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Global Issues:
The world needs far more investment in clean water and sanitation, yet governments often fail to spend the money already set aside. Between 2009 and 2020, about 28% of water-sector budgets went unspent, according to the World Bank. Delays in planning, approvals, land acquisition and procurement can leave too little time to complete projects. Better multi-year planning, stronger coordination and well-prepared projects can help turn budgets into working water systems. More money matters, but making sure existing funds are actually used is just as important.
In Mongolia’s Burd district, a herder and her community are bringing water back to a landscape threatened by drought, overgrazing and desertification. With ĢƵDP-supported funding, local women and herder groups protected vital springs and restored a lake that had been dry for more than 70 years. Their efforts revived 90 hectares of wetlands, secured drinking water for 15,000 animals and brought swans, geese and cranes back to the area. The project is also creating new livelihood opportunities, showing how community-led conservation can restore ecosystems while sustaining pastoralist families.
In northern Chile, where drought and water scarcity are a growing challenge, the agricultural community of Peña Blanca is turning fog into a vital source of water. Using mesh structures known as fog catchers, residents collect moisture from the coastal camanchaca fog, which condenses into water for crops, ecological restoration and local consumption. Located in the Fray Jorge Biosphere Reserve, the community has refined the system over two decades. Today, 34 fog catchers collect up to 650,000 litres of water annually, making the site one of the largest of its kind in Latin America. Recent support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and partners has expanded the system, demonstrating how local innovation can help communities adapt to climate change and water scarcity.
In Malakal, South Sudan, 45,000 displaced people rely on a consistent clean water supply drawn from the Nile, even as funding cuts erode health care, schooling, and sanitation. Residents fear leaving the site due to violence, while limited clinics and deteriorating latrines heighten risks. With key services nearing shutdown as funding runs out, communities urgently question whether broader humanitarian aid will arrive to meet their essential needs.
Women in Malaysia’s Kedah River Basin play vital roles in sustaining communities as the river supports fishing, agriculture, and livelihoods. Artisans like Zanariyan Binti Azizan show how local economies are shaped by the river. Yet water scarcity and pollution place disproportionate burdens on women, who manage household water needs. Centering women in water governance leads to more equitable, resilient systems essential for food security and climate adaptation.
The global water crisis affects everyone. But not equally. More than a quarter of all women worldwide still lack safely managed drinking water at home. When water is far away, women and girls bear the burden, spending about 250 million hours every day collecting it, more than three times the time spent by men and boys. They manage water, care for those made sick by it, and lose time, health and opportunities. Solving the water crisis means ensuring women’s voices, leadership and ideas shape every solution. On World Water Day 2026 (22 March), join ĢƵ-Water play your part!
The Imus–Ylang Ylang–Rio Grande Rivers in Cavite, Philippines were once-vibrant waterways that supported fishing, recreation, and livelihoods across ten municipalities. Decades of pollution, industrial and domestic wastewater discharge, improper waste disposal (especially plastics), erosion and siltation have transformed them into degraded rivers with severe water contamination. To revive the rivers, local governments, communities and agencies have introduced a mix of solutions. These include installing trash traps and waste-management systems upstream, building sanitary landfills, composting organic waste, reinforcing buffer zones along riverbanks, and deploying “river rangers” to manually remove plastic and other debris. Flood-risk management infrastructure — such as the 35-hectare Imus Retarding Basin and the nearby Bacoor Retarding Basin — has been completed to store excess rainfall and prevent overflow, reducing downstream flooding risk. Downstream, community-led reforestation and mangrove-restoration efforts aim to rehabilitate coastal zones and wetlands.
Helena collects water from a borehole in Giraul village in Angola, where the river has stopped flowing. Women are desperate to collect water for their families amid prolonged drought, but cholera outbreaks have been reported in the area due to contaminated water. Clean water is essential during childbirth – without it, the risk of infection increases. Birthing equipment must be properly cleaned, and new mothers need safe water for bathing. Maria, a traditional midwife in Giraul, who provides a lifeline for women who can’t make the journey to a hospital, asks women to collect water before they go into labour. is training midwives to help women deliver safely, as well as delivering youth programmes that help pregnant adolescents get the care and support they need and stay in school. and the are working with the Government of Angola to manage drought and provide water and food support to the region.
As the planet weeps for its dwindling water resources, the World Bank’s reveals alarming trends: we lose 324 billion cubic meters of fresh water each year, meeting the annual needs of 280 million people. Over the last two decades, fresh water reserves have dropped by 3% annually, with arid regions facing declines of up to 10%. This crisis threatens not only our ecosystems but also employment, agriculture, and energy production. As world leaders convene in Belem, Brazil, for COP30, they will have vital insights to tackle these pressing challenges and foster a sustainable future.
Water is at the heart of the climate challenge: it carries the impacts of global heating, but also holds solutions for cutting emissions, boosting resilience, and protecting ecosystems. (24–28 August, Stockholm), hosted by the Stockholm International Water Institute and featuring strong engagement from ĢƵ agencies, places water at the forefront of climate action. Over five days, experts explore how smarter water management can drive mitigation, adaptation, and climate justice, ensuring no community is left behind. and !
Declared a by the United Nations in 2010, clean water and sanitation are essential for life, health, and dignity. Yet over 2 billion people lack safe drinking water, and nearly half the world lives without safely managed sanitation services. Climate change, pollution, and scarcity are pushing this lifeline to the brink. is calling for urgent global action. Improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene could save 1.4 million lives every year. Water is life. Without it, there is no future.
In the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, Mexico, communities face increasingly unreliable rains and severe droughts, worsened by climate change. The of 2022 was notably harsh, highlighting the need for innovative solutions to adapt to the changing climate. With support from the Global Environment Facility and ĢƵDP, the local organization Alternativas y Participación Social developed a mobile solar-powered water pump to address water scarcity. This pump can be used across different wells to store and irrigate drought-resistant amaranth crops, a drought-tolerant grain and ‘’ native to Mexico. The project produced 20 units for local cooperatives and provided training on their use and maintenance.
In Al-Hajar, Yemen, a new irrigation system by restored water access, reviving farming and bringing hope to a drought-stricken village after years of conflict and hardship.
Glaciers, which hold around 70% of the Earth's fresh water, are vital for regulating climate, sustaining ecosystems, and supporting nearly 2 billion people who rely on glacier meltwater. Found on every continent except Australia, they have deep cultural significance for Indigenous Peoples. However, glaciers are rapidly shrinking due to climate change, causing disruptions in the water cycle, altering river currents, and increasing competition for resources. As glaciers melt, they contribute to sea-level rise and fuel extreme weather events. The release of toxins from thawing permafrost further threatens water quality. Despite these challenges, we can act by combining scientific and Indigenous knowledge to protect glaciers, improve land-use practices, and engage local communities to ensure their preservation.