How Outcomes from the Financing for Development Conference are Powering the Road to the 2025 SMM in Madrid

Achieving sustainable access to water and sanitation requires leadership that places water at the heart of national and international political priorities. This prioritization must be matched by mobilizing the necessary resources to confront the challenges ahead. Globally, up to 50% of the population could face severe restrictions in access to safe drinking water within the next five years, living under conditions of scarcity and water stress.

Spain is no stranger to managing water scarcity, which is increasingly exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Our climate has undergone significant changes. From 1961 to 2024, Spain's average temperature has risen by 1.69°C. The years 2022, 2023, and 2024 have been the hottest on record.

Spain's Ebro River / via Unsplash.

Spain’s long-standing experience in managing uneven water distribution has been grounded in our integrated basin-level policy approach. Our river basin organizations—set to mark their centennial in 2026—have played a vital role in equitably allocating water resources among users, coordinating across administrative and territorial boundaries, and ensuring collaborative, sustainable use.

The enormous global gap in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 makes it more urgent than ever to approach sustainable water and sanitation access through a holistic water resource management policy—one that is resilient to climate change and built on a sound regulatory, institutional, and financial framework. Such a policy must support the identification, evaluation, and implementation of the investments required to ensure safe and sustainable water and sanitation for all.

Over the past decades, Spain has made significant progress in water planning. Our water management plans, aligned with European Union directives, include ambitious targets for water quality and supply reliability. These are backed by concrete financing commitments from national and subnational actors, as well as all relevant sectors. Importantly, these plans integrate investment in water and sanitation access, guided by legal standards for quality, quantity, cost recovery, and pricing.

These advances have been made possible through strong political will, sustained public investment, robust data, and the active engagement of civil society, as well as public and private institutions. Political commitments can be translated into real progress when underpinned by clear policies, adequate budgets, and a shared sense of responsibility.

Looking ahead, Spain—together with the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge—will host the upcoming Sector Ministers’ Meeting of the SWA partnership in Madrid on 22–23 October. The Madrid meeting will offer a space for ministers of water, sanitation, and environment to align around practical solutions, shared goals, and coordinated financing strategies.

Let us continue to elevate water and sanitation not only as development goals but as essential enablers of economic resilience, human dignity, and climate action.