Papeete Declaration sets shared Pacific agenda for water security
Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers commit to stronger regional action on resilient water services, sanitation, wastewater management and climate preparedness
10/25/20263 min read
Pacific Ministers responsible for water and wastewater have adopted the Papeete Declaration, setting out a shared regional ambition to strengthen water security, sanitation and wastewater management across Pacific Island countries and territories.
The Declaration captures the outcomes of two days of ministerial deliberations at the 10th Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers Meeting (PWWM), held in Papeete, French Polynesia, under the theme “Living Water | From Source to Reef, Water Shaping Life in the Pacific Islands.”
Released to participating Ministers by the President of French Polynesia, the Papeete Declaration recognises water security as fundamental to climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, public health, food and energy security, economic opportunity, human dignity and the protection of Pacific ecosystems and cultures.
At the center of this declaration is recognition that water cannot be considered only as infrastructure or a service delivered through networks and treatment facilities.
The Declaration calls for a source-to-reef approach to Pacific water policy, recognising drinking water, sanitation, storm water, watersheds, aquifers, coastal waters, lagoons and reefs as parts of one interconnected system.
This approach reflects the realities facing Pacific communities, where climate change, drought, flooding, sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion and extreme weather are placing increasing pressure on already vulnerable freshwater resources and essential water and sanitation services.
Ministers also recognised that progress towards universal access to safe water and sanitation remains uneven, with rural, remote, outer-island and atoll communities among those facing some of the greatest challenges.
The Papeete Declaration adopts the recommendations arising from the 10th PWWM as agreed outcomes of the meeting and a basis for national action, regional cooperation, partnership engagement and collective Pacific advocacy.
It also strengthens the institutional framework around the Ministers Meeting, endorsing Terms of Reference for the PWWM and associated Senior Officials meetings to improve governance, continuity, implementation oversight and alignment with wider Pacific regional and international processes.
Development partners are also called on to support the PWWM Secretariat comprising of the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association (PWWA) and the Pacific Community (SPC) in turning these commitments into a sustainable implementation framework.
The Declaration highlights concern about severe El Niño conditions and calls for stronger support to improve the readiness and early response capacity of vulnerable Pacific communities. It also recognises that climate and disaster investment must span the entire water cycle and integrate water, sanitation and health to build resilient communities.
Ministers have asked the PWWM Secretariat to work with Pacific countries and territories to identify options for rapidly supporting emergency water-security responses, including access to equipment, materials and technical assistance.
The Declaration also places significant emphasis on strengthening the performance and resilience of Pacific water utilities.
Pacific Island countries and territories are encouraged to make greater use of utility performance benchmarking to support governance, planning, investment prioritisation and sector development.
The Declaration recognises that access figures alone do not provide a complete picture of whether water and wastewater services are reliable, sustainable and resilient.
Improved performance data and evidence will therefore be increasingly important in helping governments, utilities and development partners identify needs, target investment and demonstrate progress.
Hydrological services are another priority, with SPC tasked to use national and regional consultations to support completion of a Pacific Regional Hydrological Services Strategy, strengthening water-resource management and evidence-based decision-making across the region.
Building the skills and workforce needed to sustain Pacific water services is also central to the Declaration. Ministers called for the Pacific Regional Water Operators Training Hub to be supported with the resources required to strengthen accredited training, practical skills development and career pathways for water and wastewater operators and agencies.
The Declaration also recognises the contribution and future leadership of Young Water Professionals, as well as the importance of Pacific water champions and locally led approaches to strengthening the sector.
Ministers further supported alignment of Pacific water security advocacy and investment with the Pacific Water Warriors mechanism and called for further development of its work programme to support resource mobilisation and implementation.
The Papeete Declaration reflects a shared understanding among Pacific Ministers that achieving water security will require sustained political leadership, capable utilities, skilled professionals, better information and stronger partnerships.
It also reinforces the importance of raising Pacific water priorities within national, regional and international discussions, particularly as countries face increasing climate pressures and compete for limited development and climate finance.
Through the Declaration, Ministers have established a common platform for taking the outcomes of the 10th PWWM forward and strengthening collective advocacy for resilient, sustainable and locally appropriate water and wastewater services across the Pacific.
The Papeete Declaration was adopted in Papeete, French Polynesia, on 1 September 2026.
