Water resilience starts in cities. They must be better included in 2026 UN Water Conference.

On the occasion of World Water Day, the Global Cities Hub (GCH), in partnership with UN-Habitat, co-organized on 23 March 2026 a Geneva Urban Debate on “Local leadership for water resilience”. The event provided an opportunity to exchange practical experiences and reflect on global water governance, with a particular focus on the case of Cape Town, South Africa, and the upcoming UN Water Conference (2-4 December 2026, Abu Dhabi).

Opening the discussion, Graham Alabaster, Head of the UN-Habitat Office in Geneva, outlined the scale and complexity of the challenges cities face in ensuring sustainable water management. With 70% of the global population expected to live in urban areas by 2050 (and 60% of future urban infrastructure yet to be built !) cities must simultaneously upgrade existing systems and plan for unprecedented expansion. Key challenges include insufficient and aging infrastructure, increasing water demand, and growing water pollution, all exacerbated by rapid urbanization and climate change.

Graham Alabaster emphasized that managing demand will become increasingly critical as water scarcity intensifies. Nature-based solutions, such as wetlands restoration or permeable urban surfaces, offer promising avenues to enhance resilience, particularly in mitigating floods and storing water. However, their success depends on integrated, multi-sectoral approaches that go beyond water management alone, involving urban planning, health, and land-use policies. In this regard, local governments are uniquely positioned to drive implementation. In closing, Graham Alabaster noted that innovation is also reshaping the sector. New monitoring technologies now enable cities to track pollutants that were previously undetectable, while emerging tools (such as quantum computing applications) can help identify leakages in water distribution systems (a UN Habitat project is actually run in Mexico City).

Cape Town’s experience provided a concrete illustration of both the risks and the solutions associated with urban water management. Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Water from the city of Cape Town, reflected on the city’s near “Day Zero” crisis in 2018, when dam levels dropped below 20% and strict water restrictions limited consumption to 50 litres per person per day (compared to around 180 litres per person per day at other times ). A key lesson from this crisis was the decisive role of communication and public engagement. The term “Day Zero” itself proved instrumental in raising awareness and mobilizing residents, who ultimately reduced water consumption by over 50%. Transparent and continuous communication (such as weekly public updates on dam levels) helped build trust and encouraged behavioural change.

Today, Cape Town is once again facing early signs of drought, highlighting the need for sustained vigilance. The city has since developed an ambitious “New Water Programme” which aims to diversify water sources and add 300 million litres of water to Cape Town’s daily supply after 2030. While 98% of its supply currently comes from surface water (dams), the goal is to reduce this to 75% by 2040, with the remaining 25% coming from groundwater, desalination, and water reuse. Several projects are already underway. These include large-scale removal of invasive plant species to improve water catchment efficiency, expansion of groundwater extraction from major aquifers, the development of one of Africa’s largest water reuse schemes, and new desalination capacity. Together, these measures aim to significantly increase water availability and reduce vulnerability to climate variability.

Reflecting on the lessons for mayors facing similar challenges, Councillor Zahid Badroodien emphasized several core governance principles: act early, as delayed responses tend to be more complex and costly; build trust by treating communities as partners and maintaining transparency; diversify water sources, recognizing that reliance on rainfall alone is insufficient; and institutionalize water management, embedding resilience within governance structures, budgets, and policy frameworks. Financing remains a central constraint, typically addressed through a mix of municipal revenues, development bank loans, and a growing reliance on public–private partnerships, while preserving public ownership of critical infrastructure.

Looking ahead, the discussion turned to the global level, with insights from Fabrice Fretz, Deputy head of the water section at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. He highlighted that, despite its fundamental importance, water governance remains fragmented at the international level, with no single UN body leading the issue and many entities involved (UN Water is only a coordinating mechanism). The 2026 UN Water Conference aims to build on the momentum of the 2023 conference by providing more political visibility to water and by delivering actionable and measurable commitments to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (ensuring access to water and sanitation for all). Beyond immediate outcomes, there is growing interest in establishing a more structured global framework for water governance, potentially inspired by existing non-binding models such as the Sendai Framework, where governments and stakeholders could engage voluntarily, but within a recognized UN structure.

Reflecting on the role of cities in global water governance, Fabrice Fretz highlighted the opportunity presented by the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will be structured around six interactive dialogues. One of these, entitled “Water for people”, will be co-chaired by Switzerland and Ghana.

Given the central role of cities in water management, he stressed the importance of ensuring that local and regional governments are actively included in these discussions, noting that “national commitments only make sense if they translate into clear, well-resourced implementation pathways at the local level.” In this context, Fabrice Fretz invited Councillor Badroodien, as well as other interested local and regional governments, to engage in the dialogue. He underscored that advancing water resilience ultimately depends on effective governance across all levels, from global frameworks to local implementation.

At the end of the discussion, UN Habitat was invited to reflect on the one priority action cities should pursue over the next five years to strengthen urban water resilience. Graham Alabaster emphasized the need to prioritize service delivery to the most vulnerable populations, noting that inclusive access to water and sanitation is a prerequisite for broader urban prosperity and growth. This is particularly critical in large cities, where a significant share of the workforce operates within the informal sector and depends on reliable basic services.

As cities continue to confront mounting water challenges, the debate underscored a clear message: solutions already exist, but their success hinges on political will, inclusive governance, and sustained investment at the local level. From Cape Town’s experience to ongoing global discussions, empowering cities, while strengthening the link between international commitments and local implementation, will be critical to achieving water resilience. The 2026 UN Water Conference represents a key opportunity to translate this momentum into concrete action, ensuring that no city and no community is left behind.

Ressources supplémentaires

• Cape Town’s presentation

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