Participate in the UN-Water Summit on Groundwater 2022

Groundwater provides almost half of all drinking water worldwide, around 40% of the water used in irrigation and about one third of the supply required for industry. Not only does groundwater sustain ecosystems, it is also an important factor in climate change adaption. With the rise in water scarcity and the decrease in the availability of surface water (due to human activity and climate change), there is increased reliance and pressure on groundwater.

The Summit is the culminating event of a year that has been essential in raising awareness of this precious resource, with a global annual campaign on “Groundwater: making the invisible visible”, led by UNESCO, together with the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), on behalf of UN-Water.

The Summit will use the World Water Development Report 2022 (WWDR 2022), focused on Groundwater, as baseline and the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework as a guideline to define actions towards more responsible and sustainable use and protection of this vital natural resource. It aims to unify the outcomes of the main groundwater-related events organized this year into one, comprehensive groundwater message for the UN 2023 Water Conference.