World Water Day 2026

What is World Water Day?

World Water Day is on 22 March every year. It is an annual United Nations Observance, started in 1993, that celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2 billion people currently living without access to safe water. A core focus of World Water Day is to inspire action towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

2026 Theme: Water and Gender

The theme of World Water Day 2026 is “Water and Gender: Where water flows, equality grows.”

Key messages for World Water Day 2026

The global water crisis affects everyone – but not equally. Where people lack the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, inequalities flourish, with women and girls bearing the brunt. It’s time to centre women and girls in water solutions.
Women must shape the future of water. Water services must withstand climate change and meet everyone’s needs. We need a transformative, rights-based approach to solving the water crisis, where women’s voices, leadership and agency are fully recognized.
Where water flows, equality grows. When women and girls have equal voice in water decisions, services become more inclusive, sustainable and effective. We must invest in women’s leadership to make water a force for a healthier, more prosperous, gender-equal future that will benefit us all.

Additional Resources:

A Note From Our President

Each year on March 22, World Water Day unites people around the globe in highlighting the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of water resources. The 2026 theme, “Water and Gender,” calls attention to a connection that is both powerful and often overlooked- that gender equality is essential to solving the world’s water challenges. Embracing this connection strengthens how we study, manage and protect water resources for today and tomorrow.

At first glance, these two topics might seem completely unrelated, however they are intrinsically connected. According to the United Nations, more than 1 billion women globally lack access to safely managed drinking water, and in two out of three households, women are the primary water collectors. Yet women make up only 1/5 of the water sector workforce. While these disparities may feel distant from our everyday experiences in the Unites States, NALMS’s remains steadfast in its mission to forge partnerships among citizens, scientists, and professionals- and in its commitment to raising awareness of these issues globally.

As a woman and a leader in lake management, I understand the value women bring as contributors to research, management, education, and community leadership. Their contributions are not a footnote, they are essential. Let’s use this World Water Day to amplify the voices of women across the lake management community, celebrate their work, and reaffirm our commitment to building an inclusive future for freshwater science and stewardship.

Julie Chambers
NALMS President
jchambers@nalms.org