Lessons from cross-network collaboration on water resource management

Danida fellows and the coordinators of the four National Danida Fellows Networks in Latin America have been collaborating for the past two years to address water related challenges. We had a conversation with the coordinators to know what they have learnt along the way.

By Nina Vlemmings and Sophie Amalie Eiholm Kjær

The seeds of their collaboration were sown in the margins of the Danida Fellows Network Leaders Convening in Tanzania in January 2023, where network coordinators from the National Danida Fellows Networks in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico met for the first time and gathered for a conversation over lunch. It was a moment filled with excitement about the potential of coming together to make a difference within the region, and beyond.

“We said: Why don’t we do something together? Let’s build a WhatsApp group. A year later, it became clear that water was a powerful theme for all of us,” said Jaime Andres Peña, CEO of EcoHub and coordinator of the Danida Alumni Network Colombia.

From idea to becoming the Regional Latin America Water Dialogue Series
Fast forward to early 2024 when the Danida Fellows Network Brazil also joined the group. The four Latin American networks – together with other Danida fellows in Africa and Asia – started exploring opportunities for peer learning on water governance topics. Within a few months, and with financial support from Danida Fellowship Centre, the coordinators of the four networks gathered in person in Brasília and aligned their aspirations around a shared priority: practical collaboration to advance sustainable water governance in the region.

Gonzalo Meschengieser, CEO of Camara Argentina del Agua, and coordinator of the Danida Alumni Network Argentina, explained: “There are five to seven countries leading global innovation in water technology and sustainability. Denmark is among them. We want Latin America to be part of that leadership.”

This led to the Regional Latin America Water Dialogue Series, consisting of four webinars on a range of water-related topics. Each of the National Danida Fellows Networks in Latin America took turns to host and organise the sessions, with input and support from other Danida fellows and network members.

As Camila Pozzer, organisational psychologist at Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, and coordinator of Danida Fellows Network Brazil, pointed out: “The workshop in Brazil was key to getting started and to writing down objectives together.

Jaime Peña added: “We knew what we wanted, but we also gave space to each network to shape their own session. We kept it simple and flexible.”

The key ingredients – trust and mutual learning
In spite of their demanding professional lives, the coordinators managed to translate an idea into a concrete plan. Trust and mutual learning proved to be essential for the success of this process.

“We trust each other,” said Gonzalo Meschengieser, “And we know each other´s challenges. Connections also helped: everyone has strong local connections.”

Their cooperation also served as a platform for them to expand their expertise and interests, and learn from each other. For example, because water had not been a focus of Denmark and Mexico’s collaboration, the Danida Alumni Network Mexico initially did not think the initiative would be particularly relevant. But after realising its broad, cross-sector importance, the Mexico network coordinator, Elizabeth Loza-Rubio, PhD and professor at Mexico’s National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research, and her colleagues identified a strong local water community and co-organised an international meeting, that later became the fourth event in the Regional Water Dialogue Series.

In the end, the Latin America Dialogue Series engaged six speakers and an average of 50 participants for each of the four sessions covering a range of water resource management topics. You can read more about each session here.

Beyond Latin America and all the way to Sub-Saharan Africa
The momentum did not stop there. Inspired by the Latin American collaboration, 2025 saw the launch of the LatAm-Africa Water Dialogue series. This cross-continental edition is led by Gonzalo Meschengieser from Argentina and Lydia Otoo, researcher at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and coordinator of Danida Alumni Network Ghana. Gonzalo and Lydia are engaging relevant Danida fellows and subject matter experts from across Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa in pursuit of expertise and innovative approaches to water resource management challenges in their regions. Two dialogue sessions have been held so far, with more to come.

Beyond professional collaboration
During our conversation, it becomes increasingly clear that strong human bonds have been built between the Latin American network coordinators whilst they have been working together over the past two years. Camila Pozzer, who was impacted both personally and professionally by the 2024 floods in Rio Grande do Sul, said: “I was emotionally affected because of the flood here. It [the Latin America Water Dialogue Series] helped me through this difficult time. It showed me the power of this network and these connections.”

Jaime Peña echoed this sentiment: “We have this space to relate to each other, to hear each other´s stories. That human connection – not just the technical and professional side of things – is what creates new possibilities.”

GET ENGAGED: If you are interested in keeping up to date on future events within the LatAm-Africa Dialogue Series, or to connect with other water resource management specialists and enthusiasts, read about the upcoming launch of the global Danida Water Fellows Community.

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