On the sidelines of the U.N. Water Conference and as a continuation of the Devex WASH Works series, Devex will bring together leaders in person in New York City and online to discuss the ways in which water, sanitation, and hygiene efforts intersect with other development challenges, specifically in low- and middle-income countries.

Water is fundamental to life yet water issues also threaten the lives of billions worldwide. One in 3 people cannot access safe drinking water, 2 out of 5 people don’t have basic hand-washing facilities including soap and water, and more than 673 million people still practice open defecation. Floods and other water-related disasters account for 70% of all deaths related to natural disasters.

Access to WASH is a cross-cutting issue impacting numerous SDGs. Through insightful interviews and provocative debate, Devex reporters will dig into how water affects health, food, climate, gender, finance, and what the broader global development community needs to do to make urgent progress.