Water is central to almost every aspect of development, from food security and public health to economic growth and environmental protection. Yet access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation remains out of reach for billions of people. According to a 2025 report by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, approximately 2.1 billion people worldwide still lack access to safely managed drinking water. Confronting this challenge requires greater international cooperation, investment, and a stronger commitment to translating global priorities into action.

These issues will be at the center of the third United Nations Water Conference, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December 2026. Co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the conference aims to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which seeks to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Preparations for the conference have involved more than two years of consultations with governments, international organizations, academic institutions, civil society, and other stakeholders. An important milestone was the High-Level Preparatory Meeting held in Dakar in January 2026, which brought together members of the international water community to discuss priorities and identify opportunities for collective action.

Senegal's role as co-host is notably significant. For the first time, two countries from the “Global South” are jointly leading a UN Water Conference, offering an opportunity to bring a wider range of development experiences and perspectives into international discussions on water governance.

At a recent multi-stakeholder briefing I joined, representatives of the co-hosts emphasized five principles guiding the preparatory process: inclusivity, participation, co-creation, implementation, and progress on the ground. The underlying message was that addressing water challenges can’t be the responsibility of governments alone. Civil society, local communities, women, young people, researchers (academia more globally), and the private sector must also have meaningful opportunities to contribute. This is especially true in rural areas, where water availability directly affects agricultural productivity, household livelihoods, long-term economic resilience, and even education. 

The High Atlas Foundation's work in Morocco reflects this connection. Through its agroforestry, tree-planting, and community empowerment initiatives, HAF works with rural communities to advance environmental restoration and strengthen local livelihoods. Its participatory approach, including the IMAGINE workshops, also recognizes the importance of involving women in identifying community priorities and developing pathways towards greater agency and opportunity.

The conference will also provide opportunities for stakeholders to participate through side events, plenary speaking opportunities, and written statements. More than 200 in-person side events and over 130 virtual side events have been approved, indicating the breadth of interest across the international water community.

Among the virtual side events contributing to these discussions is one organized by the High Atlas Foundation (HAF), titled Rooted in Change: Women’s Leadership in Agriculture as Morocco’s Carbon Opportunity. The session will explore the relationship between women's leadership, agricultural development, and water security in rural Morocco. Drawing on its experience with rural women's cooperatives, HAF will present how greater female participation in water stewardship and community governance can support sustainable watershed management and groundwater restoration. The event directly aligns with the conference's theme of Water for Prosperity, highlighting the connections between water management, agriculture, and inclusive development.

These efforts illustrate why water-related development must be approached holistically. Restoring ecosystems, supporting agricultural communities, and strengthening local participation are interconnected aspects of building greater environmental and socioeconomic resilience.

The conference will be structured around six interactive dialogues: Water for Cooperation, Water for Prosperity, Investments for Water, Water for People, Water for Planet, and Water in Multilateral Processes. Each addresses a different dimension of the global water challenge and shows the connections between water, economic development, food security, health, and environmental sustainability.

Financing will be a particularly important area of discussion. Despite the scale of global water challenges, investment is still insufficient. The preparatory process has therefore sought to strengthen engagement with multilateral development banks, private investors, and philanthropic organizations, while exploring innovative financing arrangements that could attract greater private-sector participation.

Technology and innovation will also feature prominently, including discussions on artificial intelligence, capacity-building, and the role of scientific research in improving water management. These conversations reflect the need to consider not only the availability of financial resources, but also the knowledge, infrastructure, and institutional capacity required to put them to effective use.

One message emerged repeatedly throughout the briefing: the success of the conference should not be measured by the number of meetings held or documents produced, but by what follows afterwards.

The organizers are seeking to move towards concrete initiatives, stronger partnerships, and commitments with a credible path to implementation. This also means assuring that international discussions translate into improvements at national and local levels, where water challenges are experienced most directly.

Another important aspect of the process lies in its emphasis on continuity. The co-hosts stressed that collaboration must go beyond December, with future UN discussions and the post-2030 development agenda providing further opportunities to advance shared water priorities.

As the international community prepares to meet in Abu Dhabi, the challenge will be to turn shared priorities into sustained action. Water connects environmental protection, economic opportunity, public health, and the wellbeing of communities. Progress therefore depends on bringing together the institutions, resources, and people needed to address these issues collectively.

The conference offers an important opportunity to renew international commitment to water security. Its lasting significance, however, will ultimately depend on what governments and stakeholders do once the discussions come to an end.