UNU-INWEH and HEC Montréal Launch The 2026 Global Media Awards: Water Bankruptcy - Every Drop Counts

Media plays a pivotal role in shaping how societies understand and respond to emerging global risks. In the context of water, it can raise public awareness, translate complexity into accessible narratives, and catalyze action to address one of the defining challenges of our time: water bankruptcy.

The Global Media Awards (GMA) 2026, themed “Water Bankruptcy – Every Drop Counts,” aims to deepen public understanding of water security as a critical human, environmental, and economic priority. It seeks to foster informed dialogue and responsible action across all levels of society. By promoting human-centered storytelling alongside rigorous analysis, the Awards encourage a shift beyond crisis-driven narratives toward solutions-oriented reporting that highlights pathways for resilience, adaptation, and systemic change.

At its core, the GMA aspires to transform audiences from passive observers into informed agents of change.

Submissions are now open. We invite outstanding television and digital media news, stories, and documentary programs that creatively explore issues related to water preservation, consumption, scarcity, and the growing risk of water bankruptcy.

Applications open

Join us in this movement to protect our future generations by digging deeper, documenting the roots and finding a way forward for the well-being of our societies.  We invite news stories and documentaries. Entries should be submitted using the registration form. There is no fee.

Professor Kaveh Madani Director, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health Water is the foundation of life, economies, and ecosystems. Yet across much of the world, we are no longer simply facing water scarcity, we are confronting a far more profound and systemic condition: water bankruptcy. As outlined in our recent work at UNU-INWEH, in many regions, human–water systems are already in a state of failure, where long-term water use has exceeded renewable supply, and both quantity and quality have been degraded beyond recovery. Societies have drawn down not only annual freshwater “income,” but also the natural “savings” stored in aquifers, glaciers, soils, wetlands, and river systems. This is not simply a question of scarcity or temporary crisis; it is a condition defined by both insolvency and irreversibility, requiring a transformational reset in how we manage water, combining mitigation with adaptation to new realities. Water bankruptcy fundamentally changes how we must think and act. It shifts the global agenda from short-term crisis response to long-term system redesign that will require us to rebalance demand with diminished supply, protect remaining natural capital, and support just transitions for communities whose livelihoods depend on water. It also reveals water as more than a sectoral issue: it is a central driver of food security, public health, economic stability, and peace. In an increasingly fragmented world, water can serve as a powerful bridge that connects local needs with global priorities, fostering cooperation across political, geographic, and ideological divides. In this context, the role of media has never been more critical. By shaping public understanding and elevating water from a technical concern to a societal priority, media can help reframe the narrative from one of episodic crisis to one of structural transformation. It can expose the hidden dynamics of overuse and degradation, highlight innovative responses, and hold institutions accountable for difficult but necessary decisions. Most importantly, it can translate complex science into compelling human stories that mobilize collective action. The Global Media Awards on Water Bankruptcy recognize and support this vital role, encouraging journalism that informs, engages, and drives action.

Dr. Javad Mottaghi Lead, Global Media Academy, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, and Adjunct Professor, Department of International Business, HEC, Montreal Water bankruptcy is one of the most urgent global challenges of our time. Declining freshwater resources driven by climate change, pollution, mismanagement, and overuse threaten food security, public health, economic stability, and social cohesion. Its deepest impact will be felt by the next generation, who risk inheriting depleted resources, higher costs, and increased conflict over water. Addressing this crisis is both a societal necessity and an intergenerational responsibility. Media has a vital role to play by elevating water security from a technical issue to a public priority. Through informed reporting, investigative journalism, and solutions-focused storytelling, media can raise awareness, hold decision-makers accountable, highlight innovation, and inspire responsible behavior. By shaping public understanding and influencing policy agendas, the media can be a powerful driving force in mobilizing collective action helping safeguard water resources and secure a sustainable future for society and generations to come.

Awards Categories and Prizes

There are two categories:

1. Television
2. Digital Media

The Awards recognize outstanding and innovative video/television, and digital media content that brings the issue of Global Water Bankruptcy to life. Eligible submissions include news stories and programs, documentaries, AI-generated content, narrated videos, interviews, social media videos, animations, and productions that use on-screen graphics to communicate complex ideas. Entries should clearly explore both the underlying drivers of water bankruptcy—such as overuse, mismanagement, pollution, and climate change—and the solutions needed to address this growing global challenge.

While Water Bankruptcy must remain the central theme, the Awards welcome a diverse range of storytelling formats, including documentary, reportage, and docudrama. Submissions may also include news features, dramatic interpretations, animation, and AI-assisted productions, provided they demonstrate strong narrative quality, accuracy, and public relevance.

All entries should align with the overarching theme of the Awards: “Water Bankruptcy – Every Drop Counts.”

The award criteria for each category are:

Three cash prizes will be awarded in each of the following 2 categories:

Eligibility

The Awards are open to public and private media organizations, as well as independent content producers and freelancers worldwide.

All television and digital media content— including news stories, programs, and documentaries—produced or co-produced in any country between May 15, 2024 00:00, and August 31, 2026 23:59 (America/Toronto) are eligible for submission. Each program may be entered only once. Independent producers, directors, and freelancers may submit entries without affiliation to a broadcast network.

Each participant can submit one (1) entry, in Television and one (1) entry in Digital Media including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, AI, etc., categories, either reportage, documentary, news story, animation, AI generated content or docudrama. Submissions may range from short-form content of a few seconds to long-form productions of up to 52 minutes in duration. In the case of co-productions involving multiple organizations, entries must be submitted by one party with documented consent from the other co-producer(s).

Entries must be free from political propaganda or intentional commercial advertising. A wide range of storytelling approaches is encouraged, including traditional reporting, animation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted production. Works incorporating dramatized or narrative techniques—such as docudrama—are also eligible, provided they are grounded in rigorous research, faithfully represent the essence of real events, and clearly disclose any reconstruction or creative interpretation.

Registration

The Programs competing for the 2026 Global Media Awards on Water Bankruptcy - Every Drop Counts should be registered in the competition by filling in the registration form.

1. Each applicant must submit
   Their television, or digital media program (s) in MP3, MP4 orWAV format, in the original language,
2. Through the registration form, applicants must provide all requested information including: 
   1) A synopsis
   2) A script
   3) A short biography (max 100 words) of director/producer

Immediately after submitting the registration form, all entries (MP3, MP4, WAV) must be submitted by WeTransfer or other options to UNU-INWEH before September 15, 2026 at: luying.wang@unu.edu

No registration fee is required for participation.

Register Now

Aims and Goals

This initiative positions media as a critical actor in addressing the emerging global reality of water bankruptcy. Its primary aim is to elevate water security—from a technical concern to a societal and political priority—by strengthening public understanding of its human, environmental, economic, and security implications, and by fostering informed dialogue and responsible action across all levels of society.

At its core, the initiative seeks to enhance the capacity of media professionals to report on water issues with rigor, depth, and impact. It promotes investigative, evidence-based, and solutions-oriented journalism that goes beyond episodic crisis coverage to examine systemic drivers, governance failures, and pathways for transformation. By advancing human-centered storytelling alongside accountability reporting, it encourages more nuanced, constructive, and action-oriented narratives.

A key objective is to catalyze cross-sectoral engagement by connecting media with governments, academia, civil society, industry, and international organizations. This approach supports more coordinated responses to water challenges and helps embed water considerations into broader public discourse—linking them to climate change, health, food systems, economic resilience, and social equity.

Ultimately, the initiative aims to shift audiences from passive awareness to informed engagement. By amplifying credible knowledge, spotlighting innovation, and promoting practical, scalable solutions, it seeks to contribute to a more informed global public—and to accelerate the transition toward resilient, equitable, and sustainable water systems for current and future generations.

Mr. Shigeru Aoyagi Founder and Director General, Pale Bleu Dot Foundation, Japan - Former UNESCO Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Water is far more than a natural resource. It is the foundation of life, human dignity, and peaceful coexistence. Throughout history, access to water has shaped civilizations, supported livelihoods, and sustained ecosystems. Yet today, growing water scarcity and mismanagement are increasing pressures on societies and regions around the world. When water becomes scarce, tensions can rise between communities, across borders, and among generations. Conversely, when water is managed fairly and sustainably, it becomes a powerful instrument for cooperation, dialogue, and peace. For this reason, responsible and insightful media reporting is essential. By informing the public, highlighting solutions, and giving voice to affected communities, journalists help transform water challenges into opportunities for collective action. The Pale Bleu Dot Foundation is honoured to support The Global Media Awards 2026 – "Water Bankruptcy: Every Drop Counts." We believe that informed storytelling can inspire responsible stewardship of water and contribute to a more peaceful and sustainable world. Let every drop remind us not only of our shared vulnerability, but also of our shared responsibility for peace.

Jury

The Jury for the two categories shall be formed of ten to eleven members or more. The Jury members are invited by the Award organizers at their discretion, considering their recognized media expertise, balanced representation and other criteria considered relevant. The Jury shall be presided by a chairperson, appointed by the organizers, among the renowned experts with whom they collaborate. 

If an organisation enters a program in the competition and there is a member of the Jury that is linked to that organisation, they will not vote on that program.

Jury Members

International Partners

For further comments or questions, you may contact,

• Dr Javad Mottaghi, Adjunct Professor, Department of International Business, HEC Montréal
• Mr Shigeru Aoyagi, Pale Bleu Dot Foundation, Japan