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Global events related to urban water resilience in 2026
Key Events Relevant to the UWR
January
2026 UN Water Conference Preparatory Meeting
26–27 January 2026
Dakar, Senegal
Co-organizers: Senegal and UAE
Relevance to ACWA:
- Critical preparatory milestone for December conference
- Hosted in Africa (Senegal)
- Opportunity for ACWA to shape conference outcomes and interactive dialogue themes
- Platform for launching regional contributions
February
Africa Water Vision 2063 Launch
February 2026
39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly
Organizer: African Union / AMCOW
Relevance to ACWA:
- Launch of the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy
- 2026 is the African Union Theme Year for Water and Sanitation: “Ensuring sustainable availability of water and safe sanitation systems to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063”
- Direct alignment with ACWA Platform’s 2030 Joint Agenda for Urban Water Resilience
- First Implementation Plan 2026–2033 to be developed
May
World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13)
17–22 May 2026
Baku, Azerbaijan
Organizer: UN HABITAT
Relevance to ACWA:
- Premier global conference on sustainable urbanization
- Marks 50 years since Habitat I (1976), 30 years since Habitat II (1996), and 10 years since the New Urban Agenda
- Platform for discussing water-related infrastructure and services in urban contexts
- Opportunity for ACWA cities to share experiences and connect with global urban networks
- Will produce the Baku Call to Action
- Partner-led event applications due: 27 January 2026
Global Water Summit 2026
18–20 May 2026
Madrid, Spain (Madrid Marriott Auditorium)
Organizer: Global Water Intelligence
Relevance to ACWA:
- Premier business platform for the water sector (“Where Water Meets Money”)
- 1,100+ executives, investors, utilities, and technology providers
- Critical for financing discussions and investment mobilization
- Opportunity to connect ACWA cities with private sector investors
- 2026 Global Water Awards ceremony
June
Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C26)
21–24 June 2026
Nairobi, Kenya
Organizer: Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) and partners
Relevance to ACWA:
- Focus on evidence-based city climate action
- Nairobi location increases accessibility for African participants
- Supports the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities
- Connection to Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP)
- Relevant to climate-water nexus in African cities
World Urban Congress
22–25 June 2026
Tangier
Organizer: UCLG
July
High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2026
6–15 July 2026 (Ministerial segment: 13–15 July)
New York, USA (UN Headquarters)
Theme: “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all”
Relevance to ACWA:
- In-depth review of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
- Both SDGs are directly aligned with ACWA Platform objectives
- Launch of the SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2026
- 36 countries presenting Voluntary National Reviews including: Rwanda, Senegal, Egypt, and United Republic of Tanzania (all relevant to ACWA)
- Critical opportunity to highlight urban water resilience challenges and solutions in Africa
August
World Water Week 2026
23–27 August 2026
Stockholm, Sweden (hybrid event)
Organizer: Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Theme: “Water for People and Progress”
Relevance to ACWA:
Premier annual global water conference with 15,000+ participants
SIWI is an ACWA Platform partner (developers of the City Water Resilience Approach)
Platform for showcasing African city water resilience profiles and action plans
Sessions will discuss progress on SDGs and look ahead to successors to the SDGs
Key opportunity for ACWA partners to convene, share lessons, and build momentum toward the December UN Water Conference
Strong focus on equity, Indigenous knowledge, and intergenerational learning
December
2026 United Nations Water Conference
2–4 December 2026
United Arab Emirates
Co-hosts: United Arab Emirates and Senegal
Theme: “Accelerating the Implementation of SDG 6”
Relevance to ACWA:
The most significant global water event in decades (only the third UN Water Conference ever)
Co-hosted by Senegal (an African nation and current AMCOW President)
Critical platform for advocating African urban water resilience priorities
Opportunity to showcase ACWA Platform progress and secure commitments for the ACWA Fund
Six interactive dialogue themes adopted: water for people; water for prosperity; water for planet; water for cooperation; water in multilateral processes; and investments for water
Preparatory Meeting: 26–27 January 2026 in Dakar, Senegal
