German Call for WWD2026

Germany. Press Release: Alliance within the Forum on Environment and Development – ​​Working Group on Water for World Water Day, March 22, 2026:

Implementing the Human Right to Water and Sanitation in a Gender-Equitable Manner.

Berlin, March 19, 2026 – To mark International World Water Day on 22 March 2026, whose theme is ‘Water and Gender’, an alliance of environmental, development and human rights organisations is urging the German Federal Government to systematically and structurally embed gender equality in international water, climate and development policy. They are also calling for increased investment in water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure and for the active promotion of the destigmatisation of menstruation. Only when the human rights to water and basic sanitation are fully realised can women and girls worldwide participate equally, and can sustainable development succeed.

The urgency is high: In many countries, the lack of toilets and hygiene facilities leads to girls dropping out of school, women being excluded from the workforce, and the risk of sexual violence increasing. Without water, sanitation, and safe hygiene, education ends for many girls with the onset of menstruation. At the same time, the climate crisis is exacerbating existing inequalities. Droughts and floods intensify water scarcity and conflicts—with serious consequences for women. Furthermore, Germany remains heavily dependent on global resources due to its supply chains, and its high virtual water consumption also contributes significantly to the strain on local water resources in other regions.

Meanwhile, the issue is gaining greater international attention: The preparatory conference for the 2026 UN Water Framework Directive conference took place on January 26 and 27, 2026, in Dakar, Senegal. The UN Water Framework Directive conference itself will be held from December 2 to 4, 2026. Issues of “Water and Gender” must play a central role there.

Johanna Erdmann from the Berlin Water Roundtable/Blue Community Berlin explains:

“Water is a human right—but without safe sanitation, it remains incomplete. For women and girls in particular, access to toilets, hygiene, and clean water determines their education, health, and protection from violence.”

Nina Rothermel from the World Peace Service (Weltfriedensdienst e.V.):

“The climate crisis is exacerbating water scarcity – and hitting women and girls the hardest. Strengthening their rights strengthens sustainable development and peace at the same time.”

Jutta Himmelsbach from Misereor, who recently returned from South Sudan, emphasizes:

“Without water, showers, and safe toilets, girls cannot go to school. This not only means dropping out of school, but often early marriage and a life without prospects.” Similar challenges are also evident in Senegal, where gender equality and equitable water policies are currently being intensively debated.

Ulrike Dieterle from the Friends of Nature (Naturfreunde) points to the international responsibility:

“As a globally active environmental organization, we experience in projects in places like Togo and Senegal how closely environmental education, gender equality, and water issues are intertwined. This topic is firmly anchored in our work.”

Gertrud Falk of FIAN Germany demands:

“States are obligated to protect the human right to water, even beyond their borders, against economic interests. However, contrary to its own statements, the German government often prioritizes supplying German industry with raw materials from other countries – for example, in its foreign trade promotion policies. Mining, especially in countries without effective regulation, often causes the destruction and pollution of vital water sources for the local population. Women are particularly affected by the consequences, as they are generally responsible for providing for their families,”

Dominique Eckstein of GegenStrömung explained :

“Dam and hydropower projects exacerbate existing inequalities: Women, and especially indigenous women, often not only lose access to water and livelihoods, but are also systematically excluded from decision-making processes. A just water and energy policy must place their rights, knowledge, and perspectives at its core,”

Michael Bender of the Green League/Living Rivers Foundation stated:

“Rivers are natural lifelines and sources of cultural identity, yet they are often polluted, straightened, and dammed worldwide.” Many dam and infrastructure projects worldwide threaten to destroy the last remaining wild rivers. But there are also restoration projects, such as the removal of four dams on the Klamath River, which we present in our online seminars organized jointly with the FUE. We should be inspired by Indigenous peoples to restore our connection to living rivers.”

Roland Brunner of the Blue Community Network announced:

“On World Water Day 2026, we, as the Blue Community Network, are launching a global campaign to enshrine the human rights to water and sanitation in the constitutions of all states. Constitutional recognition creates the basis for challenging violations in court and strengthens water policy permanently beyond simple legislation. Where these rights are already enshrined in the constitution, we advocate for binding implementing regulations and effective monitoring mechanisms. The campaign will run until the UN Water Framework Directive conference from December 2nd to 4th, 2026, and until International Human Rights Day on December 10th.
In June, our ambassador, Erin O’Donnell, a professor at Melbourne Law School, will also be in Europe promoting healthy rivers and the rights of indigenous communities. We invite institutions and organizations to join us and use this platform.”

Durmuş Ünlü, Alliance of Public Water Management, adds with regard to the situation in Germany:

“In this country, municipal public services are responsible for implementing the human rights to water and sanitation. They obligate municipalities to provide comprehensive, affordable, and non-discriminatory access to water and sanitation. Gender equality is not an add-on, but a prerequisite for a human rights-based water and wastewater management system.”

The alliance within the Forum on Environment and Development – ​​Working Group on Water therefore supports the campaign and activities of the Blue Community Network and calls for diverse activities around March 22nd. The aim is to highlight the close connection between environmental, development, and human rights policies: The protection of water resources, the strengthening of public services, and the consistent implementation of gender equality are inextricably linked.