On September 9, 2026, the UNESCO International Centre for Water Security and Sustainable Management (i-WSSM) held a launch session for the UNESCO-IHP Urban Water Management Programme (UWMP) Technical Secretariat during the Korea International Water Week (KIWW 2026) at EXCO in Daegu.
This session was organized under the theme of "Establishing a Global Cooperation Platform for Climate-Resilient Urban Water Management" to officially announce the operation of i-WSSM’s UWMP Technical Secretariat and to discuss the program's future direction and strategies for international cooperation regarding climate-resilient urban water management.
Members of the UWMP Advisory Board and urban water management experts from home and abroad attended the session to discuss ways to link urban water management assessment results with policy formulation, planning, investment preparation, and actual implementation.
In particular, participants examined the limitations of existing urban water management assessment tools and the key conditions required for the practical application of assessment results; they also shared diverse opinions on the future role of the UWMP as an international cooperation platform and on priority tasks.
Based on the expert opinions discussed during the session, i-WSSM plans to carry out activities to build a knowledge base and strengthen capacities in urban water management. Furthermore, the center intends to expand cooperation with UNESCO-IHP and partner institutions—both domestic and international—to reinforce the UWMP’s role as an international cooperation platform for achieving climate-resilient and sustainable urban water management.