IUCN at World Water Week 2026

Conveners: 

Asia Pacific Water Forum
Future Waters
International Food Policy Research Institute
International Rice Research Institute
International Union for Conservation of Nature
International Water Management Institute

This Asia-focused session examines Water for People through the WEFE Nexus, turning commitments into practical action. Showcases of integrated basin management highlight governance reforms, participatory decision-making, and climate-responsive strategies to enhance equitable water allocation, safeguard livelihoods, and build resilient, low-carbon food, energy, and environment systems.

Conveners: 

Currents Converge
GEF/IWLEARN
Government of Estonia
Government of Slovenia
HELCOM Secretariat
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management
United Nations Economic Commission for Europé
UNEP-MAP

Source-to-sea management connects ecosystems from land to ocean while creating opportunities for more inclusive and participatory governance. By bringing together diverse stakeholders across sectors and levels, it ensures that decisions reflect local realities, strengthens shared ownership, and enables more equitable and coordinated action, with transboundary cooperation supporting these collaborative processes.

Conveners: 

Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages will showcase practical insights from collaborating with local communities, though a multi-stakeholder process, on more than 70 projects to safeguard water security and build resilience. Participants will learn first-hand experience on strengthening private sector participation in shared solutions to protect water for people and progress. 

Convener: 

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH
Global Environment Facility
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River
International Union for Conservation of Nature
IW:LEARN
The Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission
World Bank Group

Transboundary water cooperation is fundamental for people and progress. While generally acknowledged, this does not always inform decision making, which hampers effective cooperation and leads to foregone cooperation benefits. This session addresses the challenge of communicating benefits of water cooperation to audiences beyond the water sector.

Convener: 

International Union for Conservation of Nature
Conservation International
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
The Nature Conservancy
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
UN Environment Programme
Wetlands International
World Wide Fund for Nature

Discover how restoring degraded rivers, lakes and other freshwater ecosystems are not only vital for people, nature and climate but also achievable. Experts will showcase novel evidence on the benefits, financing solutions, global alignment, and monitoring tools that make freshwater restoration a powerful, scalable opportunity for nature and people.

Conveners: 

Human Right 2 Water
International Water Management Institute
Water Research Commission

Aquatic biodiversity underpins water security, livelihoods, & ecosystem resilience, yet it is rarely framed as a human right. This side event will explore emerging legal, policy, scientific perspectives, identifying pathways to integrate biodiversity, human rights, Rights of Nature & water governance to support people, ecosystems, and sustainable progress in practice today.