The theme of World Water Day 2022 is groundwater and Aquafed fully supports the work of UN agencies and partners to highlight this essential and precious resource that often goes unnoticed.

Out of sight, under our feet, groundwater is a hidden treasure that enriches our lives. In the driest parts of the world, it may be the only water people have.

Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater, supporting drinking water supplies, sanitation systems, farming, industry and ecosystems.

In many places, human activities over-use and pollute groundwater. In other places, we simply do not know how much water is down there. 

Groundwater will play a critical role in adapting to climate change. We need to work together to sustainably manage this precious resource.

Groundwater may be out of sight, but it must not be out of mind – hence we need to make the invisible, visible.

You can find out more about groundwater and why it is the theme of the 2022 World Water Day on 22 March, [here](https://www.worldwaterday.org/learn[text](link)).


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Groundwater - making the invisible, visible

The 2022 SWA Sector Ministers’ Meeting, hosted by the Government of Indonesia, is taking place on 18-19 May 2022.

The theme of the meeting is Building Forward Better for Recovery and Resilience. Ministers will share their knowledge of how they have managed water, sanitation and health through the pandemic while also trying to stimulate economic recovery. And all this while also having to planning to mitigate and adapt to climate change – although many are already having to take action.

Ministers responsible for water, sanitation, and hygiene will be brought together with those responsible for climate and the environment and other relevant sectors, to meet and review water, sanitation and hygiene-related policies and commitments, and ensure that climate action, health, and economic recovery considerations are well integrated. Delegations from the different SWA constituencies will also join the discussions.

There is no doubt Ministers will leave the SMM more empowered to deal with their challenges in their countries and also having had a platform to share their achievements.

AquaFed, as an active member of the SWA, is helping with preparations for this event and leading a working group to develop the sessions relating to finance and governance.

More information about the SWA Sector Ministers Meeting is [here.](https://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/meeting/2022-sector-ministers-meeting)


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SWA Sector Ministers Meeting

Global experts and leaders have highlighted the failure to act on the climate crisis as the biggest global risk, ahead of impacts of the pandemic such as livelihood crises and weakening social cohesion.

Climate action failure, extreme weather and biodiversity loss are the top three concerns highlighted in the [World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2022](https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2022/digest).
Water resources and WASH services are being impacted by climate change. The findings of the Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report, were that climate change has driven detectable changes in the global water cycle, and that weather extremes and their adverse impacts on people and nature will continue to increase with every additional increment of rising temperatures. 

AquaFed is aligned to the SWA’s work on tackling climate change and it will be addressed at the forthcoming [Sector Ministers’ Meeting](https://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/meeting/2022-sector-ministers-meeting).  The objective is to increase political will and foster dialogue between climate planers and ministries with responsibilities in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services, so that the particular adaptation needs of such basic services are prioritized. As the SWA says, this is of particular importance working towards the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation vis a vis the realization of the human right to having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. 

One of the things we will be doing with SWA partners at the Ministers’ Meeting is encouraging governments to focus on climate change solutions. AquaFed’s members have a wide range of technical solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation that are summarised [here](https://admin.aquafed.org//uploads/Aqua_Fed_Climate_Change_97735cf37d.pdf).


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