Introduction
Water Transversality frames water not as a stand-alone utility but as a cross-cutting enabler of equitable social development, livelihoods, and human dignity an integrated approach that directly supports the coordinated, inclusive policy agenda of CSocD64 and the 2030 Agenda. By anchoring water at the heart of development planning, this approach helps reduce multidimensional poverty: safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene reduce disease burdens and time poverty (especially for women and girls), while reliable water supply for productive uses strengthens food security, supports nutrition outcomes, and enhances household resilience. Integrated water governance advances health and food security by enabling cross-sectoral planning that connects water, agriculture, and nutrition with public health and economic systems. Recent global data show that 2.2 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water and 3.4 billion lack safely managed sanitation, underscoring persistent inequities that water-centred strategies can address through inclusive policy design.
This integrated lens also strengthens climate resilience in vulnerable communities by supporting climate-smart agriculture, sustainable fisheries, and water-efficient small enterprises that generate inclusive employment and incomes across rural and peri-urban landscapes. Investing in robust water governance frameworks such as Integrated Water Resources Management and multi-stakeholder partnerships promotes equitable access, reduces risk, and fosters local innovation. It also showcases policy innovation that highlight linking water management with social protection and social inclusion programmes, enabling social safety nets that integrate access to water services with livelihoods support, and coordinated financing mechanisms that bridge public, private, and community action. Together, these pathways demonstrate how water transversality can accelerate poverty reduction and systemic resilience in alignment with SDG 6 and broader UN development priorities.
Objective
The session aims to demonstrate how Water Transversality can be operationalized as an integrated policy and practice framework to accelerate poverty eradication, social development, and social inclusion. It seeks to reposition water from a sector-specific concern to a strategic enabler that connects livelihoods, health, food security, climate resilience, and dignity, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized communities. The session seeks to contribute actionable insights to CSocD64 by advancing coordinated, equitable, and inclusive policy approaches, while reinforcing water’s central role in achieving the 2030 Agenda and ensuring that no one is left behind