The newest recruit in the GWP global secretariat is Nicolas Delaunay, Resource Mobilisation and Partnership Manager. Two months into the job, Delaunay shares first impressions of his new role, with an important message to partners: “We need to emphasize the urgency we are in.” This interview is the latest in a year-long series of interviews celebrating GWP’s 20th Anniversary.
Nicolas Delaunay spent a significant part of his career in the private sector, including with CNN International, where he worked for the French-speaking territories: “I was responsible for growing the brand and revenues. But over the years I grew more passionate about sustainable development and environmental issues, and around 8 years ago I got the chance to make the switch; first working on sustainability and climate events – B4E, Business for the Environment Summits – and later for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), where I was in charge of fundraising and communications for the Gulf chapter, working out of the United Arab Emirates for four years.”
Delaunay says he always knew a bit about the Global Water Partnership, but the biggest trigger for him to want to work in the water sector was living in one of the most arid areas of the world, the Middle East.
“This really sparked my interest further in water resources management issues – the water, energy and food nexus is talked about a lot in this region, given its reliance on food imports, vulnerability to climate change, and given that nearly all its water for domestic use is desalinated, a highly energy intensive process, explains Delaunay.