UNITAR
7 August 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – In celebration of World Youth Skills Day, the UNITAR Global Water Academy and CIFAL Philippines at the University of the Philippines co-hosted a virtual event entitled “Streams of Change: Prioritizing Youth Engagement in the Water and Sanitation Sector.” The session convened emerging professionals across water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programmes, highlighting the vital role of youth in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): Clean Water and Sanitation for All.
Speakers included:
- Dr. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Director of Global Water Academy, Associate Head of CIFAL Global Network
- Dr. Michelle R. Palumbarit, Director, UP-CIFAL Philippines
- Val Amiel Vestil, Executive Director, Association of Young Environmental Journalists (AYEJ)
- MA Jessilou “JLO” Morigo-Tanguilan, Programme Portfolio Manager, Humanitarian and Resilience, Plan International Pilipinas
- Aldrin Magpantay, Co-Chair, Philippine Young Water Professionals
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In her opening remarks, Dr. Ebru Canan-Sokullu stated:
World Youth Skills Day is not just about training; it is about empowerment. It is about providing young people with the tools to innovate, adapt, and lead, whether in their communities, their countries, or on the global stage. This is especially crucial when addressing water as our most precious resource and advancing SDG 6.
Dr. Ebru’s remarks emphasized the webinar’s alignment with the commemoration of UN World Youth Skills Day, drawing attention to this year’s theme: “Youth Empowerment Through AI and Digital Skills.” She encouraged participants to embrace technological innovation with a sense of responsibility, placing strong ethical considerations at the forefront, and to continue honing the skills essential for sustainable development.
Spotlight on Youth Innovation and Community Resilience
MA Jessilou “JLO” Morigo-Tanguilan shared an inspiring story of TUKLAS Visayas Lab, a community-centred innovation project in the Philippines, and a youth-led response to Typhoon Yolanda. Tuklas empowers marginalized Filipinos who have first-hand experience with disasters to share their practical solutions, fostering homegrown innovations for disaster preparedness.
She highlighted the work of Fidel Ramos, featured by Young Water Solutions for his leadership in VIQUA Water Care Solutions. Supported by TUKLAS, VIQUA develops mobile, hybrid water treatment facilities for disaster zones and remote communities, including a Rolling Water Station pilot that aims to provide affordable clean water even in the most isolated areas.
Jessilou further explored the WASH context in disaster response, focusing on Loguingot Island, Iloilo—an island community devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. She recounted the critical challenges faced in accessing water, sanitation, and reproductive health, and described how the Filipino spirit of "Bayanihan" (communal unity) brought together various organizations such as Plan International, Action Against Hunger, CARE Philippines, and the Citizens' Disaster Response Center to aid recovery and promote gender-responsive humanitarian action.
She urged for deeper, non-tokenistic youth involvement through what she described as the “Flower of Participation”, a visual model that illustrates the spectrum of youth involvement from passive roles to active, empowered engagement. This model encourages a shift toward deeper, more meaningful youth participation in community and governance processes.
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Accelerating WASH through Youth-Led Solutions
Aldrin Magpantay, Co-Chair of the Philippine Young Water Professionals, challenged conventional notions of water and sanitation, advocating for holistic and systemic approaches to WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene). He addressed the need to look beyond infrastructure, highlighting the importance of long-term behaviour change, education, sustainability, and systems thinking. Sharing his own journey from engineer in Manila’s urban neighbourhoods to a recognized youth leader in international WASH forums, Magpantay emphasized:
Youth are not just ‘leaders of tomorrow.’ We are builders of today. Change does not always come from power—it starts with purpose and persistence.
He concluded with a poignant reminder.
Engaging Dialogue and Moving Forward
The session concluded with an interactive Q&A, in which young attendees sought guidance on building inclusive youth partnerships, sustaining long-term engagement beyond relief efforts, and breaking into the water sector. In his synthesis, Val Vestil of the Association of Young Environmental Journalists, encouraged participants to act on their passions and collaborate across disciplines, echoing the event’s call to view youth as stakeholders, not spectators.
Dr. Michelle R. Palumbarit, Director of UP-CIFAL Philippines, closed the event by underscoring the importance of solving water issues through bayanihan, a shared sense of responsibility, empathy, and community spirit.
About UNITAR Global Water Academy and CIFAL Global Network
This initiative reflects UNITAR’s commitment to building the capacity of youth leaders and advancing practical, community-driven solutions to achieve internationally agreed development goals, including SDG 6, for a more resilient and sustainable future.
UNITAR COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT
In alignment with the event’s themes, UNITAR also mentioned its latest e-learning programme: "Foundations of SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation." This interactive course is designed to equip participants with the tools to analyze SDG 6 targets, implement sustainable water management strategies, and apply context-sensitive solutions.
Link to the course: https://event.unitar.org/full-catalog/foundations-sdg-6-clean-water-and-sanitation