Thursday, March 19, 2026
World Water Day takes place on March 22, the 33rd annual observance since it began in 1993.
This year’s focus in on gender equality and water, as “women and girls are disproportionately affected by water-related challenges due to entrenched gender roles, inadequate infrastructure, underrepresentation, limited funding, restrictive social norms and systemic inequalities,” the United Nations World Water Day site said.
“The 2026 World Water Day campaign calls for a transformative, rights-based approach where women have equal voice, leadership, and opportunities in water decision-making – making water a force for a healthier, more prosperous, gender-equal future that will benefit us all,” the site added.
Water Day both celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.1 billion people on the planet without access to safe water.
A core focus of World Water Day is to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030, the World Water Day site said.
March 19 also marked the release of the 2026 UN World Water Development Report as well as an online and onsite celebration of World Water Day.
