Newsletter of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network - December 2025

Together for Water Newsletter of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network

December 2025 Table of contents Editor's note Feature Story Second Living Planet Monitor launched at COP30 Global updates WCC reflects on COP30 and G20: climate action still falling short Faith communities unite in Rome to advocate for the right to food and water justice WCC launches the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action Season of Creation 2025: Youth turn climate anxiety into action The water–energy nexus and human right to water WCC advocates for grassroots voices in UN “water tenure” framework development Regional updates Germany: Bread for the World launches new campaign on water, food, and climate India: Joining the Cosmic Dance of Creation and Justice World Toilet Day celebrations in Ghana and Nigeria Stories of Change Ukraine: Clean water brought hope (HEKS) South Sudan: Transforming Communities through Clean Water and Hygiene A prayer for water Upcoming Pre-UN Water Conference: Dakar, 26–27 January 2026 ICARRD+20: Colombia, 24–28 February 2026 Seven Weeks for Water: launching 18 February 2026 Recommended resources Sempre viva: The new HEKS/EPER film is now online! Telling the Faith and Climate Story Editor's note Dear friends of the Ecumenical Water Network, As we close this year, our work for water and climate justice is shaped once again by the outcomes of COP30 in Belém. Faith communities from every region were strongly present—raising prophetic voices, standing with Indigenous peoples of the Amazon, and insisting that climate justice must be rooted in justice for land, water, and food. Yet the political outcome of COP30 fell short of the urgency demanded by our planet and by the vulnerable communities we accompany. Still, there is hope in the collective strength of our movement. We launched the second Living Planet Monitor at COP30, amplifying faith-rooted data and stories from across Africa. We witnessed churches deepen their engagement through committing to the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action. And communities around the world demonstrate that water justice is being advanced every day—often far from the negotiation halls, in villages, congregations, and local initiatives that protect dignity and life. Thank you for being part of this journey. As we prepare for the year ahead, may we continue to work together so that water may flow freely, justly, and sustainably for all. Wishing you all a joyous Christmas and a happy New Year 2026.  In solidarity, Dinesh Suna WCC programme executive for Land, Water, and Food and coordinator of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network Feature Story Rev. Dr Angelique Walker-Smith, WCC president from North America and Dinesh Suna, WCC programme executive for Land, Water, and Food and coordinator of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network launching the second Living Planet Monitor at COP30, in Belém, Brazil. Photo: Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC Second Living Planet Monitor launched at COP30 Unveiled in Belém during COP30, the second edition of the Living Planet Monitor brings together data, trends, and faith-inspired stories to show how African regions are navigating the intertwined challenges of food security, water justice, land use, and climate change. Designed as a practical tool for churches, communities, and policymakers, the LPM makes complex realities accessible and highlights where progress is happening — and where urgent action is still needed. The monitor draws on global datasets and on-the-ground experiences to offer a coherent picture of environmental pressures and resilience across the continent. It also amplifies community perspectives and faith-driven responses, reminding us that meaningful change is possible —and already underway. Read the full story Global updates Thousands of people from around the world walked through the streets of Belém, Brazil on 15 November, reclaiming public space to demand real action at COP30, the UN climate conference. Photo: Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC WCC reflects on COP30 and G20: climate action still falling short Following the conclusion of COP30 in Brazil and the G20 Summit in South Africa, the WCC Executive Committee released a statement expressing deep concern over the continued lack of decisive global action. The statement stresses that “indeed, more than a political or technological problem, humanity’s collective inability or unwillingness to commit to taking the needed action to avert climate catastrophe represents a profound spiritual and ethical crisis, a failure of moral responsibility, a lack of justice and compassion.” The WCC urges governments to accelerate a just transition to renewable energy and calls on churches to deepen their engagement in the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action, emphasizing the moral responsibility to safeguard creation and future generations. Read the full statement Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC Programme Director for Life, Justice and Peace (second from right), at the FAO panel in Rome. He reminded participants that “the right to food is ultimately about human dignity.” Photo: Dinesh Suna/WCC Faith communities unite in Rome to advocate for the right to food and water justice From 19–28 October, the World Council of Churches and partners gathered in Rome for a series of faith-led events on the right to food, highlighting the deep connections between food security, clean water access, and climate justice. At a panel convened by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata and Dinesh Suna presented WCC initiatives that promote sustainable food systems, including efforts to strengthen the land–water–food–climate nexus through the Living Planet Monitor. A key moment of the week was the launch of the Joint Faith Statement on the Right to Food and Nutrition, issued by the WCC together with Caritas Internationalis and World Vision International. The statement calls for policies that protect the dignity and rights of communities facing hunger—rights that depend on secure access to both nutritious food and safe water. Faith groups launch hunger statement at UN food security meeting in Rome WCC calls for faith-led action on right to food at FAO panel in Rome People undertake a collective closing act of unity and commitment to urgent climate action, at the conclusion of a Pilgrimage Encounter with Creation – including the launch of an Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action – at the 2025 Central Committee meeting of the WCC in Johannesburg (South Africa) from 18 to 24 June 2025. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC WCC launches the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action Marking an important milestone, the WCC has inaugurated the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action (2025–2034), calling churches and partners worldwide to deepen their commitment to ecological conversion, climate justice, and care for Creation. The Decade was launched on 21 June during the WCC central committee meeting in Johannesburg, where church leaders from six continents gathered for theological reflections, prayer, and commitments rooted in the biblical vision of jubilee. Speakers emphasized the deep moral and spiritual dimensions of the climate emergency, noting that the poorest and most vulnerable communities bear the heaviest burdens. “Our lifestyle consumes 1.8 times what Earth can renew. Economic transformation must begin in the heart,” said Rev. Dr Charissa Suli of the Uniting Church in Australia. Chief Edmund Stuurman of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa urged churches to pursue bold action rather than “high-profile talk-shops.” Reflecting on the Decade at the recent WCC executive committee meeting, WCC central committee moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm stressed that its impact will depend on the engagement of local communities worldwide. “The decade is only as forceful as churches and their parishes make it,” he said, calling for active participation in public discourse and support for the ecological transformation needed to safeguard our common home. Learn more about the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action WCC central committee moderator reflects on church unity, climate justice “Peace with Creation” — the 2025 Season of Creation logo, drawing on Isaiah 32:14–18 and the call to heal the broken relationship between God, humanity, and the earth. Season of Creation 2025: Youth turn climate anxiety into action “Let us be a generation that prayed, planted, protested, and rose,” urged Zimbabwean youth leader Ngoni Muchenje during the closing online prayer ceremony for this year’s Season of Creation, observed from 1 September to 4 October under the theme “Peace with Creation.” The global ecumenical celebration brought together young Christians from Manila to Harare who shared how floods, droughts, displacement, and eco-anxiety shape their daily lives—and how communities are transforming fear into grassroots action. The season had opened on 1 September with the WCC joining Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in a call for “ecological repentance” amid intensifying environmental and social crises. Reflecting on this year’s observance, Dr Louk Andrianos emphasized that the Season of Creation will strengthen church engagement throughout the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action (2025–2035). From Manila to Harare: Youth transform climate fear into church resilience with prayers and actions The Google Data Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 2017. Photo: Chad Davis, CC BY 2.0 The water–energy nexus and human right to water “As technologies like AI expand, their water-intensive infrastructure cannot come at the expense of people’s right to water,” emphasized Dinesh Suna, WCC programme executive for Land, Water, and Food.  His remarks came during a high-level side event at the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council, convened by the Permanent Missions of Spain and Germany together with the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation and the Geneva Environment Network. The discussion reflected on the Special Rapporteur’s recent report, which shows how energy systems—from power plant cooling to fossil fuel extraction—can deplete or contaminate water sources, undermining communities’ rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. Speakers emphasized the need for human rights–based water governance, transparency, and meaningful community participation, and called for just transitions that protect aquatic ecosystems and prioritize the human right to water over profit. The event also raised emerging questions, including whether access to sustainable energy should itself be considered a human right. The Water-Energy Nexus and the Human Right to Water | HRC60 Side Event Photo: Dr Sofia Espinosa, Land & Water Tenure specialist, FAO. WCC advocates for grassroots voices in UN “water tenure” framework development At a landmark UN expert group meeting in Rome, the World Council of Churches—represented by Dinesh Suna, programme executive for Land, Water, and Food—joined more than 50 experts to advance global principles for responsible water tenure governance. As the only global faith-based organisation present, the WCC emphasized that water is a human right, not a commodity, and called for the meaningful inclusion of grassroots water justice movements in the consultative process from the outset. Co-facilitating discussions on water prioritisation principles, Suna advocated for a human rights–based approach aligned with the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. The expert group aims to finalise draft principles and recommendations by the next UN Water Conference in December 2026, with political adoption targeted for 2027—a crucial step toward protecting vulnerable communities’ access to water under growing climate and resource pressures. WCC advocates for grassroots voices in UN “water tenure” framework development Regional updates Bread for the World held a celebratory church service under the motto "Drawing Strength for Life.” Marking the 67th annual campaign, the service was held in the Durlach City Church and broadcast live. Photo: Brot für die Welt Germany: Bread for the World launches new campaign on water, food, and climate  Bread for the World has launched its 67th annual campaign, focusing on the interconnected challenges of water access, food security and climate justice. Under the theme “Drawing Strength for Life,” the campaign highlights how environmental degradation and climate impacts are deepening inequalities—particularly for communities with limited access to safe water. Churches and partner organisations are encouraged to raise awareness, advocate for stronger political commitment to water and climate justice, and support practical initiatives that strengthen sustainable agriculture and local resilience. Read more Outdoor worship service at CMS College in Kottayam. Photo: CSI India: Joining the Cosmic Dance of Creation and Justice As part of this year’s Season of Creation, the Church of South India (CSI) held a nature-friendly worship service at CMS College in Kottayam, gathering clergy, students, and community members outdoors to pray for justice and ecological renewal. Bishop Dr Malayil Sabu Koshy Cherian invited the assembly to “move with the rhythm of nature” and join the “cosmic dance of God,” reminding participants that environmental well-being and social justice are inseparable. His message echoed the prophet Amos: “May justice roll on like a river, and peace flow like an everlasting stream.” The service featured a sermon by Rev. Dr Viji Varghese Eapen, who challenged the “false promises of modern development” that benefit few while harming ecosystems from Kerala to West Africa. A symbolic tree-planting on the campus affirmed the community’s shared commitment to caring for creation. Leaders from the CSI Department of Ecological Concerns and CMS College emphasized the importance of ecological balance and the Season of Creation as a global moment of prayer and action. Video highlights Seven Weeks for Water 2025 – Week 6: “Water in the Cosmic Dance!” (Prof. Mathew Koshy) CSI ecological resources Women and girls in Lagos’ Makoko community receive sanitary kits during a World Toilet Day event organised by the Ecumenical Water Network Africa. Photo: EWN Africa World Toilet Day celebrations in Ghana and Nigeria The Ecumenical Water Network Africa marked World Toilet Day in Nigeria by revisiting Lagos’ Makoko community—one of the city’s largest informal settlements—nine years after the WCC first raised concerns about its dire sanitation conditions. On 19 November 2025, EWN Africa held a talk show with women and girls at the Methodist Church Nigeria auditorium in Makoko. Deaconess Caroline Abubakar, a social worker, served as lead speaker, highlighting the ongoing need for improved sanitation and water justice. More than 70 women and girls received sanitary items, and the team encouraged the local church to continue raising awareness and supporting vulnerable households. In Ghana, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church also marked World Toilet Day with a strong call for climate-resilient sanitation systems that protect both people and water resources. Speaking at the event, Rev. Richard Mawutor Buamah stressed that safe and dignified sanitation is a basic human right. As climate change increases flooding, drought, and water scarcity across the country, the church urged communities and policymakers to invest in sanitation solutions that safeguard public health, reduce contamination of water sources, and strengthen resilience. Stories of Change Photo: Oleksandr and Galyna Zavgorodniia at the water tap, filling their containers, in Oleksandrivka, Ukraine. They have chosen to stay despite the hardships. Photo: Håvard Hovdhaugen/HEKS Ukraine: Clean water brought hope (HEKS) In eastern Ukraine, thousands of people were left without drinking water after the destruction of the Karlivka Dam in June 2023. In frontline communities such as Ocheretyno and Oleksandrivka, families endured months without safe water while facing insecurity, displacement, and economic hardship. Older residents and internally displaced families were especially affected. Through work in hard-to-reach areas, HEKS/EPER helped restore access to safe drinking water for nearly 8,000 people by installing purification systems, building public water taps, and supporting newly drilled wells. For locals like Oleksandr and Galyna Zavgorodniia, who chose to remain in their village despite the war, the change was transformative. “It’s wonderful,” they said. “Life quality improves with clean drinking water.” Clean water was restored, lives were improved, but the US government's abrupt halt to funding has forced HEKS to suspend this project — even as communities continue to rely on these essential water sources amid ongoing conflict. Read more: “Lifesaving water for people in the eastern Ukraine“ Photo: Lily Poni has five children and lives with her son’s family. During the day, Lily’s son and his wife go to work and she looks after her grandchildren. Credit: AID/Trumpeter Community Health South Sudan: Transforming Communities through Clean Water and Hygiene For over a decade, Anglican International Development (AID) has supported Trumpeter Community Health, a church-led NGO in Juba, South Sudan, working “with and through the local church” to strengthen community health and access to safe water. Trumpeter trains hygiene promoters across local neighbourhoods, supports borehole maintenance, and provides practical support to vulnerable families — essential work in a region where conflict and poverty intensify water-related health risks. Through home visits and workshops, hygiene promoters teach safe water storage, disease prevention, and the five steps of proper handwashing. Lily, a mother in Juba, described how this knowledge has changed life for her family: “We were all taught the five steps of hand washing which is very crucial. I have been able to teach my grandchildren and my children. Since I learned all these, we have not had anyone who has become sick in the family.” This long-term partnership continues to build resilience and equip churches as local health leaders, ensuring more families in South Sudan can access clean water, prevent disease, and live with dignity and hope. Read more: “Clean Water and Hygiene – Trumpeters” (AID) A prayer for water Photo: Sebastian Voortman from Pexels Creator God, God of the oceans, God of the land and all that is within it: You created this world with the power of your word. You formed humankind with your own hands, and breathed your own breath into us. You gave us these lands as a gift– a source of our identity and sustenance. you empowered us to be the stewards of what you have made. Loving God, we have failed you and abused the gift you have given us. We have offended you and defiled what you have made. Forgive us for betraying your trust. Forgive us for our greed and arrogance. Forgive us for what we have done to your earth. Forgive us for what we have done to your oceans. Forgive us for what we have done to your creatures, on the land, in the sky and in the depths. Hear, O God of Compassion: The cries of the land have become a desert; land laid barren through corrupt agricultural practices, pollution, mining and deforestation. The cries of islands are drowning in the rising seas, oceans that rise with the melting of the ice. The cries of distress from Mother Earth- storm and drought. God of Life, heal your wounded earth. Empower us to choose the road that leads to life. Guide us in the paths of righteousness for your name’s sake So that we may experience once again your Shalom in the land and in the sea. This we ask in the name of the one who came that we way have life in abundance, your Son, our Saviour Jesus the Christ. C: Amen. ©2012 Rev. James Bhagwan, Fiji Upcoming Pre-UN Water Conference: Dakar, 26–27 January 2026 A high-level preparatory meeting for the 2026 UN Water Conference will take place in Dakar, Senegal. The meeting will help refine the conference agenda, with a focus on accelerating progress toward SDG 6 on water and sanitation. Find out more ICARRD+20: Colombia, 24–28 February 2026 ICARRD+20 marks twenty years since the first International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (2006). Hosted by Colombia and supported by the UN Committee on World Food Security and FAO, the conference will gather governments, researchers, and rural movements to advance agrarian reform, social justice, and food sovereignty. Read more Seven Weeks for Water: launching 18 February 2026  The WCC’s annual Lenten campaign Seven Weeks for Water will begin on Ash Wednesday. Since 2008, the WCC Ecumenical Water Network has produced weekly theological reflections and resources on water justice for the 40 days of Lent. The theme for 2026 will focus on the role of water and sanitation for gender equality, aligned with the theme of World Water Day 2026. Seven Weeks for Water website Recommended resources Sempre viva: The new HEKS/EPER film is now online! "Sempre Viva – The Struggle of the Flower Pickers in the Cerrado" tells the story of the traditional communities of flower pickers in Brazil's Cerrado savannah, a largely overlooked yet exemplary struggle for rights, resources, and dignity. The film highlights their deep connection to nature and the determination with which the flower pickers fight against land grabbing and environmental destruction. Watch the film here   Telling the Faith and Climate Story A new report from the Laudato Si’ Movement, Telling the Faith and Climate Story, shows how faith communities significantly shape media narratives on climate change. The research finds that faith-and-climate coverage spikes around major events such as UN Climate Conferences—key moments to amplify justice-focused faith voices. It also highlights growing engagement across traditions, including untapped potential within Muslim and Hindu communities. The accompanying communications guide offers practical tools to help faith leaders share climate messages that are both theologically grounded and publicly resonant. Available in multiple languages at www.faithandclimate.org.

Please contribute! Do you have any water-related news, updates, a prayer, or photos that you would like to share with the WCC-EWN? Please contact us at water@wcc-coe.org Ecumenical Water Network, World Council of Churches, Ecumenical Centre, 1 Route des Morillons, 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland water@wcc-coe.org, www.oikoumene.org    Editorial team: Dinesh Suna, Katlego Mohuba, Solene Jetzer,Astha Joshi, Shakira Wingate, WCC communications     Subscribe to the Ecumenical Water Network newsletter: www.oikoumene.org/what-we-do/ecumenical-water-network/ewn-subscription  Copyright © 2025 World Council of Churches, All rights reserved.