On the sidelines of the High‑Level Preparatory meeting for the 2026 UN Water Conference, Mr. Lifeng Li, Director of FAO’s Land and Water Division, reflects on why accelerating progress on access to clean water and sanitation services (SDG 6) is more urgent than ever. Water is a connector across sectors – from food production to energy, health, and urban development – especially as Africa faces rapid population growth. Looking ahead to the 2026 UN Water Conference, Mr. Li calls for concrete, cross‑sector commitments that fully integrate food and agriculture into global water decisions.