Prof. Kaveh Madani, architect of the ‘water bankruptcy’ framing of today’s acute global predicament, wins world’s highest water honor for his courageous and peerless ability to transform groundbreaking research into global policy, diplomacy and outreach under extreme personal risk and political complexity
Paris – March 18, 2026 – In a special ceremony at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to mark World Water Day, Professor Kaveh Madani of Iran, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), was named the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize recipient, to be officially presented by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in August 2026, during World Water Week in Stockholm.
The Stockholm Water Prize is the ultimate global recognition for extraordinary achievements in water-related activities. Often described as the “Nobel Prize of Water,” it is the most prestigious water award given annually to an individual or organization for outstanding contributions to the sustainable use and protection of water resources. This year’s selection stands out not only for the scientific achievements of the laureate, but for the extraordinary journey behind them.
Professor Madani’s selection is a historic milestone for the global water community: at 44, he is the youngest laureate in the prize's 35-year history, the first UN official, and the first former politician to receive the honor.
What makes this selection truly inspiring and unique is the resilience behind it. While many past laureates reached this pinnacle through steady institutional support, Madani reached it after being branded an enemy of the state in his own homeland.
Known to many as “Iran’s expat eco-warrior,” his journey—from a celebrated scientist to an accused “spy”, and finally to a global leader in water science and education at the United Nations—represents a triumph of scientific truth over political persecution.
A destiny in water: The academic journey of a native son
For Kaveh Madani, water was a calling long before it was a career. Born in Tehran in 1981, he was the son of two professionals who both worked in Iran’s water sector. Growing up in a country facing severe water challenges helped shape his academic path. He earned his BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Tabriz before moving to Sweden—the future home of his prize—to complete a MSc in Water Resources at Lund University. He later earned a PhD from the University of California, Davis, and conducted post-doctoral research at University of California, Riverside, before becoming an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida.
A few years later, by his early 30s, Madani was a faculty member at Imperial College London, established as a world-class systems analyst with expertise in mathematical modeling of complex human-water systems to support policy making. His interdisciplinary and innovative work at the interface of hydrology, decision sciences, and economics earned him some of the most prestigious awards of his field at an early age. Yet, the pull of his homeland remained.
In 2017, at the invitation of Iran’s government, he made the perilous decision to leave his prestigious job in London to serve as the Deputy Vice President of Iran and the Deputy Head of Iran’s Department of Environment. His move was seen as a “symbol of hope” for the return of the Iranian diaspora and the rise of a patriotic scientist dedicated to saving his country's environment.
The scientist they called a terrorist
Madani’s tenure in government was as impactful as it was brief. He fought for bold reforms to improve water governance and transparency. He engaged the general public in the national environmental campaigns that he designed using his game theory skills. However, his reforms and courage to speak openly about the country’s growing water crisis threatened entrenched interests.
The backlash was brutal. He was targeted by hardline security forces and subjected to a surreal smear campaign. State-aligned media labeled him a “water terrorist” and a “bioterrorist,” accusing him of using water and environmental projects as a cover for espionage for the CIA, Mossad, and MI6. Some went further, spreading conspiracy theories that he was involved in weather manipulation and “cloud theft” in collaboration with Western powers. They challenged his motives for encouraging the Parliament to ratify the Paris Agreement, a treaty that they believed was a serious threat to national security and the capacity for development.
In early 2018, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) started an active crackdown on Iranian environmental experts. Despite having a senior governmental role, Madani was a target. He was arrested and interrogated multiple times. His conservationist friends were jailed and one of them, Dr. Kavous Seyed-Emami, an Iranian-Canadian university professor, died in custody under suspicious circumstances.
A few weeks later, Madani was forced into exile. He left behind a country he loved. After living in hiding for months, he accepted an academic position at Yale University, continuing to raise awareness about Iran’s water problem and advocating for his imprisoned friends to make the world hear their plight.
But he believed that a scientist who has experienced high-level decision-making firsthand can contribute far beyond the traditional role of academia. So, he took his mission to the global stage, eventually rising to lead UNU-INWEH, known as the “UN’s Think Tank on Water.” Today, the scientist whose warnings were once dismissed in his homeland shares his expertise with governments around the world.
Revolutionizing human behavior modeling
Kaveh Madani, who also serves as Research Professor of the City College of New York, is globally recognized for his fundamental contributions to integrating game theory and decision analysis into conventional water resources management models. Early in his career, his scholarly work questioned the implicit assumption of “cooperation” in conventional mathematical human-water models.
Madani argued that in the real world individual incentives often make the optimal solution infeasible. By applying game theory frameworks to human behavior, he showed why traditional engineering models often fail to capture real-world complexities. His research provided a new toolkit for understanding the “non-cooperative” nature of water resources governance, offering pathways for resolving transboundary disputes and fostering cooperation in regions where trust is scarce. This not only impacted behavior modeling in his field but also helped him develop a skillset that was a unique asset to him when he served as Iran’s lead environmental diplomat during his political tenure.
Beyond the crisis: The era of global water bankruptcy
Millions of people around the world have heard the term ‘water bankruptcy’. Many journalists have used it to refer to local water problems. But few people beyond Madani’s compatriots know that this powerful framing is the product of two decades of his work in academia, politics, and public outreach.
Water bankruptcy is not just an influential metaphor. Madani developed this concept after challenging frequently used terms such as “water crisis.” His reasoning was simple but philosophically powerful. A crisis is supposed to be a temporary shock and deviation from normal. When water shortage becomes chronic and lasts forever, using the term “water crisis” becomes misleading to societies, he argued. By formally introducing “water bankruptcy” as a post-crisis state of failure in water management, he called for a fundamental change in global water discourse to spark different policy solutions.
Madani is the author of the landmark UN report that declared that the planet entered the era of ‘Global Water Bankruptcy’ as of January 2026 with many river basins and aquifer systems around the world having lost their ability to bounce back to their historical conditions. The report sparked intense international debate by declaring that the global water problem is no longer a temporary shock, but a state of systemic insolvency and irreversibility. By shifting the discourse to “bankruptcy management,” he has forced many policymakers to confront the reality that for many regions, the old hydrological “normal” is gone forever.
He uses simple financial language to make a complex ecological reality clear: humanity is no longer living off the “interest” of the water cycle that was being deposited into its “chequing” account; it is liquidating the “principal” and “savings” accounts by draining aquifers beyond the point of return. This simplicity is what has made the term so popular. Yet, even Madani’s colleagues in science do not know how the rising adoption of the term in Iran led to conspiracy theories by the Iranian hardliners, claiming that he created this concept to discourage farming in Iran and compromise food and national security.
The people’s scientist: A global voice for water justice
Madani has shattered the traditional mold of the “cloistered academic.” With nearly one million social media followers, he is ‘the most followed water scientist in the world’. He has pioneered a new form of scientific communication, using documentaries, viral digital campaigns, and accessible storytelling to turn complex hydrological data into public knowledge.
By stripping away the jargon, he has empowered a generation of “citizen scientists” and Gen Z activists to hold their own leaders accountable for resource mismanagement. This commitment to transparency is what earned him the reputation of a tireless global influencer for the planet for the digital age; he has proven that when people understand the science of their own survival, they become the most powerful force for environmental change.
A global diplomat: Elevating water in the global agenda
Kaveh Madani’s diplomatic roles are another highlight of his career. During his political tenure, he served as Iran’s lead environmental diplomat and the official in charge of the Department of Environment’s International Affairs and Conventions Center. In 2017, he was elected Vice President of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) Bureau, overseeing the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, comprising all 193 UN member states.
Madani’s speech at COP23 in Bonn makes him the first national delegation leader to publicly criticize the limited attention given to water in the Paris Agreement. He called for making water a central pillar of global climate negotiations. Today, as Director of the UN’s Water Think Tank, he remains a fierce champion for the Global South, bridging the gap between scientific evidence and political action, while advocating for the elevation of water in the global policy agenda as the backbone of peace, security, and sustainability.
At a time when the Middle East is once again overshadowed by war, Kaveh Madani’s life journey serves as a poignant reminder that despite the noise of politics, our shared vulnerability is what unites us; water scarcity is a common threat that transcends all political and military boundaries.
Official Stockholm Water Prize 2026 Citation, The Prize Committee of the Stockholm Water Prize at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Professor Kaveh Madani is awarded the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize “based on his unique combination of groundbreaking research on water resources management with policy, diplomacy and global outreach, often under personal risk and political complexity.”
Prof. Madani: “In the Persian tradition of Nowruz, water is a symbol of light and purity on our New Year table. To be named the Stockholm Water Prize Laureate at this specific moment is a vindication I share with all Iranians who believed in me when I was labeled a ‘threat’ for simply speaking the truth. I accept this honor with profound humility, and I am deeply grateful to my nominators, the selection committee, and the mentors, colleagues, and students who have been my intellectual family throughout this journey.
“I share this award with the millions of compatriots who stood by me, with my friends in the conservation community, who were imprisoned and killed for their love of nature, and with the brave and innocent Iranian lives taken from us in January 2026, and those lost before and since.”
“It is a profound coincidence that this news arrives as my country and the region whose sustainability I have fought for have been burning in the fires of conflicts and a war being conducted in defiance of international law. I hope that in the midst of this fragmented world, this Prize and World Water Day serve as a reminder that water does not wait for politics. Water bankruptcy is a common threat that transcends every military line. We must recognize our shared vulnerability if we are ever to find our shared peace.”
Tshilidzi Marwala, UN Under Secretary-General and Rector, United Nations University
“Professor Kaveh Madani exemplifies the mandate of the United Nations University: turning rigorous scientific insight into practical solutions for the world’s most urgent challenges.
His work has transformed how governments and societies understand water scarcity, bringing clarity and urgency to one of the defining issues of our time. Beyond his outstanding scholarship and policy impact, Professor Madani has demonstrated exceptional strategic leadership within the UNU system, revitalizing UNU-INWEH’s global footprint and forging innovative partnerships that bridge the United Nations and academia to accelerate solutions for Member States.
The United Nations family is immensely proud to see his leadership and scholarship recognized with the Stockholm Water Prize.”
Anette Scheibe Lorentzi, Chair of Stockholm Water Foundation
“Through his work and outstanding achievements, Professor Madani has made invaluable contributions to our understanding of cross-cutting and complex water issues. In the face of a changing climate, this knowledge is more important than ever, and I congratulate Professor Madani on being awarded the Stockholm Water Prize 2026”.
Vincent Boudreau, President, City College of New York
“Only a small number of scientists succeed in bridging the worlds of research, policy, and public understanding. Professor Madani belongs to that rare group.”
“His pioneering work on water governance and the concept of ‘water bankruptcy,’ along with his dedication to policy and societal outreach, has helped elevate water to the center of global sustainability discussions.”
“This recognition reflects both his extraordinary scholarship and the vital role of science in shaping a more secure future. The City College has been a proud home to many Nobel laureates and now celebrates the well-deserved awarding of the first ‘Nobel Prize of Water’ to one of its own.”
The Stockholm Water Prize
Known as the ‘Nobel Prize of Water’, the Stockholm Water Prize is the world’s most prestigious water award. Since its inception in 1991, it has been awarded annually to individuals and organizations who have made substantial contributions to the sustainable use and protection of the world’s water resources, thereby leading to improved health and well-being of humans as well as ecosystems.
The Stockholm Water Foundation presents the Prize in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, with H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden serving as official patron and presenter.
Each year’s Laureate is announced around World Water Day in March, then formally honored at a royal ceremony during World Water Week in August, where they play a central role in the Week’s celebrations.
stockholmwaterfoundation.org/stockholm-water-prize
UNU-INWEH
The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) is one of 13 institutions that make up the United Nations University (UNU), the academic arm of the UN. Known as 'The UN’s Think Tank on Water', UNU-INWEH addresses critical water, environmental, and health challenges around the world. Through research, training, capacity development, and knowledge dissemination, the institute contributes to solving pressing global sustainability and human security issues of concern to the UN and its Member States.
Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, UNU-INWEH has been hosted and supported by the Government of Canada since 1996. With a global mandate and extensive partnerships across UN entities, international organizations, and governments, UNU-INWEH operates through its UNU Hubs in Calgary, Hamburg, New York, Lund, and Pretoria, and an international network of affiliates.
unu.edu/inweh
