Harare, Zimbabwe – On 29 April 2026, African researchers, basin organisations, policymakers, youth and civil society representatives gathered at the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) in Harare for the African Regional Consultation for the United Nations Water Conference Academic Hub. The hybrid meeting was convened by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU‑INWEH), UNESCO ROSA and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) WaterNet to strengthen African engagement with the UN Water Conference Academic Hub ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
The UN Water Conference Academic Hub is an initiative co-led by UNU, UNESCO and UNITAR in collaboration with UN DESA and other members of the Task Force on “Water Action Decade Implementation” as well as other UN-Water Members and Partners. Launched in early 2026, it is a collaborative space designed to mobilize knowledge, expertise, and diverse perspectives in support of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
The consultation opened with welcome remarks by Sogol Jafarzadeh, UN and Government Relations Coordinator at UNU-INWEH, who underscored the importance of strengthened African engagement with the Academic Hub. “Addressing growing water challenges requires inclusive, science-based approaches that bridge knowledge, policy and practice, and the United Nations Water Conference Academic Hub plays a critical role in mobilizing research and expertise to ensure evidence-informed and inclusive outcomes at the upcoming UN Water Conferences,” she said. Ms. Jafarzadeh stressed that the consultation is essential to raising ambition for the Conference and elevating African perspectives at a time when water challenges increasingly define development priorities.
Maha Sall, Programme Specialist and IHP Secretariat Hydrology Focal Point at UNESCO, highlighted UNESCO’s mandate on water science, capacity development and Priority Africa, and called for alignment with existing regional initiatives and African led priorities. “Inequalities in access, governance and opportunity continue to shape how water is experienced across societies, and water security cannot be achieved without equal rights,” she noted, adding that the consultation offers an opportunity to “strengthen shared understanding of global and regional water challenges while grounding them in African realities.”
Dr. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Director of the UNITAR Global Water Academy, introduced the Global Water Academy and its role in supporting the Academic Hub as a platform for evidence-based learning and capacity development. She stressed the need to bridge the gap between scientific communities and policymakers at this critical stage of preparations for the Conference. “The academic value of the Hub is to connect different efforts and to communicate what happens at UN level with non-UN stakeholders,” she said, encouraging institutions to contribute so that “academic contributions are not parallel to the conference process but directly inform it.”
Prof. Jean Marie Kileshye Onema, Evidence-Based Water Action Lead at UNU-INWEH and Executive Manager and Head of the SADC WaterNet Secretariat, emphasized the value of WaterNet’s regional academic and practitioner network in grounding the Hub’s work in African realities. Highlighting the “Water for Cooperation” interactive dialogue of the UN Water Conference, he underlined that “scientific cooperation is one of the key elements to improve the water situation and global initiatives like the IAHS academy can add value and contribute to the overall objectives of the UN Water Conference Academic Hub.” He stressed that the consultation is an important opportunity to elevate African science.
After the opening session, Prof. Hodson Makurira, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of the African Regional Committee of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), delivered the keynote address. He reflected on how African hydrological research can and should shape global water policy dialogues, noting that “Africa has multiple efforts conducting research on global water challenges; however, to have influence regionally and globally, we must observe the structures available to us.” He underscored the need for African generated evidence, strong regional networks and greater visibility of early career researchers in multilateral water processes.
The opening session concluded with Elliot Mur, Policy and Partnership Relations Associate at UNU‑INWEH, providing an overview of the UN Water Conference Academic Hub, outlining its objectives and opportunities for regional engagement. He emphasized the importance of broad and inclusive participation, noting that “The strength of the Hub depends on the breadth and diversity of its contributions. Given the diversity of contexts across Africa, it is essential that African actors frame priorities, share lived experience, and contribute knowledge grounded in local realities.” He further encouraged institutions and experts across the region to actively engage with the Hub through knowledge sharing, collaboration, and contributions that reflect Africa’s diverse water challenges and solutions.
The morning continued with two scene‑setting briefings. Tariro Mbiba, International Affairs and Policy Associate at UNU‑INWEH, presented key messages from UNU‑INWEH’s flagship report, “Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post‑Crisis Era,” highlighting the diagnosis of “water bankruptcy” and its implications for governance, risk management, and just transitions. “This is not only insolvency; running out of usable water, it is insolvency combined with irreversibility, with far‑reaching social, economic and ecological consequences” she explained. This was followed by Dr. Muchaneti Munamati, Project Coordinator at UNESCO ROSA, who provided regional reflections on the United Nations World Water Development Report 2026 underscoring the report’s focus on water governance and gender equality, and emphasizing that “It is important that if we are to improve water security for women, we must adopt a gender transformative approach that actively challenges deep-seated patriarchal values.”
A central session of the consultation focused on the six interactive dialogues of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference. For “Water for People”, Carlos Vasquez, Chief of WASH at UNICEF, addressed safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services, reducing inequalities, and protecting vulnerable communities, especially children and women. On “Water for Prosperity”, George Andiego, Land and Water Resources Management Specialist at the FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa, discussed the links between water, agrifood systems, livelihoods and economic transformation, and the need for investment in climate‑resilient water management for food security.
On “Water for Planet”, Maha Abdelrahim Ismail, Groundwater Project Technical Lead at the Nile Basin Initiative, highlighted groundwater’s critical but often invisible role in sustaining ecosystems, supporting transboundary cooperation and building climate resilience across African basins. For “Water for Cooperation, Prof. Emmanuel Manzungu of the University of Zimbabwe reflected on shared waters, hydro‑diplomacy and the role of regional and basin organisations in preventing conflict and building trust. Speaking on “Water in Multilateral Processes”, Evans Kaseke, Transboundary Watercourse Co‑operation Expert Consultant, examined how African water priorities can be more effectively integrated into UN processes, regional economic communities and global environmental negotiations. Lastly, for “Investments for Water”, Loreen Katiyo, Transboundary Water Governance and Environment Specialist at Global Water Partnership Southern Africa, outlined financing gaps and opportunities, including blended finance and regional investment platforms to support SDG 6 and related goals.
In the afternoon session, participants engaged in open discussion to identify African priorities and key messages for each interactive dialogue, and to map potential areas of collaboration and joint research under the Academic Hub. Discussions stressed the importance of context‑specific solutions, transboundary cooperation, climate resilience, and integrating water with energy, food and biodiversity agendas. As part of a dedicated focus on African perspectives, the consultation heard a presentation from Dr. Zodwa Dlamini, Council Member of the Women in Water Diplomacy Network, who underscored the central role of women at all levels of water decision‑making and called for gender‑responsive governance and diplomacy across all dialogues. Following her presentation, Panashe Matanhire, representing the African Youth Parliament for Water Zimbabwe Chapter, highlighted the need to strengthen the role of youth in water governance, from local action and research to regional platforms and global negotiations.
A plenary session moderated by Prof. Jean Marie Kileshye Onema consolidated outcomes from the discussions and distilled preliminary policy messages to be channelled through the UN Water Conference Academic Hub into the 2026 Conference process. These messages emphasised elevating African science and practice in global water debates; integrating water across climate, biodiversity and development agendas; closing data and financing gaps; and ensuring that women, youth and marginalised communities are meaningfully included. Prof. Kileshye Onema noted that the Harare meeting provides a model for regional consultations that could be replicated elsewhere on the continent and reaffirmed the commitment of UNU-INWEH, UNESCO, UNITAR and SADC WaterNet to support African partners in shaping the outcomes of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
To close the consultation, Abraham Nunbogu, WASH Researcher at UNU‑INWEH, and Dr. Grace Oluwasanya, Senior Researcher on Water, Climate and Gender at UNU‑INWEH, presented on UNU-INWEH’s newest flagship report, “Critical Minerals, Water Insecurity and Injustice.” They outlined how the accelerating global rush for critical minerals, including in many African countries, is driving severe but often hidden water insecurity, livelihood disruption and health risks for communities living near extraction sites, while most benefits flow elsewhere. The presentation highlighted the report’s call for binding international due diligence standards, strict pollution and wastewater controls, and fairer benefit‑sharing to ensure that Africa’s critical mineral wealth supports just and sustainable development rather than deepening existing inequalities.
Together, these discussions and presentations positioned the Harare consultation as a key step in ensuring that African knowledge, priorities and voices inform the work of the UN Water Conference Academic Hub and the outcomes of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
