Richmond Hill, Canada – 09 March 2026 — Across international summits and high-level policy forums, water appears in climate reports as an impact, in security strategies as a vulnerability, and in development plans as a checkbox. Meanwhile, rivers, aquifers, and wetlands continue to deteriorate at a pace the existing global water agenda has proven unable to reverse. As the 2026 UN Water Conference approaches, the question is no longer whether the solutions need updating — but whether the agenda itself does.
A new commentary published in Nature Water by Prof. Kaveh Madani, Director of UNU-INWEH, and Dr. Karin Sjöstrand from the UNU R-SIRUS Hub at the City College of New York, argues that water scientists have long acted as followers in global policy debates rather than agenda-setters. The piece contends that dominant prescriptions have remained unchanged for decades despite worsening conditions, that global water narratives have failed to reflect the realities of the Global South, and that the framing of water as a temporary crisis is no longer credible — many systems have entered irreversible water bankruptcy, where restoration to previous conditions is not possible within any reasonable planning horizon.
The authors call on the scientific community to reposition water as a strategic opportunity sector, engage directly with political economy and institutions, and use the 2026 UN Water Conference to reset the global water narrative with bold, locally grounded, and politically honest science.
Key Arguments:
- The global water agenda is outdated — Decades of repeated prescriptions have not reversed the decline of water systems globally.
- Water bankruptcy has replaced water crisis — In many basins and nations, hydrological damage is now irreversible. Promising a return to normal is no longer credible.
- Water is an opportunity sector — Investing in aquifers, wetlands, and forests delivers co-benefits for climate, biodiversity, food security, and peace.
- Scientists must become agenda-setters — The water science community must claim a central policy role, not just connect water to other agendas.
- 2026 is a pivotal moment — The UN Water Conference must produce a bold, inclusive, science-based narrative — not a repeat of past commitments.
Find the publication here:
Madani, K. & Sjöstrand, K. (2026). Water scientists must become agenda-setters. Nature Water. doi.org/10.1038/s44221-026-00613-0
Media Contacts:
William Smyth, Public Engagement Liaison and Personal Assistant to the Director, william.smyth@unu.edu
Daniel Powell, UNU Senior Communications Officer, powell@unu.edu
Available for Interview:
Professor Kaveh Madani, Director, UNU-INWEH
About UNU-INWEH
The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) is one of 13 institutions that make up the United Nations University (UNU), the academic arm of the UN. Known as 'The UN’s Think Tank on Water', UNU-INWEH addresses critical water, environmental, and health challenges around the world. Through research, training, capacity development, and knowledge dissemination, the institute contributes to solving pressing global sustainability and human security issues of concern to the UN and its Member States.
Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, UNU-INWEH has been hosted and supported by the Government of Canada since 1996. With a global mandate and extensive partnerships across UN entities, international organizations, and governments, UNU-INWEH operates through its UNU Hubs in Calgary, Hamburg, New York, Lund, and Pretoria, and an international network of affiliates.
