Polski
Business and economics, Issue 5/2026
Water for all – UN report on world water resources development 2026
May
The latest UN report highlights the inextricable link between global water security and gender equality. In 80 percent of rural households without access to potable water, it is women and girls who are forced to carry water vessels long distances – taking a total of 250 million hours each day. What needs to change?
Universal access to water saves social costs
The United Nations World Water Development Report 2026 reminds us that in 2024, more than 2 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. Up to half of the global population faces water stress for at least one month of the year, and 10 percent live in countries where the situation is critical. The problem is not the total amount of freshwater resources on Earth, which is fairly stable and estimated at about 43,000 km3 per year, but its seasonal and geographic availability.
UNICEF data shows that some 700 million people worldwide fetch water from treated and untreated sources every day – among them are children as young as five years old, with girls spending 30 percent more time carrying water than boys. In 7 out of 10 households, women are responsible for the family’s water supply, missing out on education and job opportunities while risking injury, strain and assault, including of a sexual nature.
The situation in schools is also dramatic, with 22 percent of educational institutions lacking access to drinking water, and 33 percent lacking basic hygiene services. Children are unable to wash their hands before eating, risking the spread of disease, and girls suffer doubly, unable to take care of themselves during menstruation.
The report’s authors, meanwhile, point out that it doesn’t take much. Investments in basic WASH services for homes and schools are yielding surprising results – experiences from Kenya, Laos and Zimbabwe prove that improving access to water increases women’s economic potential and minimizes health care and absenteeism costs.
Water resources in agriculture – unequal distribution
In sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, women make up the majority of those employed in the agricultural sector. Water scarcity is therefore taking a toll on their welfare and food security, a situation exacerbated by the fact that land and water resources are usually managed without their participation. The FAO also notes that men living in the regions most affected by climate change often choose to migrate, leaving farms in the hands of women as a result. Even so, they account for less than 15 percent of landowners – a lack of title and documents makes it difficult to obtain water resources for irrigation.
Women are also discriminated against in water management decision-making at the catchment level – their participation is hampered not only by prejudice, but also by a lower level of education. In the face of climate disasters, the problem is clearly getting worse.
The report’s authors cite an FAO study of 109,000 rural households in 24 countries. It showed that floods can increase the income gap between poor and non-poor households by more than 4 percent. Women are disproportionately affected by this phenomenon: a 1°C increase in the long-term average temperature reduces the income of female-headed households by 34 percent more than male-headed households are affected. In addition, women’s weekly working time can increase by 55 minutes compared to men’s in such a situation. These inequalities are closely linked to water access and management.
Women in the water sector
The problem of gender inequality can also be seen at the top level of water resources management. The results of a World Bank survey conducted in 2017-2018 found that the share of women among the employees of water utilities worldwide was 17.7 percent, and although there is a gradual improvement in this regard, men definitely dominate in management and engineering positions.
This inequality is not only a sad statistical fact, but also a potential flaw in the system. The report’s authors cite a study from two years ago showing that companies that increased the number of women in management positions were 46 percent more likely to reduce water consumption.
Climate change and aquatic ecosystem degradation – who pays?
Extreme hydro-meteorological events are a major cause of the risks associated with the problem of access to water. There is ample evidence that their consequences are compounded by existing social disparities, particularly related to race, income level and age. Climate change-induced natural disasters also affect men and women differently, based on differing social roles and competencies.
According to experts, these disparities should be addressed at all stages of integrated risk management, from mitigation to remediation. Mainstreaming gender into resilient infrastructure development and inclusive policies leads to building greater climate resilience in regions and countries.
The report’s authors also raise the issue of women’s vulnerability to the degradation of aquatic ecosystems. This involves not only the transportation of drinking water from rivers and lakes, but also the supply and quality of food. Typically, women are in charge of preparing meals and caring for the sick, so the deterioration of local water clearly affects their well-being.
Nature-based solutions, such as peatland and forest restoration and rainwater harvesting, are proving extremely effective, improving water access and ecological resilience while creating economic opportunities for disadvantaged groups, particularly in rural areas. UN experts suggest that payment systems for ecosystem services can benefit downstream users (water availability and quality) while offering economic incentives to upstream stakeholders. However, the implementation of such systems should be preceded by diagnostic analyses that include a gender perspective.
Financing and investment
The report’s authors argue that gender equality should be implemented as early as the budgeting stage in the water sector. In their view, voluntary or ad hoc initiatives in this regard are clearly inadequate and lead to token allocation of resources and unsustainable investments. Involving women in the financial planning process is necessary to increase grassroots acceptance of projects and increase their final effectiveness.
The priority today is to create mechanisms that counter structural barriers, such as limited access to land ownership, banking services and credit history. Women around the world must gain the ability to finance investments in the water sector.
UN experts remind that in 2022 the estimated financing gap needed to achieve water security by 2030 was $700 billion a year. Reducing it is crucial to the entire sustainable development agenda and requires the wise use of public funds, the potential of public-private partnerships, advanced financial instruments, but also the implementation of small-scale operations. In each of these spheres, equitable participation must be ensured for social groups for whom access to water is currently difficult and a critical part of daily existence.
In writing the article, I used:
United Nations, The United Nations World Water Development Report 2026 – Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities. UNESCO, Paris
