Global Water Summit: Uniting for Concrete Action
The One Water Summit, a collaboration between France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and the World Bank, aims to address global water challenges. Scheduled to take place on Dec. 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in conjunction with the UNCCD COP16, this summit will bring together stakeholders from around the world to work on concrete solutions for water-related issues.
Barbara Pompili, the special envoy to the President of the French Republic for the One Water Summit, emphasized the importance of addressing water issues, which are closely linked to climate change, biodiversity, and pollution. She noted that while progress has been made following the UN 2023 Water Conference, more collaboration and political will are needed to achieve meaningful results.
Zulfiya Suleimenova, advisor to the President and special representative of the President of Kazakhstan for international environmental cooperation, highlighted Kazakhstan’s specific water challenges, including the shrinking of the Aral Sea, transboundary water management, and glacier loss. She stressed the need for urgent collaborative action to address these issues.
The One Water Summit aims to contribute to global water governance, accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), and act as a platform for developing solutions in preparation for the next UN Water Conference in 2026. The summit will focus on strengthening transboundary cooperation, exploring technical solutions, and bridging the financing gap in the water sector.
Partnerships across sectors—including governments, businesses, banks, scientists, and civil society—will be essential in developing concrete solutions for water issues. The summit will address key areas such as promoting transboundary water cooperation, sharing and financing solutions for water management, and scaling up the protection of freshwater ecosystems.
Overall, the One Water Summit represents a crucial opportunity for global collaboration and action on pressing water challenges. It underscores the importance of prioritizing water issues at the highest levels of government and society to ensure a sustainable and secure water future for all.
