Driving Local Climate Action for Water Resilient Communities - The 2nd Water as Leverage City Champion Challenge

This event marks the launch of the 2nd edition of the Water as Leverage City Champion Challenge, focused on identifying and promoting innovative, inclusive, and context-specific solutions that strengthen urban water resilience through building block and neighbourhood design. Designing a resilient urban future Cities around the world are increasingly exposed to climate-related water risks. Their impacts directly affect housing, access to basic services, and the resilience of the built environment. More than two billion people live in water-stressed countries, while hundreds of millions reside in flood-prone coastal zones or informal settlements (UN-Habitat). Cities have traditionally relied on engineered water infrastructure. Today, many are adopting climate-adaptive, hybrid, and Nature-based Solutions that integrate water into the urban fabric. At the building block and neighbourhood scale, these include rainwater harvesting, green roofs, permeable public spaces, rain gardens, and community-led upgrading. These measures reduce flood risk, enhance water retention, restore the local water balance, and improve safety and dignity in housing, especially for vulnerable communities. For long-term impact, they must be part of a citywide approach that links green, blue, and grey infrastructure and is integrated into planning, design, and implementation systems. The 2nd WaL Challenge will select solutions aligned with the WaL Framework to learn from and showcase local action and scalability. You can join the challenge! 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, Deltares, and other partners. WaL connects city leaders, communities, utilities (through GWOPA), designers, and financiers to co-create scalable, climate-resilient solutions. The Challenge mobilises this network to shape water-responsive urban development. By linking design with financing and implementation, WaL helps embed resilience in planning systems and supports the localisation of the SDGs. Are you working on water challenges in your city? Join the launch/Join our challenge, share your initiatives, and exchange insights and experiences from other cities. Building on the momentum of the first Challenge, celebrated at WUF12, this edition supports local climate action ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, where the winning initiatives will be presented. It reflects the Netherlands’ commitment to the Water Action Agenda and highlights the role of cities, utilities, and communities in delivering tangible, scalable solutions for urban water resilience, in an interactive way. We are excited to welcome you at the WUF!