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President Al Mubarak also welcomed Australia and Kazakhstan as new members of the , the largest global effort to restore and protect freshwater, and encouraged other countries to join.  

“This initiative provides support to countries so they can integrate and accelerate the restoration of 300,000 km of degraded rivers, and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands by 2030, as well as conserve intact freshwater ecosystems,” she said, describing the Challenge, which was launched in 2023 and seeks to restore degraded rivers, lakes, and wetlands across the world.

The Freshwater Challenge was recognized as an official Water Outcome of COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, highlighting its pivotal role in restoring freshwater ecosystems globally.

“Together we are truly amazed at the commitment countries have made to date in joining and implementing the Challenge,” she said at the Summit, which included the participation of Heads of States and Presidents from Saudi Arabia, France, Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Morocco, as well as the leaders of key global funders including the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

During his keynote speech, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, said, “Kazakhstan’s commitment to ensuring reliable access to clean water and fostering sustainable growth is further demonstrated by Kazakhstan joining the Freshwater Challenge, a critical global initiative. There is a need to advance regional collaboration and international partnerships.”

The Challenge has 50 State members, along with the European Union. During the Summit, the GEF CEO, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, announced the USD 5 million investment in the Freshwater Challenge, which will accelerate action by addressing some of the most critical needs and challenges identified by the Member countries.

“The GEF is proud to announce an investment of USD 5 million into the Freshwater Challenge as this critical country-led initiative will be key to achieving the 30x30 targets in the Global Biodiversity Framework,” said Rodriguez. “The GEF contribution will support targeted pilots and promote innovative metrics and communication efforts, including with youth, local communities and Indigenous People, which will contribute to the Challenge’s goals of ensuring 300,000 kilometres of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands are under restoration by 2030.”

Along with the contribution from the GEF International Waters focal area, over USD 10 million in co-financing has already been identified from a broad range of actors, including private sector, NGOs, and member countries. In the coming months, the Freshwater Challenge will seek to increase the amount of co-financing and work with member countries to define project details.

The One Water Summit took place on the sidelines of the 16^th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh. It’s the third and final COP this year for the three Rio Conventions, which along with UNCCD include the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

The summit also occurred ahead of the UN Water Conference, which will be . It was at the last Water Conference in 2023 that the Freshwater Challenge was launched as a country-led initiative supported by ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International, the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the UN Environment Programme, and UNCCD. The Challenge also calls for increased engagement of business and civil society.

“Water is a global challenge, but also a local issue. We need to empower local communities and civil society organisations to take better care of freshwater ecosystems. By collaborating effectively with governments and businesses that rely heavily on water, we can maximize skills and resources to restore these critical ecosystems,” said ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� President Razan Al Mubarak.

Wetlands and other freshwater systems are significantly degraded, with 87% of wetlands having been lost globally over the last 300 years. Healthy freshwater ecosystems such as wetlands are key to preventing and mitigating floods and droughts. They are central to tackling the linked climate and nature crises and to ensuring sustainable economic development. They are also efficient tools to store carbon and provide water filtration and storage.

During her remarks, the ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� President highlighted progress made by a number of countries as part of the Freshwater Challenge. She noted that Liberia has incorporated wetlands into its nationally determined contributions as part of the UNFCCC; that Ecuador has established three new Water Protection Areas amounting to 100,000 hectares; and that Cambodia has created a small-grant programme to help restore flooded forests.

"Water is something most of us take for granted—we see it as a commodity for cooking, bathing, industry, and even removing waste. But water is much more than that. It is life itself. Water is nature, and it must be managed and cared for as an essential ecosystem, not merely as a resource to be traded or consumed," said ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� President Razan Al Mubarak.

The ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� President also said that countries should join the Challenge and endeavour to put rivers, lakes, wetlands, and peatlands into their national plans and strategies under the three Rio Conventions.