Melvin van der Veen
Water • Climate adaptation • Alternatives • Negotiated Approach
I first learnt about the work of Both ENDS' partners during my field work in the Argentinean Paraná Delta. One year later, during my internship at Both ENDS I participated in a partner meeting for the Ecosystem Alliance in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland. These experiences have in common that I was inspired by the passion, courage, spirit and creativity our partners show when fighting for sustainable and inclusive water management.
In my work for Both ENDS, I support groups in the Global South to make their efforts possible. Sometimes, this means ensuring that partners can protest effectively and safely, for example against large-scale infrastructure threatening their living environment and nature. At the same time, by using the Negotiated Approach I would like to work with partners on solutions for sustainable water management and climate adaptation, which can prevent eventual conflicts by ensuring participation and ownership of all water users.
