Urbanisation

Urbanisation

Cities consume 75% of the world’s natural resources and 80% of the global energy supply.

By 2050, roughly 6.4 billion people will live in a city, and demand for water will have increased by 55 percent. Cities power economic development and water security can seriously undermine this. Cities need to take steps to connect to their basins and enable water management institutions to make investments to secure water quantity and quality and mitigate flood risks.

Projects

See projects in this thematic area

Water-Wise Cities

Humanity cannot thrive and survive without water. Cities cannot function without water. A simple, but powerful reality. ...

Inclusive Sanitation

  Reshaping the global agenda on urban sanitation  ...

New Urban Agenda

How to Respond to the Commitments and Call for Action of the New Urban Agenda? The New Urban Agenda (NUA) is the outc...

Water Safety Planning

Humanity cannot thrive and survive without water. Cities cannot function without water. A simple, but powerful reality. ...

Regulating for Citywide Inclusive Sanitation

Rallying service providers and regulators for joint action...

Blog Posts

Latest opinions and insights relevant to the water sector

SanitationSDGsUrbanisation
March 18, 2023
World Water Day 2023: Accelerating change to s...
This year’s World Water Day acts as a reminder for everyone to take action to secure progress on water and sanitation. This year’s theme of Accelerating Cha...
EnergyTechnologyUrbanisation
April 13, 2022
Bringing reuse water to the mainstream
Population growth, urbanization and persistent drought are straining water resources in various regions around the world, while pollution and contamination comp...
AfricaAsia-PacificDevelopmentHealthSDGsUrbanisation
October 14, 2021
Handwashing is a human right
To mark Global Handwashing Day on 15 October, Léo Heller, former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, writes about the human righ...
IndustrySDGsSocietyUrbanisation
September 30, 2020
Water Consuming Industries & Water Stewar...
Water Stewardship: License to operate? After 200 years of industrialisation where water was used rather thoughtlessly and our natural resources and environment ...

News / Events

SanitationSDGsUrbanisation
May 26, 2023
IWA provides input to UN-Habitat’s support o...
As a member of UN-Habitat’s Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), the International Water Association (IWA) actively participated at th...
SanitationSDGsUrbanisation
May 10, 2023
IWA at the 5th Global WOPs Congress
The Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) will be hosting its 5th Global WOPs Congress in Bonn, Germany. The congress aims to convene the ...
Climate changeEnvironmentUrbanisation
August 26, 2022
NYC Climate Leader as Keynote Speaker at the I...
With the World Water Congress & Exhibition taking place on 11-15 September, the International Water Association is pleased to announce Rohit T. “Rit”...
SanitationUrbanisation
August 22, 2022
SanitAction – a call to action on inclusive ...
Sanitation project in Warangal City, India, courtesy ASCI The International Water Association is launching a dedicated campaign – SanitAction – calling for ...

Connect to the world’s leading water professionals.

Become a Member