The United Nations World Water Development Report 2026: Water for all people: equal rights and opportunities

The United Nations World Water Development Report 2026: Water for All People – Equal Rights and Opportunities highlights how unequal access to water and sanitation services impacts health, education, livelihoods and safety. Gender inequalities continue to undermine global water security, disproportionately affecting women and girls. While they are often responsible for collecting and managing household water, they remain under-represented in water governance, leadership and technical roles.

The report finds that 2.1 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water, and women and girls spend an estimated 250 million hours every day collecting water. It also examines how climate change, water scarcity and disasters are intensifying these inequalities and calls for stronger action to ensure equal rights, participation and opportunities in water management. By promoting inclusive water governance, gender-responsive policies and improved data, the report outlines practical steps to close gender gaps and advance progress towards sustainable water management and the Sustainable Development Goals.