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Juanita Andrea Ayala Morales
Global Focal Point - SDG6 United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth - SDG6
Juanita Ayala is a water and climate specialist with more than eight years of international experience. She currently serves as SDG 6 Focal Point in the UN Major Group for Children and Youth and founded AquaCircl, a venture that turns water and climate risk into financial insight. Youth empowerment is central to her work. She designed and led a Spanish-language leadership programme that reached more than 100 young leaders across Latin America, represented Colombia at COP and COY processes, and has worked with the Water Youth Network since 2016. Her technical work spans integrating water and WASH into NDCs and NAPs, climate-resilient WASH planning, and mainstreaming water in non-financial disclosures. She has collaborated with UNICEF, the Inter-American Development Bank, SIWI, AGWA, and IHE Delft, among others. Juanita holds a BSc in Political Science from Pontifical Xavierian University, an MSc in Water Management and Governance from IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, and postgraduate studies in Corporate Finance from CESA Business School and Climate Risk Management from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.