UNEA-7 Meeting: Wastewater as a Solution
- TIC UNESCOSOST
- Dec 10, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
The event “Wastewater as a Solution”, a flagship event of GWWI, was organized during UNEA-7 (December 10th, 2025) as part of the activities led by the Source-to-Sea Pollution Unit. The event highlighted wastewater as both a resource and a solution, demonstrating how it can transform challenges into opportunities, and showcased practical and scalable examples from ongoing programmes, initiatives, and projects that illustrate innovative approaches to sustainable wastewater management.
From source to sea, the session and its speakers emphasized how effective wastewater management could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect public health, fuel the circular economy, and accelerate progress on key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, water, life below water, and life on land/land degradation.
Program of the event: here
The event aimed to foster dialogue among governments, the private sector, youth, NGOs, IOs, and other stakeholders to scale up action and encourage political and financial commitments for sustainable wastewater use. At the heart of this transformation was the Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI), whose work on knowledge-sharing, policy support, and practical solutions underpinned many of the examples featured. This dialogue also marked 30 years of the Global Programme of Action (GPA), a milestone that reinforced the importance of integrated approaches to protect marine environments from land-based pollution.
Ultimately, the event sought to:
Increase awareness of wastewater’s potential as a resource for sustainable development.
Share innovative solutions and lessons learned from current initiatives.
Strengthen collaboration among governments, partners, and financing institutions.
Identify opportunities to scale up investments and partnerships on wastewater reuse.
Provide key messages and recommendations to inform UNEA-7 discussions and follow-up actions.
Together, these efforts advanced UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy on climate stability, ecosystems protection and land restoration, and a pollution-free planet, while reinforcing One Health approaches that safeguard both people and nature.
Finally, during the event, three publications developed with UNEP support were launched by members of the Global Wastewater Initiative:
Sustainable wastewater management as a pillar for the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine by UNEP-DHI Centre on Water and Environment and GWWI
Technical Brief: Sustainable Wastewater Management for Water Villages by GRID Arendal, a member of GWWI
Wastewater Treatment Solutions for Climate Mitigation: A Practical Guide by UNEP-DHI Centre on Water and Environment and GWWI.
This last book was presented by Olga Lucía Sanchez Santander, from the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability (go to video stream at min. 1:32:53)
Program of the event: here
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