Climate change is reshaping our planet, and water is at the heart of both the crisis and the solution. Rising sea levels, recently shown to be underestimated in coastal regions (Minderhout et al., Nature, 4 March 2026), demand urgent action. How can water management become the accelerator for climate adaptation, from local communities to entire delta regions? This session explores how to turn adaptation expertise into global impact, ensuring resilience for the most vulnerable.

Sub-themes:

• Sea-level rise and beyond: The latest science (Minderhout 2026) reveals that coastal areas face higher risks than previously thought. How can we integrate these findings into adaptation strategies? What does this mean for infrastructure, financing, and community planning?
• Local knowledge as a catalyst: Share examples where community-led water solutions have outperformed top-down approaches. How do we ensure these voices are heard in policy and investment decisions?
• Finance for the long haul: Climate adaptation requires “patient capital.” How can we restructure funding to prioritise long-term resilience over short-term gains? What role can public-private partnerships play in scaling up solutions?

Outcome: each table will identify at least one bold action to pitch at the UN Water Conference 2026.

Water governance isn’t just about rules, it’s also about who makes them, who funds them, and who benefits. How can we support an “enabling environment” in contexts with fragmented institutions, limited budgets, or competing priorities?

Sub-themes:

• Policy meets reality: What are the biggest gaps between national water strategies and on-the-ground execution? Where do you see regulations helping or hindering innovation? Map the disconnects.
• Financing fairness: Water projects fail when costs and benefits aren’t shared equitably. What funding models have you seen bridge divides between public good and private gain? How can we design blended finance or revolving funds that attract investment and ensure access for all?
• Data as a team sport: Real-time water data is a game-changer, but only if it’s shared, trusted, and usable. Who owns the data? Who pays for it? What platforms or tools can break down data silos? What’s on your wish list for open, actionable data?
• Trust and power: Governance isn’t neutral but shaped by who has a seat at the table. How do we ensure marginalised voices (e.g., small-scale farmers, indigenous groups) influence decisions? What accountability mechanisms actually work?

Outcome: each table outlines the top five priorities for creating enabling environments that Partners for Water could incorporate in its next programme period.

We are off track to address the global water crisis – where communities face the triple threat of too much water (flooding), too little (drought), or water that is unsafe to use. The gap isn’t just about funding; it’s about missing innovations, overlooked themes, and broken connections between ideas and real-world impact. Why do so many promising water solutions fail to reach those who need them most? This session explores the blind spots and bridges the gap to ensure equitable, sustainable water security for all.

Sub-themes:

• The innovation blind spots: Are we missing critical areas like affordable desalination, decentralized wastewater treatment, or climate-resilient infrastructure that could help balance water extremes? What about essential innovations, such as early warning systems, AI-driven water management, or behavior change tools, that are being overlooked?
• Scaling what works: Why do some innovations scale effortlessly while others stall? How can we de-risk new technologies – especially those leveraging AI and early warning systems – for investors and governments? What lessons can we learn from successes in predictive analytics, smart irrigation, or flood/drought forecasting?
• Partnerships for impact: How can innovators, governments, and financiers collaborate to turn pilots into million-user solutions? What role can Dutch water tech and innovation hubs play in brokering these connections, particularly for AI and early warning technologies?
• Water security’s missing links: Beyond technology, what social, governance, or financial innovations are needed to ensure water security? How do we ensure solutions are inclusive, equitable, and sustainable, while integrating early warning systems and AI to predict and mitigate water-related risks?

Outcome: Each table creates a ‘2030 breakthrough plan’ for one innovation or approach that could significantly accelerate progress toward balanced water security. 
Include the gap it addresses (e.g., urban water scarcity, flood/drought prediction, data gaps), the partners needed to scale it, as well as why this should be a priority for the UN Water Conference 2026 and Partners for Water 6.