Water Coalition - Water Week 2025

Access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation is a human right and essential for a healthy and dignified life.
Hungary’s water utility infrastructure is in a critical condition due to decades of postponed renovations. The current system is inefficient, wasteful, and poses a serious risk to water supply. According to the 2022 census data, more than 200,000 people in Hungary are affected by primary water poverty, while secondary water poverty could impact the lives of millions.

The Water Coalition aims to ensure that clean drinking water is accessible to every resident of the country, regardless of their social status or place of residence. To achieve this, the coalition raises public awareness about the challenges of water supply, builds partnerships with other water-focused organizations, and involves them in the annual Water Week series of events.

The goal of Water Week is to inform the public and civil society actors working in other fields about the issues related to drinking water access. The program highlights deficiencies in water management, the realities faced by those living in water poverty, the deterioration of wastewater infrastructure, the growing problem of stream pollution, and potential responses to drought and desertification—especially landscape-based water retention solutions.

This year’s Water Week featured 44 events, organized by 43 groups at 35 locations, along with 2 online events. At the opening event, the Water Coalition presented its latest expert report titled Dead End or Way Out?.

Additionally, in 2025, the coalition launched the VízVédő identity and website, where anyone can report local water-related issues, place them on a map, and upload photos and videos to raise awareness and drive change.