Accelerating Global Action in Water, Sanitation & Environment
This October, the government of Spain will host SWA’s 2025 Sector Ministers' Meeting. Despite the turbulent times in which we find ourselves, I am excited to be involved in the preparations for what is the high point of our partnership’s multi-annual cycle. This meeting will break the silos across water, sanitation and environment, and strengthen economic and environmental gains for people and planet.
Spain is uniquely positioned to host this high-level meeting. With its strong policies and technical expertise in integrated water resources management, climate adaptation, and disaster risk reduction, Spain stands at the forefront of global efforts for sustainable development. Just a year after the devastating floods in Valencia, Spain's renewed commitment to climate resilience underscores the urgency and relevance of our shared mission. By hosting the meeting in October, they are providing a vital platform to accelerate global actions that link water, sanitation, and climate resilience.
The Sector Ministers' Meeting presents a unique opportunity to drive collective and coordinated action. Over the past 15 years, SWA's high-level meetings have been the only regular, minister-focused global convenings dedicated to water and sanitation. These gatherings bring together ministers responsible for water, sanitation, and hygiene along with their counterparts responsible for climate, environment, health, and the economy. The Meetings create a space for world leaders to discuss strategies, identify solutions, and explore innovative ways to elevate the political prioritization of water, sanitation, and hygiene.
“In this challenging global context, meetings like this are more than timely, they are indispensable. They offer a one-of-a-kind, safe space for ministers from different sectors to speak openly, exchange insights, and build lasting partnerships. These gatherings convert individual leadership into coordinated momentum, fostering trust, driving bold decisions, and reinforcing national strategies through shared global purpose.”
As we approach key milestones such as COP30 and the 2026 UN Water Conference, this meeting serves as a vital catalyst, aligning national action with international goals and keeping water and sanitation central to sustainable development and climate resilience.
The SMM is an important event in and of itself. But it is also a milestone on our journey to equity, resilience and prosperity. What comes before and what comes after are, in fact, what really count. Let us, therefore, make full use of the next six months to come together at the national level, to prepare our ministers for the Sector Ministers Meeting, and in so doing, to build the foundations to transform shared vision into political will and impact.