From August 30 to September 5, 2025, 40 young water leaders from seven European countries gathered in Strasbourg as part of the Youth for Water and Climate Programme (YWCP) – a programme coordinated by the International Secretariat for Water (Solidarity Water Europe – Europea office) that aims to equip youth to address the challenges of sustainable management of water resources, build climate resilience and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.
This unique programme is financed by the Erasmus+ programme of the EU, supported by the Artois Picardie Water Agency (AEAP) and the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC), with technical support of its partners from the educational, entrepreneurial and youth sectors : Global Water Partnership (Hungary), the University of Vilnius (Lithuania), Wavemakers United (the Netherlands), Earth Forever Foundation (Bulgaria), GEYC (Romania) and Global Water Partnership Mediterranean (Greece).
This mobility week was dedicated to deepening the key concepts elaborated in the 3rd et 4th modules of the online curriculum (water and climate entrepreneurship and the knowledge of the water and climate actors), through various activities and exchanges with water professionals from the local to the European levels.
A rich and collaborative programme
Participants took part in job interview preparation workshops, including simulations and advice on how to launch their own initiatives in the sector.
Throughout the week, they had the chance to learn from a wide variety of actors. The testimonies of NGOs Octop’us and Wavemakers United shed light on the challenges and opportunities of social entrepreneurship. Exchanges with representatives of the European Collectivity of Alsace, as well as discussions with students from ENGEES – the National School for Water and Environmental Engineering in Strasbourg – offered new perspectives and a concrete look at local dynamics.
The wide range of capacity building activities allowed participants to familiarize themselves with water professions and water-related actions in the European and cross-border context. This is why the participants were made aware of the development of water policies in the cross-border (structuring of inter-municipal cooperation around water policies, French-German cooperation in the water sector) and European contexts. In this framework, the participants had the opportunity to learn from water professionals from local and regional authorities (European Collectivity of Alsace, Water Union SDEA) as well as from the European institutions (European Parliament, Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR)). These exchanges allowed participants to learn about the variety of actors and professions involved in the sustainable management of water resources at local, European and cross-border levels as well as develop their networking opportunities.
This week in Strasbourg has been an extremely inspiring and enriching experience. The workshops and field visits have given me a clear and in-depth perspective on water governance and its international and local challenges. Beyond the knowledge I have gained, meeting passionate and interesting people has strengthened my determination to become a leader in the field of water and climate! – Mateo, YWCP participant
Conclusion and next steps
The in-person activities organised in Strasbourg were greatly impactful for the participants, allowing them to gain access to knowledge, experience and to develop connections with their peers, mentors and leading organizations. It provided them with concrete tools, transversal and specific skills that will be of great help for them to develop concrete projects or access employment opportunities.
It also paved the way for the next stages of the programme, with the implementation of a mentorship scheme and the animation of a community of practice, before the next mobility scheduled in Budapest in January 2026.
