Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation announced that Egypt and Japan have secured joint chairmanship of the third interactive dialogue track at the United Nations Water Conference 2026, titled 'Water for Planet'. The track will emphasize protecting ecosystems and biodiversity, restoring the natural water cycle, and building resilience against climate change and water scarcity.
In a statement released on Saturday, the ministry highlighted that this achievement stems from ongoing institutional coordination between the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Hani Sewilam stated that his ministry led the development of technical proposals and policy inputs for the track, while the foreign ministry handled key diplomatic coordination with international partners, allowing Egypt to secure the role alongside Japan.
Sewilam described the Egyptian-Japanese cooperation on water and climate issues as an evolving model partnership, building on their previous collaboration at the UN Water Conference 2023. That event, he noted, underscored the value of nature-based solutions, green policies, and community-based adaptation in tackling global water challenges.
For the upcoming 2026 conference, Egypt plans to bolster global momentum on water issues, broaden international partnerships, mobilize financing, share expertise, and build capacities to achieve tangible outcomes supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. The conference will be co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal in the UAE in December 2026, with the track aligning to Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation.