Brasilia, June 16, 2026 (Lusa) – Representatives from around 75 countries will discuss the challenges of water security between Tuesday and Friday in Rio de Janeiro at the 13th World Summit of River Basin Districts 2026.
Organised by the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) and the Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainability, the event aims to promote collaboration and innovative solutions for sustainable water security.
The World Summit on River Basins is one of the leading global forums on integrated water resources management, and this edition will bring together representatives from governments, river basin organisations, international financial institutions, UN agencies, research centres and experts.
The programme features debates and case studies on solutions related to water security, climate change adaptation, water governance and territorial resilience.
The challenges of reconciling urban, coastal and rural development with water security are also on the agenda, as is a discussion on the use of data for monitoring.
On Thursday, Brazil will take over the presidency of the International Network of Basin Organisations, previously held by France.
On Friday, the event organisers will arrange technical visits to the Guandu Water Treatment Plant, the world’s largest water treatment plant, as well as visits to Guanabara Bay and historic water sources in Rio de Janeiro.
The four-day event in Rio de Janeiro will also serve as preparation for the upcoming United Nations Water Conference, to be held in Abu Dhabi in December this year.
Among the Brazilian officials attending the event are ministers and secretaries of state involved in water security, directors of the National Water Agency, and representatives of river basins from different regions of the country.
According to the organisers, among the Portuguese officials confirmed for the event is the president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), José Carlos Pimenta Machado.
Also among the Portuguese-speaking participants is the Director of Energy at the Authority for Natural Resources and Energy of São Tomé and Príncipe, Gabriel Lima Maquengo.
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