About us

Water at the Heart of Climate Action (WHCA) tackles one of the most urgent challenges of our time: the growing impact of climate change on water ecosystems and the people who depend on them. Launched in 2023, WHCA supports communities in five Nile Basin countries – Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda – to reduce water-related risks and build long-term climate resilience. Funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the programme strengthens early warning systems, improves access to climate and water data, and empowers local actors to lead the way in adaptation and disaster preparedness.

Why focus on water?

The climate crisis is a water crisis. Droughts and floods are becoming more frequent, severe and unpredictable, threatening lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems. In many regions, especially across Africa, the systems to anticipate and respond to these risks are fragmented or under-resourced. WHCA intends to change that, by connecting global expertise with local leadership, and by investing in the full early warning value chain, from satellites to sandbags.

What makes WHCA different?

• Locally led: National organizations and communities lead solution design and decision making, supported by international actors.
• Collaborative: WHCA unites global and national partners in a unique consortium, each contributing their expertise to a shared mission.
• Systemic: We don’t just respond to disasters. We work to prevent them, and for policies to reach the most vulnerable through data-driven early warnings, early action, and inclusive governance.
• Basin-wide: Water knows no borders. WHCA aligns early warning systems with the natural flow of water and shared risks across borders, enabling more accurate forecasting and coordinated action.
• Scalable: WHCA is designed as a platform for growth. With additional funding, it can expand to more basins, countries and contexts, supporting new communities based on current learnings.

“As climate change intensifies water-related threats, there is an urgent need to act before they become disasters. Let’s join forces and invest in mitigating water hazards around the world, especially in countries which don’t have the capacity to resist them. We must act before it is too late and too expensive to address climate risk.“

Aytenew Tatek, Policy Officer at the Embassy of the Netherlands to Ethiopia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)