Access to water is a human right. World Water Day brings our attention to the importance of freshwater and the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The 2026 World Water Day campaign calls for a transformative, rights-based approach where women have equal voice, leadership, and opportunities in water decision-making – making water a force for a healthier, more prosperous, gender-equal future that will benefit us all.
World Water Day 2025 will focus on the theme, 'Glacier Preservation,' to highlight the critical role of glaciers in sustaining life and the water cycle. Glaciers, mountain run-off, and snowmelt provide nearly two billion people with water for drinking, agriculture, and energy production.
Films | These short films feature communities coming together to celebrate and protect water.
Water for Life (Trailer)
By: Maria Jose Calderon, Rick Tejada-Flores
Water For Life explores the collision of water rights, Indigenous beliefs, and resource extraction through the lives of three Latin American community leaders.
Ko (Aqua) By Lila Downs & Daniela Millaleo
By: Maria Jose Calderon
Theme song from the feature documentary "Water For Life." National PBS broadcast premiere as Earth Month Special. Streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app www.waterforlife.film
Water Flows Together
By: Palmer Morse, Taylor Graham, Matt Mikkelsen
Water Flows Together elevates the importance of acknowledging Indigenous land in outdoor recreation through the voice of Colleen Cooley.
Spear. Spatula. Submarine
By: Shannon Morrall
In this short documentary about sustainability and activism, a community of passionate Floridians use creative removal methods to save the waters they love.
SLINGSHOT
Produced by:Paul Lazarus
Best known for his Segway Personal Transporter, inventor Dean Kamen is taking on great challenges one invention at a time. SlingShot is the story of Kamen, his water purification technology, and his innovative approach to the safe water crisis.
Protecting Coral Reefs
By: NOAA Ocean Today
NOAA and the National Park Service are creating a geo-referenced coral reef base map to better understand coral reefs
Ocean Guardians
By: Selket A Kaufman
Visionary creates grassroots social enterprise to prevent whale extinction.
Water Song
Produced by:Will Parrinello | Executive Producer: Goldman Environmental Prize
Máxima Acuña, a subsistence farmer in Peru’s northern highlands, stood up to Newmont Mining Corporation!
Water Is Sacred
Produced by:Mentors: Tiana and Wakinyan LaPointe
2020 MHIFF Ocean Conservation Award student winner: When we pray with water, it helps our bodies and the earth, and we say Wopila Tanka (Immeasurable Thanks) for its medicine.
freeFLY
Avery Bazan
A collaboration between Oceans Unmanned and DJI utilizing drones to help entangled humpback whales.
Looking After Our Environment: James Price Point
Produced by:Mark Pearce
Mark Jones speaks out against a gas development complex that spells doomsday for some species living around James Price Point.
Conserving water
Andy
Waterheart and Her Friends
Tianna Bluebird
A cut-out animation short about a mythical character, Waterheart, and the friends that help her to clean up her polluted home: Earth.
Water Crisis in our community
Produced by:Abdulai Bangura
Running for Water
Produced by:Polly Green
Jin Zedell started a worldwide movement for runners to raise funds for clean drinking water.
Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award cfe 5-1
Credit: myhero
Stories of Present-Day Water Conservation Heroes
Colleen Cooley
By: Naomi Gledhill
Read about Colleen Cooley, a San Juan River guide featured in one of the winning films at the 20th Annual MY HERO International Film Festival.
Alexandra Cousteau
By: Mina Al Saddawi
Alexandra Cousteau is a visionary and trailblazer who pushes the boundaries of discovery, adventure, and global problem solving.
Charity: Water
By: Naomi Gledhill
Read this story about Charity: Water, the non-profit providing access to clean water to people across the globe.
Dorcas Lukwesa’s Mobile, Sustainable Farms
By: Abigail Richardson
Jon Rose - Humanitarian Hero
Produced by:Tom Aiello
Humanitarian Jon Rose brings clean water to the people of Haiti.
Trash Heroes
By: Elias Amador
Trash Heroes is an international, volunteer-led organization that mobilizes youth in over 12 countries to clean and prevent plastic waste in their communities.
Sylvia Earle
By: Edward Ortiz
"The key is to see ourselves as a part of the natural systems that support us."
Stories from The Christian Science Monitor
Scott Harrison
By: David Karas <br> Contributor of <br>The Christian Science Monitor<br> <h5>Pe...
Scott Harrison found meaning in life by starting charity: water
Scott Harrison of Unconventional Charity: Water
By: Cody Switzer <br> The Chronicle of Philanthropy<br> <h5>Permission to use th...
Scott Harrison of Unconventional Charity: Water aims to raise $2 billion for clean water.
Listen & Read Along
Jon Rose
By: David Kelly
Jon Rose
founded Waves for Water, which works on the front-line to provide clean water.
Fin Donnelly
By: Jenny Kim
Fin Donnelly swims to raise awareness of water pollution and is now a member of Canada's House of Commons.
Art
Water is Life
By: The Art Miles Mural Project
Environment - Life in the Clean Water and Air
By: Yasutomikita Elementary School in Japan and W.H. Day Elementary School in Ca...
Fishing
By: David Basasira of Uganda
River
By: Anu Monisha
Celebrating the Ocean
Water 3
By: Morgan Maassen
A short film about my affinity for the ocean, its mystery and power.
