PURPOSE : Held on 22 March every year since 1993, World Water Day focuses on the importance of freshwater, celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. Water can be a tool for peace when communities and countries cooperate over this precious shared resource. But, water can also spark and intensify conflict when access is denied and usage unfairly shared.
FORUM: "Water and Gender, Where Water Flows, Equality Grows." World Water Day 2026 . The global water crisis affects everyone – but not equally. Where people lack safe drinking water and sanitation close to home, inequalities flourish, with women and girls bearing the brunt. They collect water. They manage water. They care for people made sick by unsafe water. They lose time, health, safety, and opportunities. And too often, the systems that govern water leave women and girls out of decision-making, leadership, funding and representation. This makes the water crisis a women’s crisis. We need a transformative, rights-based approach to solving these challenges, where women’s voices are heard and their agency recognized. All women must be equitably represented at all levels of water leadership – helping design every pipe and policy. And women must drive change in water as engineers, farmers, scientists, sanitation workers and community leaders. As we face growing risks, from a changing climate and water-related disasters to financing shortfalls, from social norms to governance gaps, we need everybody to play their full part: managing water as a common good and building resilience for the future. This includes engaging men and boys as allies in promoting safe water, sanitation and hygiene for all, and in challenging the norms and behaviours that hold women and girls back. Only then can safe water services meet everyone’s needs – empowering women and girls to lead healthier, more fulfilled lives – and making water a force for sustainable development and gender equality that benefits us all. On World Water Day 2026, let's explore the critical relationship between water, women, and gender equality. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WWDR, #Glacierpreservation, #WorldWaterDay, #22March., #Acceleratingchange.
EVENTS:
On March 23rd, 2026 from 9:30 am - 1:30 pm in Venice, Italy to celebrate World Water Day 2026, the UNESCO and WWAP are convening an Symposium with key stakeholders to explore the critical link between water and gender equality. The 2026 theme, ‘Water and Gender’, emphasises safe drinking water and sanitation as fundamental human rights and critical enablers of gender equality, directly contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 5. Despite progress, women and girls continue to bear a disproportionate burden of water and sanitation responsibilities, and remain underrepresented in water governance and leadership. Under the theme ‘Water and Gender - Where Water Flows, Equality Grows’, this event will launch the UN World Water Development Report 2026 (WWDR 2026) and convene key stakeholders to foster dialogue, partnerships, and action towards more inclusive and resilient water systems. More specifically, the event aims to present the key findings and policy recommendations of the WWDR 2026 on water and gender; To position gender equality as a central pillar of water security, climate resilience, and sustainable development; To amplify women’s leadership and voices in water governance, services, and decision-making; To foster cross-sectoral dialogue and partnerships to accelerate progress toward SDG 6 and SDG 5 at global, regional, and national levels. Learn more about the UNESCO/WWAP symposium and register to participate!
On March 18th 2026, from 16:00 - 17:00 Asia/Tokyo, an online event held by the United Nations University will explore ways to mainstream gender in water and sanitation issues. Actions will be taken to support the achievement of SDG 6 (water and sanitation for all) and to raise awareness of the 2.1 billion people living without access to safe water. The theme for 2026 is Water and Gender. The global water crisis affects everyone, but not equally. Where people lack the rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, inequalities flourish, with women and girls bearing the brunt. Too often, the systems that govern water leave women and girls out of decision-making, leadership, funding and representation. This webinar will discuss transformative, rights-based approaches to solving these challenges, where women’s voices are heard and their agency recognized. The event is co-organized by UNU-IAS, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Tokyo office, Institute for Global Health Policy Research (iGHP), Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), the University of Tokyo (TBC) and Waseda University Institute for Global Health. This event will be held online. To participate, please register in advance to receive a Zoom link. Please note that participants in UNU events may appear in photography, screen captures, videos, and/or audio. For further information please refer to Events. Learn more about the virtual event and Register to participate!
On March 22nd, 2026, the FAO Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium will held a hybrid-event entitled ‘‘Where water flow, Equality grows’’. Water is a major input in the provision of food, from production in the field through all the steps in the value chain. Water is also required to meet personal and household needs, for energy and industrial production, and to maintain important water-dependent ecosystems and ecosystem services. The FAO's work in water is responding decisively to the needs of its member countries by addressing the various challenges affecting sustainable water management and supply, which our food systems and people depend on to thrive. For more information on FAO’s World Water Day 2026 celebration, and learn more about FAO's work in Water.
On March 19th, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (New York time) at the ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York, The main event will take place during the final day of CSW. It is hosted by the Permanent Missions of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, Switzerland, Tajikistan and the United Arab Emirates, together with UN-Habitat, UN-Water, UN-Women, UNDESA, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNU-INWEH, IUCN and the Pan-African Intergovernmental Agency for Water and Sanitation for Africa. During the event, the UN World Water Development Report 2026, titled “Water for all people: Equal rights and opportunities,” will be officially launched. The report highlights key data and practical solutions to advance gender equality across the water sector. Get the Programme, the link of
Registration in person and Watch the livestream!
UPCOMING EVENTS: Saudi Arabia and Riyadh's plan to host the 11th World Water Forum in 2027 on the theme "Action for a Better Future" was elected during the 86th meeting of the Board of Governors of the World Water Council, in Istanbul, on February 17, 2024.
PUBLICATIONS: Read the full World Water Development Report 2026, titled “Water for all people: Equal rights and opportunities,” in French and Italian. The Executive summary and the Facts, figures and action examples.
STATEMENTS:
Statement from the U.N. Secretary-General on World Water Day 2026; March 22nd.
Statement from the OHCHR on World Water Day 2026; March 22nd.
Statement from the Executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity on World Water Day 2026; March 22nd.
PODCASTS: Join the conversation in the SDG Media Zone on the transformation and solutions needed to achieve SDG 6 and hear how the global community are accelerating progress towards this goal. Check out the programme and watch live here. Listen the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: Be part of the Campaign To Help secure essential water resources and earn a certificate for your advocacy. We need everyone – from individuals and families to companies and governments – to do what they can to cooperate on water and pave the way for a more harmonious society. To be part of the global campaign; Explore Fact sheet, the action toolkit and Download resources.
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
HOW TO GET INVOLVED!
PARTNERSHIPS:
World Water Day is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. Leading up to 22 March, UN-Water runs a public campaign and people all over the world hold events. The United Nations World Water Development Report is launched on World Water Day itself, focusing on the same theme.
This UN World Water Day is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite around water and accelerate progress together. The UN-Water coordinates the global thematic campaigns for the annual United Nations international observances on freshwater and sanitation: World Water Day and World Toilet Day. The agency also contribute to other engagement initiatives on key water-related issues, and communicate with audiences via UN-Water’s social media channels.
Back in 2015, the world committed to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 as part of the 2030 Agenda – the promise that everyone would have safely managed water and sanitation by 2030.
Right now, we are seriously off-track. Billions of people and countless schools, businesses, healthcare centres, farms and factories are being held back because their human rights to water and sanitation have not yet been fulfilled. Play your part by doing what you can.
The UN World Water Day is Co-organized by the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs (UN DESA), the U.N.Water, the U.N. Member States. Coordinated by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), AquaFed; The International Federation of Private Water Operators, the World Youth Parliament for Water for World Water Day, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Toilet Organization,, the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW), the CDP Worldwide, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Green Climate Fund, the Global Water Partnership (GWP), the Human Right 2 Water, the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Public Services International (PSI), the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), the Toilet Board Coalition, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Global Compact, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). With the participation of governments, companies, organizations, institutions and coalitions.
We have created a resource of simple actions and activities you can take to help accelerate change and raise awareness of the water and sanitation crisis. Try these two in the run-up to World Water Day 2023:
The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving Water: as the title suggests, this is a set of suggestions for action that people can take with minimal effort, although there are also ideas for the more energetic among us!
Test your water knowledge: Play Kahoot, a quiz based on the water and sanitation crisis, helping you focus your mind on the key issues and share interesting facts with your contacts.
Explore the 2025 campaign materials.
ACTIVATION KIT and CERTIFICATE.
CAMPAIGN TRELLO with social media resources in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
FACTSHEET in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
POSTER in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
SOCIAL MEDIA assets in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
VISUAL IDENTIFIER in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Make a donation.
Groundwater will play a critical role in adapting to climate change. We need to work together to sustainably manage this precious resource. Our team carry out water testing and set up local committees to manage water projects after they are completed, ensuring our interventions are sustainable and directly managed by the people we are helping. Help communities construct water wells.