United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health

What does Water Bankruptcy means?

Water Bankruptcy is a persistent, post-crisis state of systemic failure in which long-term water over-extraction and severe pollution permanently outpace natural replenishment (insolvency), causing irreversible structural and ecological damage to aquifers, glaciers, rivers, and ecosystems that can no longer return to their historical baselines (irreversibility).

Join us for a session exploring what this means for the future of global water governance.

This panel will feature 2026 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate and author of the Global Water Bankruptcy Report, Professor Kaveh Madani with opening remarks by Dr. Cheikh Tidiane DIEYE: Minister of Water and Sanitation of the Republic of Senegal and the co-chair of 2026 UN Water Conference.

Register and join the session for free: worldwaterweek.org

Calling Ontario's next generation of environmental leaders!

The "2026 Youth Awards in Environmental Action & Awareness Award" recognizes outstanding young leaders who are creating positive change through climate action, environmental stewardship, water security, research, innovation, advocacy, or community engagement.

By celebrating youth action, the award helps shift the conversation from awareness to meaningful engagement and long-term solutions. Whether they're organizing local clean-ups, leading awareness campaigns, developing creative solutions, or inspiring others to take action, their efforts deserve recognition.

Who can be nominated?

- Young people aged 15–24
- Living in Ontario, Canada

Nomination deadline: 27 August 2026

Submit nominations by completing the following form: https://go.unu.edu/SAci6

From research to action: Advancing global water solutions.

The session co-organized with the UNU Hub on Engineering to Face Climate Change at the Hamburg University of Technology, the UNU Hub on Remote Sensing and Sustainable Innovations for Resilient Urban Systems (R-SIRUS), and The UNU Hub on Water in a Changing Environment (WICE), will showcase UN Water Conference Academic Hub which will highlight how the UN Water Conference Academic Hub brings together research across thematic priorities and translates academic knowledge into concise, evidence-based contributions that can inform conference discussions and follow-up action.

Panelists will also explore how the Hub is elevating diverse voices and creating meaningful pathways for academic contributions to influence global water governance.

The UN Water Conference Academic Hub, a joint initiative co-led by UNU, UNESCO and UNITAR, in collaboration with UN DESA, UN-Water Members and Partners, and the Task Force on “Water Action Decade Implementation.”

Join the session and register for free: worldwaterweek.org

Join us for a special session celebrating the work and achievements of the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate and Director of UNU-INWEH Professor Kaveh Madani.

The event will bring together distinguished leaders from around the world of water, science, policy and diplomacy, from H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, patron of the Stockholm Water Prize, H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria to UNU Rector and UN Under-Secretary-General Professor Tshilidzi Marwala and European Commissioner Jessika Roswall.

Often described as the “Nobel Prize of Water,” the Stockholm Water Prize is one of the world’s most prestigious honours for contributions to the sustainable use and protection of water resources.

Professor Madani is the youngest laureate in the prize’s history at age 44, and the first UN official and first former politician to receive the award.

Registration is free to join the session online: https://worldwaterweek.org/

Science Talk | 19 August, 2026, 10:00-11:00 (EST)

In our next , Dr. Yue Qin, Food-Energy-Water Nexus Modeling lead, will present an integrated modeling framework for understanding and addressing the complex interactions between climate change and its interconnection with food, energy, and water systems.

Dr. Qin will explore how changes in water quantity, temperature, and seasonality can reshape water, food, and highlight the critical role of coupled human–water modeling in developing adaptive strategies to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of food, energy, and water resources under global environmental change.

Register now and livestream the lecture on our YouTube channel: https://go.unu.edu/TXL1X

Drought is among the most complex and costly climate-related hazards — and in many regions, it’s no longer a temporary crisis that ends when the rains return. Long-term water use now exceeds renewable supply, leaving each drought to begin from a weaker baseline.

At UNCCD COP17, UNU-INWEH is hosting a side event on how drought resilience assessment must evolve in this age of water bankruptcy, drawing on UNU-INWEH’s flagship analytical framework to shift from reactive crisis response to proactive drought management.

The session convenes Member States, UN agencies, international organizations, and youth and pastoralist voices to inform next‑generation drought resilience frameworks under the UNCCD drought agenda.

Join us: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
8:30–10:00 AM (GMT+8)
Room MET‑06, UNCCD COP17, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Register now: https://go.unu.edu/S10it

We're hiring!

UNU-INWEH is hiring a Administrative and Finance Officer (NO-B) to ensure the effective and transparent delivery of administrative, human resources, and finance services in support of the institute’s operations.

You will be part of a team that is diverse and driven in our commitment to addressing the world's post pressing water, environment and health challenges.

Application Deadline: 30 August, 2026.

Learn more about this role and apply today: https://go.unu.edu/8X7AR

Join a seminar featuring the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate Prof. Kaveh Madani کاوه مدنی at a special event at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology on 27 August.

Prof. Madani was selected for the Stockholm Water Prize, the world’s most prestigious award for outstanding achievements in water, for his groundbreaking research and global leadership that have transformed how governments manage water crises.

His work has help shift the focus of global water debates from infrastructure to governance and demonstrated how weak governance structures often lie at the heart of severe water crises. He has also advanced global understanding of transboundary water issues, developing science-based approaches to conflict resolution and sustainable management of shared river basins worldwide.

Learn more and register now: https://go.unu.edu/NP7o5