• by Umar Manzoor Shah (new york & srinagar, india)
• Thursday, March 19, 2026
• Inter Press Service

NEW YORK & SRINAGAR, India, March 19 (IPS) - A new United Nations report has warned that global water inequality remains one of the most pressing development challenges of the decade, with billions still lacking safe drinking water and sanitation – while women and girls continue to bear the heaviest burden of water insecurity.

The United Nations World Water Development Report 2026, titled Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities, was released today (March 19, 2026) by UNESCO in New York. The report has highlighted how unequal access to water resources intersects with gender inequality, poverty, and climate change. The report argues that achieving water security is inseparable from advancing gender equality and inclusive governance.

According to the report, access to safe water and sanitation remains far from universal. As of 2024, around 2.1 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water services, while 3.4 billion people lack safely managed sanitation and 1.7 billion people lack basic hygiene services at home.

In an exclusive interview with Inter Press Service (IPS

Dr Laura Imburgia, UNESCO WWAP Programme Specialist, said that safely managed drinking water access calls for water to be delivered as close as feasible to premises; water service for smallholders calls for investments which promote women’s leadership and protect their water rights.

“As the report indicates, the financing gap for the water sector remains vast and requires mobilising nearly USD 7 trillion by 2030. While imperative, mobilising the funding is difficult. While governments are the most important duty-bearers, mobilising nontraditional funding sources for water and sanitation, including the private sector, can help close this gap. Blended finance, which strategically anchors public, philanthropic and private capital around shared goals, can be a powerful driver of investment,” Imburgia told IPS News.

She added that the progressive removal of obstacles to access to water and sanitation, including discrimination, is required to fully realise the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. According to her, addressing WASH barriers requires responses that go beyond technical fixes, as these challenges are rooted in the complex interplay of politics, economics and culture.

“There is a need to value unpaid water work, care and domestic labour, mostly carried out by women and girls. Disaggregate data by sex and age at the household level and integrate gendered time-use and affordability data into WASH research and policy frameworks. WASH affordability assessments should consider women’s limited control over household finances and their disproportionate responsibility for WASH-related tasks,“ Imburgia said.

As per the report, the consequences extend beyond health. Limited access to water affects education, food security, livelihoods, and economic opportunities, particularly for women and girls who often shoulder the responsibility of collecting water for their households.

“Access to water is not merely a question of availability or infrastructure. It is, at its core, a question of rights and of power,” said UNESCO Director General Khaled El-Enany in the foreword to the report. “Who has access to water, who pays the price for its scarcity, and who sits at the decision-making table reveals enduring inequalities that run deep through our societies.”

The report estimates that in more than 80 percent of rural households without direct water access, women and girls are responsible for collecting water. Globally this task consumes around 250 million hours every day.

This daily burden limits opportunities for education, employment, and civic participation. It also exposes women and girls to health risks, physical strain, and potential violence during long journeys to water sources.

“Across the world, it is women and girls who most often carry the daily weight of water insecurity,” El-Enany said.

The report stresses that water inequality is not only a humanitarian issue but also a governance problem.

“Women remain under-represented in water management and leadership roles worldwide. Globally, women hold less than 30 percent of management and technical positions in the water sector and fewer than 20 percent of senior leadership roles in many public water institutions,” the report says.

According to the report, this imbalance weakens water governance and reduces the effectiveness of policies designed to address water scarcity and climate impacts.

“Water systems are more effective, inclusive, and sustainable when women participate fully and meaningfully,” El-Enany noted.

The report also examines the broader global water crisis. Renewable freshwater resources worldwide are estimated at roughly 43,000 cubic kilometres per year. However, their availability varies widely by region and season due to climate and geographic factors.

Water stress is increasing in many parts of the world. The report states that around 10 percent of the global population lives in countries facing critical water stress, while roughly four billion people experience severe water shortages at least one month each year.

Climate change is intensifying the challenge. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, floods, and droughts are affecting water availability and threatening food production and livelihoods.

“Climate change is posing more threats to human well-being through its impact on water and food security, public health, economic stability and the environment,” the report noted.

Agriculture remains the largest consumer of freshwater globally, accounting for about 72 percent of total water withdrawals. Industry uses roughly 15 percent, while municipal and domestic use accounts for about 13 percent.

These figures vary significantly across countries. Agriculture dominates water use in low-income economies, while more industrialised economies rely less heavily on water-intensive sectors.

The report also highlights the growing competition for water between cities and agriculture, particularly in rapidly expanding urban areas of developing countries.

Another major concern is groundwater depletion. In many regions groundwater serves as a critical alternative to surface water, yet unsustainable extraction has led to long-term declines in aquifers in parts of Asia and North America.

Water quality also poses a serious challenge. Agricultural runoff is now considered the leading cause of freshwater contamination worldwide. Industrial pollution and inadequate wastewater treatment contribute to declining water quality in many countries.

Despite global commitments, progress toward international water targets remains slow. The report states that none of the targets under Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure access to water and sanitation for all by 2030, are currently on track.

According to the latest global data, about 26 percent of the world’s population still lacks safely managed drinking water services, while 41 percent lacks safely managed sanitation.

The report warns that closing these gaps requires not only infrastructure investments but also social and institutional reforms.

Technical solutions alone cannot resolve water inequality, the authors argue. Instead, governments must address deeper social and political barriers that prevent equitable access to water.

Imburgia told IPS in an interview that the progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6 has been slow mainly because of weak governance, insufficient funding, and growing pressures like climate change and population growth.

“Many countries lack strong institutions, clear policies, and coordination between sectors. In addition, infrastructure for water and sanitation is expensive and often underfunded. As the World Water Development Report 2026 highlights, inequalities play a critical role, as poorer and rural communities are harder to reach. Together, these structural challenges make implementation slow and uneven,” she said.

“The findings of this report leave no room for doubt. Technical solutions alone cannot solve what are, at their root, social and political challenges,” the report reads.

Experts stress that inclusive governance and reliable data are critical to designing effective policies. The report calls for better monitoring systems, especially the collection of sex-disaggregated data to understand how water access affects different groups.

Another key recommendation is increased investment in water infrastructure and gender-responsive financing.

The report notes that the global water sector faces a massive investment gap estimated in the trillions of dollars. At the same time, many water projects fail to consider the economic value of unpaid labour performed by women in collecting and managing water.

Researchers say recognising this invisible labour is essential for designing fair and effective policies.

The report also points to examples of progress. Since 2020 the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme has trained more than 1,000 professionals across 35 countries to strengthen gender equality in water management.

International partnerships are also expanding. A global call for action launched in 2021 to accelerate gender equality in water governance has attracted more than 200 participating organisations.

Alvaro Lario, Chair of UN-Water and President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), stressed that gender equality is central to sustainable water management.

“Gender equality and water security are inextricably linked,” Lario wrote in the report. “Advancing gender equality in and through water can strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of water resources.”

As per the report, addressing water inequality could help reduce poverty, improve health outcomes, enhance food security, and support climate resilience. “Gender equality constitutes an essential path towards fair and just access to, and use of, water,” the report claims.

With less than five years remaining to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the authors warn that urgent and coordinated global action is needed.

According to El-Enany, gender equality must be a cornerstone of water governance.

“We must ensure that the voices of women are finally heard where decisions are made. Because the right to water must not remain a principle. It must become a reality for all.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

© Inter Press Service (20260319104527) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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