The XIX World Water Congress, held in Marrakesh, Morocco, in December, was themed on Water in a Changing World: Innovation and Adaptation.
The theme reflected the Congress’s focus on how water systems, governance, and research must adapt to climate change, growing inequality, demographic pressure, and environmental degradation, while accelerating innovation, interdisciplinary science, and inclusive solutions.
Human Right 2 Water attended the event, supporting two Special Sessions that concentrated on greater inclusivity for marginalised groups. One for research and innovation to protect cultural heritage against hydroclimatic extreme events, and the other for empowering women in water research. The former subject requires researchers to think about the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities and how it impacts their cultural values. The latter analysed the additional value that female researchers bring to water innovation. HR2W is always looking to support its mission to create access to safe drinking water for all. Climatic events are limiting water resource availability, while the consistent lack of female engagement is also limiting our abilities to improve the situation. This is true across the globe.
A key moment was the Special Session on Empowering Women in Water Research, held at 8:30 am on 3 December. This session focused on addressing structural barriers faced by women in water science and innovation, highlighting strategies to promote leadership, visibility, and equitable participation in research programmes. Amanda Loeffen, representing Human Right 2 Water and SD-WISHEES, contributed to discussions on the importance of rights-based and gender-responsive approaches in water research and governance, linking scientific inclusion with broader social impact.
It is clear that across many regions, women remain underrepresented, under-recognised and structurally constrained within research, policy and leadership spaces. This roundtable brought experts from three continents to explore data, governance reforms, community-driven approaches and international cooperation and how it can strengthen women’s roles in water research. We included Ariana Rossen from the National Water Institute of Argentina, Francesca Grecco from the University of Bergamo in Italy, Tracy-Lynn Field from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa and Raya Stephan, a Water Law Expert from IWRA in France, plus Alfonso Garcia, from Malaga University.
The topics covered sex-disaggregated data platforms, transformative citizen-science leadership, justice-oriented legal and governance frameworks, and the growing influence of women in transboundary water diplomacy. Together, these perspectives demonstrated how empowering women researchers leads to more equitable, effective and collaborative water solutions.
The other Special Session on North–South Collaboration on 3rd December showcased concrete examples of cooperation between Europe, Africa, and other regions. This session underscored how joint research and innovation initiatives can foster mutual learning, support context-specific solutions, and strengthen capacity for sustainable and equitable water management. Contributions from initiatives such as SD-WISHEES demonstrated the added value of co-designed approaches that bridge scientific excellence with local relevance.
Boniface Ayanbekongshie Ushie, PhD, presented the key enablers and barriers to improve innovation pathways that protect cultural heritage from hydroclimatic extreme events. Initial research shows that the key areas to regard include:
1. Capacity Building, training and knowledge
2. Technology tools and methods
3. Co-creation, engagement and local knowledge
4. Governance, partnerships and funding
Overall, the Marrakesh Congress reinforced a shared commitment to collaboration, inclusion, and innovation as essential pillars for advancing sustainable and just water futures worldwide.
