The 19th World Water Congress concluded on Friday with the adoption of the landmark “Marrakech Declaration,” a strong international call urging that water be placed at the forefront of global decision-making and treated as a top-tier priority across all major international platforms.
The Declaration calls for elevating water issues at key upcoming global events, including COP 31, the 2026 UN Water Conference, and the 11th World Water Forum in 2027, stressing that water security worldwide is under unprecedented threat. These threats, it warns, are directly affecting health, agriculture, energy, ecosystems, and economies, as well as broader issues of peace, stability, and shared prosperity.
The Marrakech Declaration underscores the urgent need to rethink and innovate water management systems as global pressures intensify. Climate change, population growth, rapid urbanization, soil degradation, and pollution continue to strain water supply systems worldwide, requiring governments to adopt new models of governance and infrastructure development.
The document highlights the need for ethical and responsible innovation to accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which aims to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all.
To address mounting vulnerabilities, the Declaration calls for robust investments in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. This includes prioritizing resilient water infrastructure and promoting low-carbon solutions, such as:
- Renewable energy-powered desalination
- Wastewater treatment and reuse
- Rainwater harvesting
- Improved disaster risk management for water-related hazards
Such efforts, it notes, are essential to strengthening long-term water security in the face of climate-driven disruptions.
The Marrakech Declaration encourages deeper bilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation, particularly through sharing data, technologies, and expertise in water management.
It also underscores the importance of inclusive and participatory water governance, urging the involvement of women, youth, civil society, and local communities in developing and implementing water-related solutions.
Raising public awareness, expanding scientific research, and creating platforms for innovation and cooperation are also emphasized as critical components of a global strategy to overcome water challenges.
The Declaration calls for increased financial mobilization to support innovative and resilient water projects in both the public and private sectors. It also highlights the need to formally recognize water’s interconnection with all other sectors—economic, social, and environmental—and to integrate these dimensions into water resource planning.
It further notes the importance of supporting the right to water through effective public policies, strengthened practices, and expanded international cooperation.
Held under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI, the 19th World Water Congress was co-organized by Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment and Water and the International Water Resources Association (IWRA). The event, themed “Water in a Changing World: Innovation and Adaptation,” served as a global platform to explore forward-looking strategies for water management in a rapidly evolving world.
Experts, researchers, policymakers, civil society representatives, and private-sector stakeholders gathered in Marrakech to exchange knowledge, present cutting-edge research, build partnerships, and develop concrete solutions to global water governance, security, and sustainability challenges.
