This week, our Wavemaker Santiago Gómez Molina participated in the event “From TAFF Santa Marta to COP31 and Beyond: Advancing a Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels.”
Santiago joined the discussions on how fossil‑fuel transition narratives are being shaped outside the water sector. However, he observed that the conversation was dominated by financial and economic perspectives.
While these approaches are important, Santiago highlighted a critical gap: the absence of water and biodiversity in the conversation, both as enablers of a just transition and as major risks when the transition fails.
“We need sectors to work together if we want equitable transitions. The water sector must become more outward‑looking, and other sectors must start acknowledging water as a foundational element of their proposals.”
As a young professional in water himself, Santiago stressed the importance of youth engagement. If more people recognize the central role of water, we stand a better chance of seeing it prioritized in global development narratives.