I recently went out in a kayak on the Molonglo River in my new home of Canberra, Australia. It was a peaceful morning and although the water was pleasant, it had an unfortunate green tinge due to a recent algal bloom.

World Water Day 2023 marks the halfway point in the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development – an opportunity to take stock and course correct. Over the past few decades, I’ve seen global calls to a...