2nd edition of the Water as Leverage City Champion Challenge
From flooding and drought to pollution and water scarcity, cities around the world face growing water-related risks. More than two billion people live in water-stressed countries, whilst hundreds of millions reside in flood-prone or informal settlements where these risks directly affect housing, safety, and access to basic services. The Water as Leverage City Champion Challenge promotes and showcases innovative solutions that address these challenges worldwide.
Currently, the second edition of the City Champion Challenge calls on cities, local authorities, designers and communities to showcase initiatives with real potential to scale. Winning initiatives will be connected to an international network of water, design and finance experts.
The Challenge is part of Water as Leverage (WaL), an initiative of the Government of the Netherlands, implemented by Partners for Water in collaboration with UN-Habitat and Deltares. The official launch takes place on 19 May at the World Urban Forum in Baku, with a submission deadline of 24 August 2026.
Focus of 2nd City Champion Challenge
The Challenge aims to promote and showcase innovative and integrated solutions for urban water resilience. It offers a unique opportunity for collaboration between leading stakeholders, to gain international visibility, and to contribute to addressing critical water-related challenges in cities globally. Building on the first edition in 2024, this edition of the Challenge focuses on three interconnected areas:
1. Local water resilience at neighbourhood scale
Localised, context-specific interventions at building block or neighbourhood scale within a city, with clear potential for replication and upscaling to other neighbourhoods, the entire city, or other locations.
2. Co-created, people-centred approaches
Projects that strengthen urban water resilience through co-created, people-centred, and nature-based or hybrid approaches.
3. Alignment with the WaL principles
Initiatives that demonstrate alignment with the eight Water as Leverage principles – from inclusive design and bankability to linking local action to global goals and driving system change.
What we are looking for
We are looking for initiatives that:
- Advance urban water resilience
- Operate within a city at building block or neighbourhood scale
- Demonstrate alignment with the eight WaL Guidance Principles
- Contribute to the SDGs for integrated impact, including but not limited to SDGs 6, 11 and 13
- Include pathways for implementation, replicability and scalability beyond their origin
- Are locally owned and driven
A garden that captures and infiltrates rainwater to recharge the aquifer – Water Balance Pilot at the Little Flower Convent School, Chennai.
Who can apply?
The challenge is open to urban stakeholders and cities that have developed initiatives promoting just and sustainable water and climate resilience. This includes municipalities, sub-national authorities and affiliated agencies, as well as architects, urban and landscape design firms, water utilities, NGOs, community organisations and neighbourhood associations – provided they work in close collaboration with local authorities.
Water as Leverage is all about resilience. As citizens, we will feel the impact of climate change. If we want to have liveable cities, we have to leverage water through engaging communities.
What winners receive
- Two winning initiatives will be selected
- Participation of one representative per initiative in the 2026 UN Water Conference – a unique opportunity to showcase your initiative and to network (the award includes an economy-class return ticket and a daily subsistence allowance, covering accommodation and meals)
- Global visibility through coordinated communications support before and after the 2026 UN Water Conference, including promotion across WaL channels, social media, and partner platforms
- Connection to and becoming part of the WaL Global Community to share knowledge
Looking back at the first edition
The first City Champion Challenge launched in 2024 and drew 27 submissions from across 5 continents. Winning initiatives came from Embu (Kenya), Lima and Callao (Peru), and Envigado (Colombia). Celebrated at WUF12 in Cairo in November 2024, the first edition demonstrated strong global demand for a platform that recognises and connects local water resilience action.
It is about achieving a transformation in mentality – making water a sustainable resource that this generation and future generations can all enjoy.
Key dates
• 22 March 2026 – Announcement on World Water Day 2026
• 19 May 2026 – Official launch during World Urban Forum 13
• 24 August 2026 – Submission deadline
• 31 October 2026 (at latest) – Notification of winners
• 2–4 December 2026 – Participation in the UN Water Conference
Participate in the 2nd edition of the City Champion Challenge
Are you working on water challenges in your city? Join our challenge, share your initiatives, and exchange insights and experiences from other cities!
From 19 May onwards, you can submit your initiative via this page.
Stay up to date
To stay up to date, keep an eye on this page and follow Water as Leverage on LinkedIn for updates on the launch at the World Urban Forum on 19 May and beyond.
Partners for Water is a Dutch government programme enhancing water security internationally in long-term cooperation with local partners and the Dutch water sector. By facilitating strategic planning and support in the early stages of innovation, the programme aims to contribute to systemic change for sustainable water management and infrastructure. This is how we initiate impactful changes for a better living environment.
