Advancing sustainability solutions to climate challenges faced by hot and arid countries, the Earthna Summit 2025 will explore resilience to water scarcity, harnessing AI for smarter governance, and how the tradition-technology nexus can address food insecurity, among other issues.

Participants discussed plans to implement the first ever UN System-wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation as well as preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference.

The Freshwater Challenge to accelerate restoration of rivers and wetlands by 2030 has attracted 50 countries, and raised high hopes that it can provide a strategic way to help countries meet national commitments across the three Rio Conventions.

The newly appointed UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water and approximately 130 UN-Water Members, Partners, and observers discussed links between the water agenda and the three Rio Conventions, and brainstormed priority collaborative actions to advance the UN System-wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation.