R-SIRUS Advances Global Water Dialogue at World Water Week 2026 in Stockholm

The United Nations University Hub on Remote Sensing and Sustainable Innovations for Resilient Urban Systems (UNU Hub-R-SIRUS) at The City College of New York (CCNY) participated in World Water Week 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden, joining global researchers, policymakers, UN representatives, and water leaders to advance dialogue on water governance, resilience, and the global water agenda.

The CCNY and R-SIRUS delegation included President Dr. Vincent G. Boudreau; Ms. Dee Dee Mozeleski, Senior Vice President of the Office of Institutional Advancement, Communications and External Relations; Dr. Alexander Couzis, Dean of the Grove School of Engineering; Dr. Reza Khanbilvardi, Executive Director of the CUNY CREST Institute and Executive Co-Director of R-SIRUS; Dr. Karin Sjöstrand, Deputy Executive Director of Operations at R-SIRUS; and Dr. Naresh Devineni, R-SIRUS and CREST Faculty Affiliate and Professor of Civil Engineering at CCNY and the Earth and Environmental Sciences Program at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Throughout the week, R-SIRUS contributed to a series of activities addressing water challenges, including co-organizing two sessions focused on strengthening connections between science, policy, and global action.

The first session on August 24, Evidence for Action: The UN Water Conference Academic Hub, highlighted the role of academic knowledge in shaping the 2026 UN Water Conference. The Academic Hub, a joint initiative co-led by United Nations University (UNU), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in collaboration with United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and other partners, connects research and expertise with global policy processes. The session explored how evidence-based research could inform decision-making and water governance while creating pathways for global south researchers, early-career scholars, and interdisciplinary experts to contribute.

President Vincent Boudreau, who also delivered the opening remarks, Dr. Couzis, and Dr. Sjöstrand represented R-SIRUS and CCNY in the discussion alongside other participating UNU Hubs. President Boudreau highlighted CCNY’s leadership in social mobility and its unique position within one of the nation’s largest and most diverse urban communities to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He emphasized the College’s potential to connect climate science, remote sensing, and research on vulnerable communities with practical policy solutions.

Later that day, R-SIRUS co-convened New Water Agenda: Entering the Era of Global Water Bankruptcy, a session that examined the growing challenge of global water bankruptcy and the need to rethink conventional approaches to water governance.

The discussion built on the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) flagship report, Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era, by Dr. Kaveh Madani, Director of UNU-INWEH and Research Professor at CCNY, CREST, and R-SIRUS, and explored the need to move beyond conventional crisis response toward resilient, equitable, and science-informed approaches to water governance. Dr. Naresh Devineni represented the institutions in the stakeholder discussion.

Dr. Devineni said, “In this panel, I brought New York City into the global water bankruptcy conversation. We discussed how even a renewable, exceptionally well-managed system can be highly sensitive to demand. Our analysis of the 2024 drought shows the same rainfall could have increased the recovery from 20 days to three months, depending on how much water was being used. As climate change brings more frequent flash droughts, that margin narrows for every megacity. My argument to the room was that bankruptcy for cities is equivalent to losing the ability to recover. But the positive side is that recovery is something we can measure and must monitor to keep the system’s health.”

The R-SIRUS team also participated in several other key events, including the Stockholm Junior Water Prize Award Ceremony on August 25; the Stockholm Water Prize Award Ceremony and Royal Banquet on August 26; the Stockholm Water Prize: Meet the Laureate event, convened by the Stockholm Water Foundation and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in the presence of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf, patron of the prize; and a seminar by the 2026 Laureate, Professor Kaveh Madani, at the KTH Water Centre on August 27. Dr. Khanbilvardi introduced Prof. Madani at the seminar.

In his remarks, Dr. Khanbilvardi reflected on Prof. Madani’s journey from growing up in Iran in a family connected to the water sector to the persistence and determination that have defined his academic and professional career. “Prof. Madani’s unwavering commitment and tireless dedication have defined his career. He cares deeply about communicating science and raising public awareness of water-related challenges and what it takes to build and live in a more sustainable world,” said Dr. Khanbilvardi.

The week held particular significance for the UNU community, including R-SIRUS, as Prof. Kaveh Madani was awarded the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. The prize, also known as the “Nobel Prize of Water,” is one of the world’s most prestigious honors for outstanding contributions to water science. Read more about Prof. Madani’s work here.

During the week, Prof. Madani underscored that everyone can contribute, even through small steps, to addressing global water bankruptcy. He recognized R-SIRUS as an important platform for translating scientific research into scalable solutions that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He also thanked CCNY for its nomination and support throughout the Stockholm Water Prize process, noting that R-SIRUS represents an important step in bringing UNU into an urban higher education setting.

In addition to participating in World Water Week events, the CCNY and R-SIRUS team, along with Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University and UN Under-Secretary-General, Prof. Kaveh Madani, and other delegates, visited the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Hosted by KTH President Anders Söderholm, the visit focused on strengthening collaboration in technology, water, energy, and sustainable development.

The team also met His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

About the UNU-Hub R-SIRUS

The UNU Hub on Remote-Sensing and Sustainable Innovations for Resilient Urban Systems (R-SIRUS), located at the City College of New York, is committed to enhancing scientific understanding, developing innovative solutions, and preparing a skilled workforce to tackle global challenges related to water, the environment, climate, energy, health, and sustainable development. Learn more.

MEDIA CONTACT

Ms. Srishti Tyagi,
Communication Manager
CUNY Remote Sensing Earth System Institute

styagi@ccny.cuny.edu