Shared Waters, Shared Voices: A Youth Tide Rising at the World Conservation Congress

by Anushri Tiwari

The pivotal moment came during the session “Shared Waters, Shared Futures: Advancing Transboundary Water Cooperation.” Here, the message was clear: true cooperation must span not only borders but also generations. To remain vital, the networks of the Barak-Meghna Basin require young practitioners to become their stewards—first by understanding their currents, then by questioning their flow, and finally by charting their course.

This is the core of Y4M’s work. Over the past two years, the network has evolved from engaged learners to storytellers and bridge-builders. Moving seamlessly between WhatsApp groups, virtual conference calls, field visits, and official meetings, Y4M members decode scientific data and community knowledge into compelling narratives. These stories build trust across borders and disciplines—a task where formal dialogues often falter. By creating a shared learning space for youth from India and Bangladesh, Y4M fosters cross-border dialogue and the co-development of Nature-based Solutions with communities.

Anushri Tiwari speaking at IUCN World Conservation Congress | Abu Dhabi, October 2025

The Congress underscored a vital lesson: local action is a critical chapter in a global story. Y4M’s on-ground initiatives—like the Barak-Meghna Storytellers Fellowship, wetland “spotlights” at the Meghna Knowledge Forum II, and youth-led dialogues on floods and livelihoods—are now feeding directly into broader basin strategies. Presenting these efforts in Abu Dhabi demonstrated that meaningful youth engagement extends far beyond side events; it is actively shaping how basins approach communication, evidence-building, and cooperation.

Networks like Y4M serve as essential bridges, turning global commitments into local experiments and grounding high-level policy in the reality of rivers, floodplains, and wetlands.

Hearing stories from IUCN’s long-running BRIDGE programme in different parts of Africa underscored a powerful truth drawn from the BRIDGE dialogue:

while every basin has its unique currents, the resilience of any solution is woven from a mosaic of perspectives—community voices, finance, policy, and emerging youth innovation.

This rich mosaic of experiences proves our efforts in the Barak-Meghna are part of a far wider, essential movement.

When asked about Y4M’s vision for the next five years, the answer was rooted in current momentum. The future envisions youth co-developing Nature-based Solution pilots with communities—from restoring wetland segments to mapping floodplains. It sees community science led by youth generating vital data that complements official models, ensuring interventions are owned and sustained by those they affect.

Crucially, this vision Y4M includes evolving into a true basin-wide learning ecosystem—a system designed to create ripples, not just waves. By mentoring new members and deliberately handing over leadership, the network multiplies its impact, ensuring that today’s insights become tomorrow’s foundational knowledge. This means strengthening platforms like the Meghna Knowledge Forum into inclusive spaces where youth, officials, researchers, and civil society co-produce solutions in partnership.

Youth For Meghna (Y4M) members at Meghna Knowledge Forum II | Bangkok, July 2025

Abu Dhabi was as much about listening as it was about speaking, revealing a powerful resonance with other networks worldwide as we grapple with shared, place-based challenges.

That connection is our open invitation. Youth for Meghna seeks partners—fellow youth initiatives, experts, and institutions—to co-create learning spaces, exchange methods, and jointly advocate for the meaningful inclusion of youth voices in the governance and funding of our shared basins.

The Congress reaffirmed a fundamental truth: shared waters demand shared futures. The message carried home is clear: youth are no longer just participants in global dialogues, we are the essential anchors, grounding lofty commitments in local reality and turning them into tangible, restorative action along our rivers.

Our future is not a solo journey, but a confluence. Let’s flow together.