Image: Live Radio Interview with Sharon B. Megdal on Morning Wave news in Busan (South Korea)
The first of my Reflections essays, dated March 22, 2019, commemorated World Water Day. Since then, I have acknowledged World Water Day, for which UN Water designates a different theme annually, through a Reflections essay and/or program participation. The theme of World Water Day 2026 is Water and Gender, with the tagline “Where water flows, equality grows.” Also associated with World Water Day is the release of the annual World Water Assessment Report by UNESCO’s World Water Assessment Programme. This year’s report is titled Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities. With World Water Day, March 22, 2026, falling on a Sunday, related activities are spanning several days.
In general, these are busy times for discussion and debate on issues of water equity and access, water governance, and water security and resilience. Because my involvement in several programs and publications is leaving me little time to think and reflect, rather than write an essay with much prose, this year I would like to offer you some links and resources related to World Water Day and the World Water Development Report, along with a few other links connected to the challenges of water availability and access in the Colorado River Basin.
I hope the insights and information provided stimulate thought and reflection on the part of the reader. Please connect with or tag me on LinkedIn or email me at smegdal@arizona.edu to share resources or feedback.
Resources related to the themes of World Water Day and the World Water Development Report
World Water Day 2026 Activation Kit
High Level Celebration of World Water Day 2026 at the UN (March 19, 2026)
Remarks by Elizabeth Koch, Process Support Team Lead, Women in Water Diplomacy Network
The UN World Water Development Report 2026, Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities (Released March 19, 2026)
SB Megdal Live Radio Interview, Morning Wave in Busan (South Korea), On World Water Day and the World Water Development Report (March 20, 2026)
MDPI/WRRC World Water Day 2026 Webinar: Water for All People – Governance, Security, and Access, Co-organized by University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (March 23, 2026)
Some recent resources related to the Colorado River Basin to which I have contributed:
“Why Colorado River negotiations stalled, and how they could resume with the possibility of agreement,” by K. Schlatter and S.B. Megdal, published by The Conversation (March 20, 2026)
The Press Room, “What could be the consequences for Arizona’s water supply after Colorado River negotiations failed?” Aired by Arizona Public Media (March 20, 2026)
“Tribal Water Rights Settlement Acts in Arizona and Their Impacts on Water Security,” by A. Menjivar, S.B. Megdal, and H. Whiteman Runs Him, published in Water 18(6), 741, Special issue on Working Across Borders to Address Water Scarcity (March 2026)