26 May 2026 - Water is life - and yet billions of people still lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation. As climate change intensifies droughts and floods, and demand grows alongside populations, the urgency to act has never been greater. 

This May, world leaders, experts, and changemakers will gather in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for the Fourth High-Level International Conference on the Water Action Decade (25-28 May 2026). The conference is part of the Dushanbe Water Process, a partnership between Tajikistan and the United Nations that has convened governments, civil society, and the private sector every two years since 2018 to accelerate progress on water-related goals. 

So, what's on the agenda? The Dushanbe Conference will serve as a key preparatory meeting for the 2026 UN Water Conference, taking place from 8 to 10 December and co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates. Participants will showcase scalable solutions, forge new partnerships, and take stock of progress on the Water Action Agenda - the collection of over 800 voluntary commitments made at the landmark 2023 UN Water Conference. 

But Dushanbe is also looking ahead to 2028, 2030 and beyond. For the first time, stakeholders will begin informal consultations on the 2028 UN Water Conference, which will mark the final review of the Water Action Decade and chart a course for the future. 

The conference will bring together Member States, UN entities, international financial institutions, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, youth, local governments, and the scientific community, reflecting the reality that solving the water crisis requires everyone at the table. 

Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, is co-chairing the conference with His Excellency Mr. Kohir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan, helping to ensure that global commitments translate into action on the ground. 

Water connects every dimension of sustainable development. Dushanbe will give decision-makers an important opportunity to come together to protect it.
 
For more information: The Dushanbe Water Process

UN Photo/Evan Schneider