Gunnison Middle and High Schools in Colorado, USA first had the idea for a school and community water walk to promote the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. They started 2021, establishing their water walk in partnership with their local community (read more about Gunnsion School activities). ZWDP is now rolling out water walks as part of the Ice2Ice project across its partners school network.
Education for sustainable development (ESD)is frequently siloed to schools <SDG 4 target 4.7>, yet ESD is in SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production <target 12.8> and SDG 13 Climate Action <13.3>. This connects schools and educational institutions to local government and communities creating an ecosystem for lifelong learning for sustainable development.
A new UN report highlights the growing list of cities faces repeated water emergencies and “Day Zero” scenarios, where municipal systems are on the verge of being unable to supply piped water to most residents.
ZWDP work focuses on proactive action at global and community levels.
Read the Report ‘Global Water Bankruptcy Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era
The World Nature Forum in Naters, Switzerland is also home to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre for the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch.Â
ZWDP will be supporting Goal 2 of UN Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025–2034) to “Educate the public and policymakers about why the cryosphere matters for ecosystems, weather, and communities worldwide.”Â
It will also be one of planetary health weather stations venues in summer 2026.
Students from Ecole Moser Nyon watching a film on glaciers at the World Nature Forum. ZWDP collaborated with Ecole Moser to develop the ‘Ice to Ice’ (I2I ) project week for the school. This proved very successful so ZWDP is developing a 10 year global Ice2Ice project which will support the Water Partnership Ambassadors Programme (i. Schools, ii. General Public).
I2I will be launched on World Water Day on 22nd March.
United Nations 2025 Report on Sustainable Mountain Development was published in August with paragraph 75 featuring ZWDP ‘Saving the World’s Water Towers campaign;
“The Zero Water Day Partnership promotes inclusive education to deepen understanding of mountain challenges and responsibilities. Its Saving the Water Towers of the World campaign is aimed at integrating this approach into national
education policies“
This creates a solid platform for roll-out of the Water Partnership Ambassadors Education Programme and the Ice to Ice Expeditions in support of the UN Decade Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025–2034) with a focus on its 2nd Goal; Raise awareness; Educate the public and policymakers about why the cryosphere matters for ecosystems, weather, and communities worldwide.
Julian Fisher, Director ZWDP visited Mountain Partnership offices at FAO in Rome to discuss the Ice2Ice project and its launch during 2026 UNESCO Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025–2034) as well as the ZWDP Issue brief planned for COP 30 Climate Conference in Belém Brazil on the 19th November.
Other workstreams included progress of the sustainable mountain guiding syllabus (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations, IFMGA) and the planned mobile planetary health weather station, as well as looking ahead to International Year of Sustainable and Resilience Tourism in 2027.
The Zero Water Day Partnership is an accredited non-governmental organisation for the UN Water Conference in Dubai in December 2026. We are planning a satellite conference where our partners schools can actively and meaningfully participate and present their projects and deliver key advocacy for Action on Water for Sustainability.
This follows the ZWDP official virtual side event at 2023 UN Water Conference ‘The Voice of Children and Youth on Water for Sustainable Development; Taking Action for Humanity and the Planet‘ and continues to implement the Children’s Call to Action to protect mountain areas from the impact of climate change launched at COP 26 Climate Conference in Glasgow in 2021, see recordings of the session ‘Transforming our World: Children’s Voice for 2025‘
Zero Water Day Partnership provided valuable input for the 2025 FAO Mountain Partnership Secretariat publication <Glaciers and Mountains – the Food, Water,Security and Livelihoods Nexus> Policy recommendations to strengthen food and water security in mountains
and downstream. The recommendations included i. enhance data and monitoring which connects to the role of Mountain Guides in research, see Chamonix Guides Bureau ‘Mountain Guides and Climate Change; A Story of Adaption), and ii. promoting the participation of stakeholders, including
women, youth, local communities and Indigenous Peoples which links to the Water Partnership Ambassadors Programme and ZWDP work on One Health education in Zimbabwe for Traditional Medicines, see WHO draft Strategy.
ZWDP at the base of the Bosson’s Glacier in Chamonix, French Alps in 2025. to develop a mobile planetary health weather station as part of Ice to Ice Expeditions in support of the UN Decade Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025–2034) with a focus on its 2nd Goal; Raise awareness; Educate the public and policymakers about why the cryosphere matters for ecosystems, weather, and communities worldwide.
Mountains are the water towers of the world, yet everyone’s daily decisions and actions are contributing to the accelerating ice loss of glaciers and polar regions. The loss of the planet’s freshwater sources presents a global Zero Water Day for Humanity. Global citizenship education can help connect the UN Decade Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences and its research questions / agenda (Goal 1) with school science curricula and citizen science efforts that seek to safeguard community land and water ecosystems. The World Meteorological Organisation youth engagement and forthcoming Youth Action Plan aims to strengthen youth participation in decision-making, capacity development and scientific innovation.
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More InformationOur Oceans, Our Future has been produced by students of Strathallan School in Scotland “the greatest threat to our planet is thinking that someone else will save it”.Â
This video features Xavier Calihol a mountain guide based in the town of Chamonix in the Mont Blanc Massif, French Alps talking about the impact of climate change on mountains from the perspective of a young guide and also his research.Â
2025 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report Mountains and Glaciers: Water Towers
 ZWDP is a member of the Planetary Health Alliance, read more about our collaborationÂ
ZWDP is collaborating with UNESCO Alpine world Heritage Centre Swiss Alps «natural and culture heritage for sustainable mountain development»Â
ZWDP is collaborating with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations on the development of the Sustainable Mountain Guiding syllabusÂ
Zero Water Day Partnership is a member of the Global Network in Health in All Polices (GNHIAP) Executive Committee  (see GNHIAP page for more information).Â
Our Black and White Photo Stories will feature reportage around the theme water.
Click to view March 2025 BW photo-story  Â
Colour photo-stories cover all aspects of ZWDP work
Click to view May 2025 photo storyÂ
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