About the Conference
The 2025 UNC Water & Health Conference marked the 15th year of bringing together the global WaSH community. Over five days, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers gathered to examine the future of water, sanitation, and hygiene in a rapidly changing political and environmental landscape—with a particular focus on sustaining progress in the face of shifting international development priorities.
Key Themes & Focus Areas
- WASH Leadership in a Changing Landscape: Navigating the future of global WASH following major shifts in international development funding and priorities.
- The Role of the State: Examining the essential role of government in ensuring universal WASH access, featuring global leaders in WASH governance.
- Climate Resilience & Water Security: Strategies to strengthen WASH services in the face of climate change and emerging environmental challenges.
- Innovation & Technology: Showcasing cutting-edge WASH technologies and data-driven solutions through the Technology Showcase and Spotlight Series.
- Equity & Inclusion: Ensuring WASH access for marginalized populations and addressing disparities in service delivery.
- Research to Practice: Bridging the gap between WASH research and real-world implementation through evidence-based approaches.
Conference Highlights
View 2025 Conference videos on our YouTube Channel, including:
- Plenary and keynote addresses
- Verbal presentations
- Side event sessions
- Spotlight Speaker Series
- Technology Showcase lunch sessions
Plenary Sessions
- Oh Sh!t, Now What?: The opening plenary explored WASH leadership in a post-USAID era, addressing how the sector can sustain momentum amid major funding shifts.
- The Role of the State: A landmark session featuring Ashok K. K. Meena, India's Secretary of Drinking Water and Sanitation, alongside global leaders discussing government's essential role in achieving universal WASH access.
- Fireside Chat with Gary White: The co-founder of Water.org shared insights on scaling financial solutions for water and sanitation access worldwide.
Special Sessions & Side Events
- Beyond the Postmortem — Rethinking USAID's WASH Legacy: A multi-day series (Oct. 27–30) reflecting on USAID's contributions to global WASH and charting a path forward.
- Spotlight Speaker Series: Daily sessions (Oct. 27–30) featuring global and U.S. leaders addressing critical WASH topics.
- PLOS Water Research Collection Launch: The Water Institute and PLOS Water unveiled a new research collection showcasing conference-related findings.
- Josh's Water Jobs Lunch Sessions: Special lunchtime networking and career-focused sessions throughout the week.
Research & Innovation
- Technology Showcase: Emerging WASH technologies presented and evaluated by experts from The Water Institute, Business Connect, and RTI.
- Verbal & Poster Presentations: Hundreds of research presentations spanning water quality, sanitation innovation, behavioral science, and public health.
Networking & Engagement
- AY Young Live Performance: Billboard-charting artist and UN Young Leader for the SDGs performed an SDG-themed concert on campus.
- Conference Dinner: An evening celebration bringing together attendees for informal networking and community building.
- Social Media Coverage (#UNCwaterandhealth): Real-time highlights and key takeaways shared across platforms.