Geneva, Switzerland – 27 March 2026: Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and the author of the report, “Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era” addressed UN representatives, and Member States on water bankruptcy and explored its implications for peace, stability, and multilateral cooperation during the 22nd Meeting of the Group of Friends on Water and Peace.
The Group of Friends on Water and Peace (GoFW&P) serves as an open and informal platform, providing representatives from interested countries with a space for dialogue, outreach, engagement, and dissemination among the broader international community on topics related to water and peace. The GoFW&P was established in 2016 at the recommendation of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace and it is currently chaired by the Republic of Slovenia, with the Geneva Water Hub serving as its Secretariat.
Opening remarks were delivered by H.E. Anita Pipan, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the UN in Geneva, who emphasized the growing urgency of addressing water-related challenges through preventive diplomacy, inclusive dialogue, and strengthened multilateral cooperation. She reaffirmed Slovenia’s commitment to advancing water as a catalyst for peace, stability, and sustainable development.
Professor Madani then provided an overview of the concept of water bankruptcy, highlighting alarming global trends in water overuse, depletion, pollution, and mismanagement, leading to irreversible ecosystem damages. He underlined how living beyond our hydrological means is increasingly becoming a source of tension within and between countries, with the potential to undermine peace and stability if left unaddressed. Drawing on findings from the report, he stressed the need for transformative governance, improved data and transparency, and long-term planning to restore balance between water supply and demand.
Professor Madani highlighted the role of water as a powerful entry point for cooperation and peacebuilding, noting that water challenges, while often framed as risks, can also create opportunities for dialogue and collective action. He stressed that shared water concerns can help bring parties together across political and geographic divides when addressed proactively and cooperatively.
“Water has the unique ability to connect communities, sectors, and countries,” Professor Madani said. “It can serve not only as a source of life, but also as a foundation for trust, cooperation, and sustainable peace as the world enters the era of global water bankruptcy.”
Ambassador Pipan then invited reflections from Mr. Bruce Gordon, Former Vice‑Chair of UN‑Water; Dr. Dominique Bérod, Chief of the Section on Hydrological Monitoring at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); and Professor Mark Zeitoun, Director General of the Geneva Water Hub. They highlighted the need for stronger and more sustained prominence of water on the international agenda, reflecting on the momentum toward the 2026 UN Water Conference and stressing the importance of maintaining high‑level political engagement as well as effective follow‑up on global water commitments. Panelists also emphasized the critical role of data and data‑sharing in strengthening early warning, informed decision‑making, and trust‑based cooperation, particularly across borders and in fragile contexts. Professor Zeitoun drew attention to the increasing attacks on water infrastructure in conflict‑affected settings, including Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen, underscoring how the degradation or targeting of water systems intensifies humanitarian crises and undermines prospects for peace.
