News from WRRC, UN Water Website, and HAS Department
When
Where
Mon, March 23, 9:00 to 10:30 am MST - WRRC Co-Sponsor - MDPI World Water Day Webinar: Water for all People - Governance, Security, and Access
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Tue, March 24, 8 am to 5 pm MST - HAS Department Student Conference - El Dia del Agua y la Atmosfera
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World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, is an annual United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of fresh water.
"World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.1 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.
Every year, UN-Water — the UN’s coordination mechanism on water and sanitation — sets the theme for World Water Day. In 2024, the focus was on Leveraging Water for Peace; in 2025, on Glacier Preservation. In 2026, the theme will be Water and Gender. Previous themes can be found here.
Image Credit: Photo UNICEF/Vinay Panjwani
Where water flows, equality grows
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.
Play your part
Water can be a powerful force for gender equality — but only if everyone plays their part. Individuals, schools, organizations, companies and governments all have a role to play to ensure that where water flows, equality grows.
Download resources.