This outcome note captures the highlights of the 2026 GWOPA Assembly, held on 17 May 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, as part of the 13th World Urban Forum, the first time the Assembly featured within the official WUF programme. Convening members and partners at a pivotal moment for the Alliance, the Assembly took stock of 17 years of work to strengthen utility capacities, reflected on the achievements of the 2019-2025 Strategy, and shaped strategic orientations for 2026-2029 in alignment with the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan.
The GWOPA Annual Report 2025 presents the Alliance’s work to strengthen water and sanitation operators through solidarity-based, peer-to-peer cooperation. The report highlights how Water Operators’ Partnerships are helping utilities address operational challenges, improve service delivery and contribute to more inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities.
Global Outlook on Water and Sanitation Service Providers: Water for Sustainable Cities is the first global assessment to put water and sanitation utilities at the heart of sustainable urban development. Produced by GWOPA/UN-Habitat in partnership with IRC, the report shows how strong, well-governed and well-resourced utilities are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring resilient, inclusive cities.
Building climate-resilient water and sanitation utilities: Local action for global impact
As the world gathers at Stockholm World Water Week 2025, the accelerating climate crisis looms over our shared global water future. From droughts and floods to rising seas and salinized freshwater sources, climate change is, as UN-Water reminds us, “primarily a water crisis” – and nowhere is this more evident than in the daily work of the world’s water and sanitation utilities.
UN-Habitat’s 2024 Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance Annual Report highlights global efforts to strengthen public water and sanitation utilities through solidarity-based peer support. The report showcases how Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) are helping utilities deliver better, more inclusive services – advancing sustainable urbanization and the human right to water and sanitation.
The circular economy stands as one of the most promising sustainable economic models of our time. Defined by the United Nations Environmnet Programme (UNEP) as a system where "products and materials are designed to be reused, remanufactured, recycled or recovered," it aims to extend the lifecycle of resources, reduce waste – particularly hazardous waste – and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. This approach is essential for creating a resilient and sustainable future.
This report first presents key take aways and recommendations on technical/financial, peer learning/collaboration and governance/administration aspects followed by experiences and useful lessons from eight utilities from across the world, in preparing and implementing emergency response plans as well as responding to extreme weather events and their impacts on water supply, water and wastewater infrastructure, and utility personnel. We hope it will provide you with inspiration in how to tackle the challenges that lay ahead for us all.
The first phase of the Water Operators' Partnership (WOP) between VEI and Bayawan Water District, Carcar
COP28 is now around the corner. Here is an update on the events GWOPA is leading and participating in, and we look forward to many of our partners joining us!
GWOPA leads the Locally led Adaptation Programme of the Water Pavilion on COP28
Date: 5 December
Time: Full day