World Water Day is an international observance and an opportunity to learn more about water related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference. World Water Day dates back to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development where an international observance for water was recommended. The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day. It has been held annually since then. Today, 1.8 billion people use a source of drinking water contaminated with faeces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. The Sustainable Development Goals, launched in 2015, include a target to ensure everyone has access to safe water by 2030, making water a key issue in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty. World Water Day - Theme for 2026 The theme of World Water Day 2026 is "Where water flows, equality grows". 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. 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. Key messages for World Water Day 2026 The global water crisis affects everyone – but not equally. Where people lack the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, inequalities flourish, with women and girls bearing the brunt. It’s time to centre women and girls in water solutions. Women must shape the future of water. Water services must withstand climate change and meet everyone’s needs. We need a transformative, rights-based approach to solving the water crisis, where women’s voices, leadership and agency are fully recognized. Where water flows, equality grows. When women and girls have equal voice in water decisions, services become more inclusive, sustainable and effective. We must invest in women’s leadership to make water a force for a healthier, more prosperous, gender-equal future that will benefit us all. Water Facts Globally, more than 1 billion women – more than a quarter of all women (27.1%) – lack access to safely managed drinking water services. (UN Women/UNDESA, 2023) 1.8 billion people still do not have drinking water on-premises, and in two out of three households, women are primarily responsible for water collection. (WHO/UNICEF, 2023) In 53 countries with available data, women and girls spend 250 million hours per day on water collection – over three times more than men and boys. (UN Women/UNDESA, 2024) Globally, unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene are responsible for the deaths of around 1,000 children under five every day. (WHO, 2023) About 14% of countries still have no mechanisms to ensure women can participate equally in water-related decision-making and water management. (UNEP-DHI, GWP, UN Women, 2025) Take a Water pledge Save water: Take shorter showers and don’t let the tap run when brushing my teeth, doing dishes and preparing food. Eat local: Buy local, seasonal food and look for products made with less water. Break taboos: Talk about the critical connection between toilets, water and menstruation. Be curious: Find out where my water comes from and how it is shared, and visit a treatment plant to see how my waste is managed. Make it equal: Share water-fetching between women and men, girls and boys. Protect nature: Plant a tree or create a raingarden – use natural solutions to reduce the risk of flooding and store water. Flush safe: Fix leaking water and waste pipes, empty full septic tanks and report dumping of sludge. Build pressure: Write to my elected representatives about budgets for improving water at home and abroad. Stop polluting: Don’t put food waste, oils, medicines and chemicals down my toilet or drains. Clean up: Take part in clean-ups of my local rivers, lakes, wetlands or beaches. Source : UN Water Related Resources 2026 UN World Water Development Report Water Facts