Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today celebrated the 30th anniversary of AQUASTAT, the leading source of global water and agriculture data, during a high-level hybrid event at FAO Headquarters in Rome. The celebration also featured a joint FAO–UN-Water briefing on the  UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation, recently endorsed in 2024 by the UN Chief Executives Board for Coordination.

In his opening remarks, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu underscored the critical link between water and agrifood systems. “There can be no food security without water security,” he said. “FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-31 focuses on making agrifood systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, and water is elementary to this transformation.”   He further emphasized that, “the right solutions require a package of actions based on robust, reliable, continuous and consistent data and information.”

The event included a high-level segment featuring statements from Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Chair of UN-Water, as well as Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives from South Africa, Morocco, and Peru to the Rome-based UN agencies, who shared national perspectives on the value of water data.

In his speech Lario underscored that while agriculture remains the largest user of freshwater globally, it is increasingly vulnerable to water scarcity — making accurate and accessible data systems like AQUASTAT vital for informed decision-making and sustainable resource management.

A short cultural interlude featured a live harp performance of an original composition written specifically for this year’s World Water Day and performed publicly for the first time during the event. This was followed by a series of keynote presentations from FAO and partner organizations, highlighting the technical evolution of AQUASTAT, its role in tracking Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.4 indicators, and its contribution to major global reporting frameworks. The briefing on the UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation was delivered by UN-Water, outlining shared priorities for strengthening governance, country-level action, and data systems across the UN system.

Three decades of access to critical data

Developed by FAO’s Land and Water Division in the 1990s, AQUASTAT was created in response to a growing demand for comparable, up-to-date and policy-relevant information on water use in agriculture — the largest water-consuming sector globally. The system provides open-access data on key indicators such as water resources availability, irrigation, infrastructure, water use efficiency, and water stress. It has become a crucial tool for decision-makers, supporting planning, investment and international cooperation. AQUASTAT also underpins FAO’s role as custodian agency for SDG indicators 6.4.1 (water use efficiency) and 6.4.2 (level of water stress).

“Today, 2.5 billion people live in water-stressed countries, and 10% of the global population faces high or critical water stress. By tracking this information, AQUASTAT enables governments and organizations to take proactive measures,” FAO Director-General noted.

AQUASTAT’s success over three decades is built on strong collaboration with FAO Members , who contribute national data, validate estimates, and help strengthen capacity at country level. The system is also a key resource for major global assessments, including the UN World Water Development Report since 2003.

The celebration forms part of the 365 days of action commemorating FAO’s 80th anniversary, aligning to its biennial theme selected by FAO Members for 2024–25: Water resources management for the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life.