20’s Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group.
Early on, it became clear that water was not getting the attention it deserved. So, our role has been to bring water back to the center of these discussions — making sure it’s not just treated as a cross-cutting theme, but as a foundational issue that underpins economic growth, ecosystem health and resilience.
I am particularly proud of the revival of the Water Dialogue this year. Once an annual forum of G20, the Water Dialogue was missing from last year’s agenda, and for a while, we weren’t sure if it would return. However, IWMI stepped in as a neutral broker to bring stakeholders together and put the Dialogue back on the agenda this September. It was a unique opportunity for IWMI to shape this year’s Dialogue and contribute to its key focus areas such as wastewater reuse, acid mine drainage and drought action platforms. It’s a major step forward.
I’m also excited to see IWMI Research Officer Seipati Mokhem on the Y20 Advisory Committee, bringing a strong gender, equality and social inclusion perspective. She will advocate for better inclusion of African youth in agriculture, water management and employment.
What role can the G20 play in helping strengthen water security and climate resilience?
Roman: First, by recognizing that water has economic value. For too long, water has been viewed as abundant and free, but that’s a dangerous illusion. As droughts and floods intensify, we’re seeing the economic costs of inaction.
G20 nations can help by directing climate and development finance toward ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions. When you restore wetlands, catchments and ecological infrastructure, you improve both water quality and quantity. It is cheaper and more sustainable than simply building new treatment plants.
We also need to view water from an end-user perspective — not just for people and industries, but for ecosystems themselves. Rivers, wetlands and aquifers all require water to function. If we protect ecosystems, they in turn sustain economies and communities.
South Africa’s G20 presidency has emphasized that this isn’t just South Africa’s G20 — it’s Africa’s G20. And that has given water a stronger voice.
What are IWMI’s priorities within this year’s G20, and how is the Institute poised to influence water policy and practice?
Roman: IWMI’s priorities are grounded in our strategy to advance water security across the Global South. Last year, five countries in Southern Africa declared national disasters due to droughts, which were quickly followed by catastrophic floods. These disaster events underscore the urgency for better water management. This is the kind of policy change we hope to influence — ensuring water security for all and defining a clear path to achieve it.
IWMI brings a wealth of expertise from nature-based solutions and irrigation innovations to governance advice and early warning systems, allowing us to influence both water policy and practice.
Water data in particular, is key to unlocking water security. In Southern Africa, this means improving how we collect and use data to inform decisions. IWMI’s Digital Twin project in the Limpopo Basin, for example, combines virtual water modeling with a bespoke AI assistant that converts complex science into actionable recommendations. The project brings together Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe to explore the Digital Twin technology and establish critical data-sharing protocols. Also, our citizen science work ensures local communities are part of the collection of river data that feeds into the Digital Twin. This approach expands the data pool, strengthens local ownership and helps governments monitor river and ecosystem health more effectively. Water doesn’t respect borders and without shared data, you can’t manage a shared river.
On the policy front, Zimbabwe recently asked IWMI to help revise their national irrigation policy. Once, Zimbabwe was the breadbasket of Africa, and there’s real momentum to restore that capacity through improved agricultural practices, including smarter irrigation and sustainable water use.
In neighboring Malawi, we launched a gender-focused program that empowers women farmers to take up decision-making roles in water and agricultural management.
We are also engaging with regional transboundary basin commissions like the Limpopo River Basin Commission (LIMCOM) and the Incomati and Maputo Watercourse Commission (INMACOM). These partnerships are helping countries align water accounting, ecosystem health and even gender outcomes. Trust-building takes years, but we’re now seeing that foundation paying off.
Finally, what is your message to G20 leaders about the role of water in shaping a more sustainable future?
Roman: When we talk about economic growth, we must first acknowledge that water is not a byproduct. It is a fundamental economic factor and central to development.
We need to restore the ecosystems that supply our water, enforce stricter pollution controls and invest in water reuse that’s fit for purpose. We must ensure that communities downstream do not bear the burden of upstream pollution. The world is moving towards water reuse. We don’t need portable water for everything. Particularly for industry and agriculture, recycling wastewater has far-reaching economic and environmental benefits.
Ultimately, securing water means securing economies, food systems and futures. Water is the golden thread that ties all of our sustainability goals together.
Coming up: Seipati Mokhem, research officer on gender, social inclusion and youth on representing IWIMI at Y20.
