The Resilient Watersheds Network (previously, Water Funds Network) was founded by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 2014 for practitioners to connect and share best-practices for developing nature-based solutions for water security projects. Since then, the Network has grown to become a large community of practice with membership spanning from NGOs/civil society, corporations, investors, governments, utilities, regulators, academia, and more. As such, members of the Network have expertise in a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, including watershed conservation and aquatic sciences to governance and financing, and marketing and communications.
We aim to build the capacity of practitioners, investors, and champions to meet demand for watershed conservation and nature-based solutions through peer networks, tools, trainings, and technical assistance.
Membership Offerings
Members of the Resilient Watersheds Network (RWN) have access to leading resources and tools on the Resilient Watersheds Toolbox, and opportunities to continue their learning by attending our quarterly webinars. They can also request a virtual or in-person training, access coaching and peer mentors, and apply for technical support through the Nature for Water Facility. Members have an opportunity to influence our offerings via the Annual Network Survey which asks members to prioritize the offerings, resources, and topic areas most useful to them.
As a Network member, we hope you’ll take the opportunity to contribute to this growing knowledge base by,
Collaborating to produce discrete products such as case studies, factsheets, and guidance.
Sharing your expertise by presenting on a quarterly webinar or signing up to host a training.
Providing peer review or offering advice to others navigating the project development cycle.
Sharing project updates, achievements, and opportunities with the Network
Providing feedback through the Annual Survey to shape the Network’s priorities over the next year.
Browse our selection of webinars, newsletters, and training offerings below.
Regional Water Fund Networks
To accommodate time differences, languages, and country-specific context and needs, the Water Funds for Africa Network (WFAN) was formed in January 2019. Likewise, discussions are continuing about the creation of a Latin America Water Funds Network (LAR WFN). Unlike the global WFN, these regional networks are also an important stage and outcome as water fund strategies develop for specific geographies, and find it helpful to align on best practices and needed support, etc.
Meet the Network Manager
Florence Mugi
Resilient Watersheds Network Manager
The Nature Conservancy
resilientwatersheds@TNC.ORG
Testimonials
"Para Aquafondo, ser parte de la Red de Fondos de Agua y contar con espacios de intercambio de conocimiento nos ha permitido fortalecer nuestro liderazgo, posicionarnos como un fuerte articulador y generar alianzas estratégicas con el sector privado. Este enfoque integral no solo ha consolidado nuestra capacidad para gestionar los recursos hídricos de manera eficiente, sino que también nos ha establecido como un modelo sólido y exitoso con un enorme potencial para ser replicado y adaptado por otros fondos de agua a nivel global."
—Mariella Sánchez Directora Ejecutiva Aquafondo
"The resources from The Nature Conservancy's Water Funds Toolbox have been fundamental for our organization in Mendoza. Thanks to these tools and the technical assistance both within and outside The Nature for Water Facility & training, our public and private partners have progressively incorporated the watershed-scale vision and nature-based solutions (NBS) to address water security challenges. This collaboration has enabled us to understand the power of working collaboratively among partners and with the communities, strengthening our water fund initiatives and projects".
—Lic. Lía Martínez, Directora Ejecutiva, Fondo de Agua del Río Mendoza
"The Water Funds toolbox resources and training have been valuable in helping us develop the Sebou Water Fund. The comprehensive guidance and support from the network have significantly enhanced our efforts in water conservation and sustainable management. The collaboration with partners has been strengthened, leading to greater impact and development of our initiatives."
—Yousra Madani, President, Living Planet Morocco
“Water utilities have grey infrastructure in our DNA. It’s what we know. So moving in the direction of green infrastructure as we are is a little daunting and can be hard to explain to a “grey” crowd. The things we learn and participate in through the Reliant Watersheds Network help us to understand more what others are doing and to learn from them. Just knowing we’re not alone is important.”
—Paul Thomas Hunt, Environmental Services Manager, Portland Water District
"Sebago Clean Waters (SCW) has greatly benefited from being part of the Resilient Watersheds Network. The exchange of ideas with national and global partners has exposed us to novel approaches to source water protection and helped fuel our innovation. Training, peer learning and Toolbox resources have informed and inspired our expanding community engagement work. Support from the Nature for Water Facility provided catalytic analysis of fundraising opportunities and a financial model to guide our development planning. Most importantly, we are grateful to be connected with so many knowledgeable, passionate and personable colleagues globally through the Network Community".
—Karen Young, Partnership Director, Sebago Clean Waters