The United Nations has committed to focus on water for a decade. That’s ten years to advance sustainable development. Ten years to breathe new air into existing programmes and projects. Play your part and make a difference.
Countries are already taking action…
Inspiring stories about how state actors are improving water services for millions of people every year.
…and so are organizations
Explore the ways that organizations around the world are working on the water crisis.
From Dushanbe to Abu Dhabi: advancing the Water Action Decade
The International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development” (2018–2028) provides the global framework for accelerating progress towards SDG 6 and strengthening cooperation on water across the United Nations system.
As illustrated below, the Water Action Decade brings together a series of major international milestones—from the launch of the Decade and the Dushanbe Water Process, through the UN 2023 Water Conference, to the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi, culminating in the conclusion of the Decade in 2028 and the global review of the 2030 Agenda.
The Government of Tajikistan has played a leading role throughout the Decade by convening high-level international conferences under the Dushanbe Water Process, providing an important platform for dialogue, partnerships and action that has helped sustain political momentum on water between global milestones.
Key milestones
2018 – First High-level International Conference, Dushanbe
2022 – Second High-level International Conference, Dushanbe
2023 – UN 2023 Water Conference, New York
2024 – Launch of the UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation
2025 – Launch of the Strategy’s Collaborative Implementation Plan (2025–2028)
2026 – Third in-depth SDG 6 review (HLPF) and UN 2026 Water Conference, Abu Dhabi
2027 – Final progress review of the Water Action Decade
2028 – Conclusion of the Water Action Decade
2030 – Global review of the 2030 Agenda
SDG 6 and the Water Action Decade: Key Moments (2015–2030)
About the Decade
Water Action Decade 2018-2028
Water and sanitation are preconditions to life and we must put a greater focus on these human rights. During the decade, the international community sets out to:
- Advance sustainable development
- Energize existing programmes and projects
- Inspire action to achieve the 2030 Agenda
Learn more about the objectives in the UN Secretary General’s Action Plan.