UN-Water

07/09/2026

🌍 How are climate risks affecting children and the services they depend on?

UNICEF’s new Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026 highlights how exposure to multiple climate hazards, combined with vulnerabilities and gaps in essential services such as water, sanitation and hygiene, can increase risks for children.

The findings can help guide action and investment to build more resilient WASH systems and protect children’s futures.

Read more: https://www.unwater.org/news/unicef-children%E2%80%99s-climate-risk-report-2026-highlights-threats-wash-systems
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05/09/2026

How can water tenure be governed responsibly?

FAO is hosting an Online Global Consultation on the Elements for the Responsible Governance of Water Tenure for academia on 15–16 September.

The consultation will provide an opportunity for academia to contribute perspectives and expertise to the development of the Elements.

📅 15 September, 15:00–17:00 CEST – breakout rooms in English and Spanish
📅 16 September, 10:00–12:00 CEST – breakout rooms in English and French

Learn more and register ⬇️

The Elements for the Responsible Governance of Water Tenure provide guidance on how societies can govern rights to use, manage and benefit from water resourc...

04/09/2026

🇺🇿 Restoring landscapes. Saving water. Building resilience.

is accelerating action on through:

💧 Smart irrigation
💧 Water-saving technologies
💧 Training programmes for farmers
💧 Large-scale restoration of the Aral Sea region

Explore the lessons behind the progress.

🔗 Read the Case Study https://www.unwater.org/publications/country-acceleration-case-study-uzbekistan

02/09/2026

Water is more than a resource — it's a superconnector.

▪️ It supports people’s health.
▪️ It strengthens food security.
▪️ It powers energy systems.
▪️ It builds resilience to climate change.

Progress on helps drive progress across the entire Sustainable Development Agenda.

Learn more in the United Nations SDG 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026: https://www.unwater.org/publications/sdg-6-synthesis-report-2026

31/08/2026

Progress is happening — but not fast enough.

Countries are improving water management and expanding access to water and sanitation, but the world is still off track to achieve by 2030.

To reach everyone with safe drinking water, current rates of progress must increase eightfold. Water stress, data gaps and declining aid are making the challenge even greater.

The United Nations SDG 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026 explains what is holding progress back — and what needs to change.

Read more: https://www.unwater.org/publications/sdg-6-synthesis-report-2026

29/08/2026

UNCCD COP17 will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17–28 August 2026 under the theme: “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.”

As the first of the three Rio Convention COPs in 2026, COP17 is expected to help set the pace for global action on land, biodiversity and climate.

The conference will bring together governments, scientists, businesses and civil society to address desertification, land degradation and drought, and to advance solutions that support livelihoods, resilience and sustainable development.

💧 Water Day on 25 August will focus on proactive drought risk management and cooperation on integrated water resources management.

Learn more: https://www.unwater.org/news/unccd-cop17

https://www.unccd.int/cop17

WATCH LIVE ON UN WEB TVThe 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be hosted by Mongolia in its capital city, Ulaanbaatar, from 17 to 28 August 2026 under the theme Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.

28/08/2026

In Mongolia’s Burd district, a community is bringing water back to a landscape threatened by drought, overgrazing and desertification.

With support from UNDP, local women and herder groups have protected vital springs and restored a lake that had been dry for more than 70 years.

Their work has revived 90 hectares of wetlands, secured drinking water for 15,000 animals and brought swans, geese and cranes back to the area.

The project shows how community-led conservation can restore ecosystems while supporting pastoralist families and creating new livelihood opportunities.

Read the story ⬇️ https://undp-nature.exposure.co/from-dust-to-water

26/08/2026

Lakes are essential to people, nature and our planet.

They provide fresh water for drinking, agriculture and industry, sustain biodiversity, help regulate the climate and support livelihoods and communities around the world.

But lakes are under growing pressure from pollution, overuse and climate change. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and increased evaporation are affecting water levels, while pollution continues to threaten water quality and ecosystems.

On 27 August, World Lake Day draws attention to the importance of protecting and sustainably managing these vital freshwater ecosystems.

Protecting lakes means protecting water resources, ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

Learn more: https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-lake-day

World Lake Day is an observance celebrated by the United Nations to raise awareness of the importance of lakes and their ecosystems, promote sustainable lake management, and protect the world's freshwater, biodiversity, food security, and ecosystems.

24/08/2026

How resilient are water, sanitation and hygiene systems to floods, droughts, conflict and other shocks?

UNICEF and partners have launched the Global WASH Sector Resilience Index (GWSRI), the first global tool designed to measure WASH system resilience across 151 countries.

The Index combines data on hazard exposure, vulnerability, system performance, governance capacity and access to services. It aims to help governments and partners strengthen risk-informed planning and prioritize investments in systems that can anticipate, withstand and recover from shocks.

More resilient WASH systems can support climate adaptation, disaster preparedness and better health, education and economic outcomes.

Learn more ⬇️ https://www.unwater.org/news/unicef-launches-global-wash-sector-resilience-index

Launched at the High-level Political Forum in July 2026, the Index assesses 151 countries by combining data on hazard exposure, vulnerability, system performance, governance capacity and access to WASH services at ecosystem, service and community levels.The GWSRI responds to growing pressures from f...

22/08/2026

Global hunger is declining, but progress remains uneven and too slow to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 estimates that 645 million people faced hunger in 2025. Around 2.1 billion experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, while 2.69 billion could not afford a healthy diet.

The report warns that weather extremes could put further progress at risk. It calls for investment in irrigation as part of wider efforts to increase the supply of nutritious foods, reduce losses and build more resilient agrifood systems.

Explore more and download the report ⬇️
https://www.unwater.org/news/state-food-security-and-nutrition-world-2026

“The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026” estimates that 645 million people faced hunger in 2025 — 14 million fewer than in 2024. Around 2.1 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, while 2.69 billion could not afford a healthy diet. In Africa, two thir...