My journey as a Young Researcher at The Royal Academy of Science and Internation Trust

In the mission of global development, few issues are as critical as water. As an intern at The Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), I was entrusted to work as a junior researcher with Cansu Global, originally a program by RASIT, now transitioning into an Intergovernmental Organization. I began an assignment, to dig into United Nations member states' Voluntary National Reports (VNRs) to understand how water is being integrated into the reports that reflect political priorities.
Analyzing 188 Member States' VNRs from 2016 to 2023 took a lot of work. I thoroughly evaluated each state by emphasizing on the seventy-four Member States who submitted reports between 2018 and 2023 when the United Nations reviewed SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation. We wanted to understand how different countries integrated water into their reports, as well as how numerous factors could influence the reporting process.

The journey was fascinating the reports went beyond discussing water in SDG 6, as many countries have successfully incorporated water into other SDGs, demonstrating the necessity of water management at all levels. We know that reports reflect political priorities, which are shaped by environmental, economic, and social factors that should be considered when reading the report yet, seeing how these elements affected the water sector's performance is eye-opening.

Conducting a deductive analysis on VNRs has been instructive and has helped cover a wide range of discoveries, I am satisfied that we were able to narrow down our research to core questions, and that I had the opportunity to do it with other fellow youths, which undoubtedly contributed to my personal development.

One of the most important milestones of this journey was presenting our findings on the UN Web-TV platform on March 22, 2024, in celebration of World Water Day. It was an honour to share our findings and recommendations with a global audience, increasing the conversation on how reports reflect the value of integrated water management. Five thousand people watched the event live from all across the world, and I was able to learn about the perspectives of professionals on integrating water throughout the SDGs, as well as hear from other youth activists working on sustainability and water management.

As a young researcher, this journey has been transformative. I have not only expanded my understanding of water in global development but also witnessed firsthand the importance of collaboration and innovation in driving sustainable change on all levels. My belief in narrowing the gap between research and politics to address the world's most important concerns has become stronger. I hope that scientists will communicate more effectively with diplomats and that diplomats will be open to accommodate a scientific perspective on our shared reality, together we can tackle the challenges ahead and achieve sustainability.

Throughout this journey, I had the honour of being mentored by Dr Alice Bouman-Dentener, who supervised and coached me along the way. I must say that I learnt a lot and her advice is invaluable. I am grateful to HRH Princess Nisreen El Hashemite for allowing me to collaborate with her.

As I reflect on this journey, I am filled with a sense of pride and optimism. By showing that the reporting process is influenced by multiple factors and that water management needs an integrative and systemic approach, we are not only paving the way for integrative sustainable water management but also contributing to filling the gaps between science and diplomacy.