First Global Water Conference in Half a Century

The first global water conference in almost 50 years was held in New York in March 2023. The three-day conference was attended by almost 7,000 representatives from governments, academia, industries, and non-profits to discuss the topic of water and make financial commitments to improving water security, including universal access to clean water and sanitation as well as a way to sustainably manage and conserve water. Water was considered a global common good, and less siloed approaches to water were called for by attendees.

Almost 700 commitments were made to a new Water Action Agenda, and a new scientific panel on water will be created by the United Nations. The financial pledges are non-binding, and will be monitored at future UN gatherings.

Some are calling for a more formal agreement, and following the conference, more than 100 water experts from research institutions and civil society groups wrote an open letter of concern to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, urging that he “demonstrate bold leadership to dramatically raise the level of accountability, rigor and ambition within the Conference outcomes to reflect the gravity and urgency of our global water challenges.”

The group called for “binding agreements, cohesive action and transparent reporting from world governments, the business community, and financial institutions alongside greater levels of targeted aid, financial and policy reform to address the systemic failures which perpetuate water insecurity, unsustainable water use and inadequate access to WASH [water, sanitation, and hygiene]. Without accountability for systemic change at its core, the Water Action Agenda risks irrelevance.”

The group also called for more scientific rigor, asking for “its own scientific panel commission to review progress, resolve controversies and channel rigorous evidence to decision makers, alongside mechanisms which enable transparent and genuine inclusion of lay and science perspectives.”

Water conflicts are on the rise throughout the world, with the highest number of conflicts occurring in Asia, according to research by the Pacific Institute. The Pacific Institute has been compiling and maintaining data on water conflicts since the late 1980s, and the latest update in March 2022 brings the number of events to over 1,300, going as far back as the earliest known water war, in ancient Mesopotamia, 4,500 years ago.  

More than a quarter of the world population lacks access to safe drinking water, and nearly half does not have access to basic sanitation. One of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 is achieving access to water and sanitation for all.