Madrid will be the global meeting point where water, sanitation and climate action will come together under a single conversation. In recent days, the Spanish capital hosted the Meeting of Ministers of the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) Sector, a forum that seeks to align global policies to guarantee the human right to water and strengthen resilience in the face of climate change.
The central theme, “Breaking silos: uniting political leadership to integrate water, sanitation and climate action”, reflects an urgency: to leave behind the fragmentation of policies and investments that prevent effective solutions. “SMM 2025 represents a historic opportunity to strengthen policies that guarantee the human right to water and sanitation,” explains Muyatwa Sitali, interim CEO of SWA. “We seek to generate simultaneous benefits for health, the economy, food security and climate resilience.”
The objective is to promote sustainable investments, strengthen institutional capacities and promote effective cooperation between governments, companies and civil society.
Water as a climate priority
The most pressing challenge, Sitali acknowledges, is sustainable financing. “Integrating water, sanitation and climate actions requires innovative approaches that prioritize transparency, efficiency and local impact,” he says. This involves strengthening public and private budgets and involving communities in decision-making.
The key is that each investment translates into results: public health, infrastructure and real adaptation to the climate. “When financial systems and public services work efficiently, every dollar goes further and transforms lives,” he says.
Examples that inspire
Some countries are already leading the way. Kenya has incorporated water and sanitation into its National Adaptation Plan, strengthening water security in key basins such as Lake Victoria. Jordan, a nation with severe water stress, has integrated climate risk directly into its national water strategy, coordinating policies across ministries and sectors. And Grenada, a small island state, uses international climate finance to build a resilient water sector, demonstrating that global cooperation can produce local results. These examples, says Sitali, “demonstrate that it is possible to translate climate adaptation priorities into concrete and sustainable actions.”
Mexico faces a critical situation: almost half of the population lives with some degree of water scarcity, according to INEGI. For the SWA spokesperson, the country has made progress—with treatment plants and integration of water into climate policies—but “it can still do more.”
“The experience of countries like Jordan or Namibia shows that the safe reuse of water can turn scarcity into resilience,” he comments. “Mexico can learn from these models, mobilize climate financing and make water and sanitation its adaptation strategy to climate change.”
SWA promotes a global alliance with more than 500 verifiable commitments from governments, multilateral organizations and civil society. Through its mutual accountability mechanism, the organization measures progress, publishes global reports and encourages citizen participation.
Even so, challenges persist, but the vision is clear: “Only with integrated policies can we protect health, the economy and the environment,” says Sitali.
For Sitali, Madrid’s call is an invitation: “Water is not just a resource, it is the reflection of how we face the climate crisis. Every decision we make today will define the world that the young people of tomorrow will inherit.”
