A senior United Nations official on Tuesday called for stronger global cooperation to address worsening climate change, water scarcity and inequality, saying the challenges require shared responsibility and coordinated international action.

Tshilidze Marvala made the remarks during the Fourth High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018–2028,” taking place in Dushanbe.

He said countries must work together to manage water resources more effectively, stressing that collaboration among nations in the Global South is especially important.

“Responses must take into account the specific circumstances of each country and be tailored to specific local conditions,” Marvala said, emphasizing the need for practical, context-specific solutions.

He added that scientists and international experts are developing new approaches to water management, but stressed that the priority is translating ideas into implementation and scaling up proven solutions.

Marvala also highlighted the role of the U.N. University in advancing research on water, ecosystems, climate adaptation and migration, noting its ongoing work on water-related policy solutions for governments and international organizations.