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NOVEMBER 2025
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** WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE INVITATIONAL
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Congratulations to the Indiana Men’s Basketball team for winning the inaugural Waterkeeper Alliance Invitational! We also applaud the Marquette Men’s Basketball for their outstanding performance and sportsmanship.
Through extensive arena branding, on-court activities, and a commercial that aired four times during the ESPN broadcast, this exciting game shined a spotlight on something even bigger than basketball: the power of clean water to bring communities together and sustain life.

With your support, Waterkeeper Alliance and local Waterkeeper groups around the world defend the waters that nourish our communities. From protecting rivers and lakes to ensuring every community has access to clean and safe water, your partnership makes our work possible.

Thank you to everyone who tuned in and cheered us on, including a special thank you to Morgan Stanley and Roland Berger for your generous game suite support!

Beyond the final score is this lasting message: Nobody Wins Without Clean Water. Because when clean water wins, we all win.


** OCEANIA REGIONAL SUMMIT
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Over three inspiring days, Waterkeepers from the Oceania region gathered at Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Campus in Australia, to share knowledge and strengthen their voice for clean waterways.

Hosted by Hawkesbury-Nepean Waterkeeper, the event brought together Waterkeepers and their teams from Hawkesbury-Nepean and Hunter in New South Wales, and Port Phillip Baykeeper and Werribee Riverkeeper in Melbourne—along with First Nations, scientists, and community leaders. Together, we worked toward a shared vision for clean water, healthy catchments, and collaboration across the region.

Ushering in a new era of the Rights of Nature, sessions included a First Nations Water Forum, riparian health and erosion control workshops, and discussions on nutrient and chemical runoff, as well as case studies on water, strategy, and policy. Waterkeepers also discussed their local work, emphasizing the role of citizen science and efforts to engage community partners within their catchments to strengthen collective impact.

The summit closed with a canoe excursion on the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, stopping at Mulago Creek for platypus research and at Glenbrook Creek/Sandbank for a mini beach cleanup. Paddling past sandstone-lined vistas, with white-bellied sea eagles perched in trees and water serpents sunning on rocks, was a vivid reminder of the living systems we work to defend.

It was an energizing and hopeful few days, and a powerful affirmation of how strong our Movement becomes when Waterkeepers and supporters come together across rivers, regions, and nations to speak as one voice for water.


** ASIA REGIONAL SUMMIT
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We also experienced an incredible week of connection and collaboration in Hangzhou, China for the Asia Regional Summit. Set against the stunning backdrop of the National Water Museum of China on the banks of the Qiantang River, the event opened with Waterkeepers from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Nepal, and Thailand sharing local challenges and successes, exchanging strategies for community engagement and advocacy, and identifying opportunities to strengthen regional collaboration. These discussions laid the foundation for exploring how technology and partnerships can drive collective progress across the region.

Participants toured the National Water Museum of China before joining students, educators, and officials for the 6th International Symposium on Water Science Popularization Education for Future-Oriented Youth, themed “AI Empowering Water Protection.” Presentations highlighted innovations such as UAV remote sensing for soil and water conservation, robotic dogs for levee safety, and environmental DNA monitoring of aquatic ecosystems. Demonstrations featured AI-based flood early-warning systems and virtual-reality tools for water education, while students showcased AI-generated art on water conservation. With opening remarks from the National Water Museum, the Zhejiang Qiantang River Basin Center, and Waterkeeper Alliance, the symposium illustrated how technology and creativity are inspiring a new generation of water advocates.

Participants also visited key centers for water innovation, starting with the Xiaoshan Qianjiang Water Treatment Plant, one of China’s largest and most advanced municipal wastewater facilities, treating about 740,000 tons per day. They then met with Kaiyuan Environment Technology Group Co., Ltd. (Kyee) to discuss industrial wastewater management, cleaner production, and water reuse in the textile sector. The day concluded at the Hangzhou Ecological Environment Monitoring Center’s AI Lab, where Waterkeepers explored how artificial intelligence is advancing pollution tracking and flood forecasting.

The week concluded in Taizhou with a side event hosted by Waterkeepers China, featuring the Science to You (Sci2U) exchange, which connected Waterkeepers, scientists, and students to share ideas on water stewardship and science communication. Participants also met with Zhejiang provincial leaders to discuss regional water challenges and opportunities for collaboration. Coinciding with China’s first annual Science Popularization Month, the event highlighted how AI-driven education, digital heritage tools, and interactive engagement can help empower young water stewards.

Together, these experiences captured the spirit of learning, partnership, and action that defines our movement, showing how Asia’s Waterkeepers are combining local leadership, youth engagement, and emerging technology to protect clean water for all.


** TRANSPARENCY ON TOXIC PFAS
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Waterkeeper Alliance filed ([link removed]) a Freedom of Information Act request urging U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to release records related to its attempt to delay and weaken national PFAS drinking water protections. The public deserves to know why the agency is walking back safeguards against toxic forever chemicals.


** PFAS VIRTUAL ADVOCACY WEEK
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Thank you to the 26 Waterkeeper groups who joined Chelsea McDonald for Virtual Advocacy Week to educate members of Congress about the recent findings from our PFAS monitoring project. Waterkeepers from Washington to Florida informed their state officials from more than 20 Congressional offices about the risks and findings of "forever chemicals" in their local watersheds. This toxic contamination is widespread; research shows that waterways in many parts of the world contain levels that greatly exceed safety limits. Learn ([link removed]) more about PFAS and Waterkeeper Alliance’s multi-phase monitoring initiative.


** TOUGHER ‘SLAUGHTERHOUSE RULES’
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Waterkeeper Alliance partnered with Black Warrior Riverkeeper Nelson Brooke to publish ([link removed]) an op-ed on AL.com in response to the U.S. EPA’s decision to withdraw proposed updates to federal water pollution standards for U.S. slaughterhouses and rendering facilities. Despite evidence that stronger rules would reduce millions of pounds of harmful discharges, the agency chose inaction. While Waterkeeper Alliance and partners, including Cape Fear River Watch, continues pursuing legal action ([link removed]) on the U.S. federal level, Nelson’s piece underscores the urgent need for state agencies like Alabama’s Department of Environmental Management to step up and protect local waterways where federal efforts have stalled.

As part of this coordinated effort, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Ted Evgeniadis also penned ([link removed]) an op-ed that was published on Lancaster Online. Similar to Nelson, Ted is urging the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to adopt strong protective water quality standards at the state level to protect communities from slaughterhouse and rendering facility pollution.

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Now Streaming! In this episode of Equity In Every Drop, we sit down with Sharif Jamil, Buriganga Riverkeeper and coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh. From his early encounters with the rivers of Dhaka to his ongoing work addressing pollution and unchecked development, Sharif shares how his path led to water advocacy. He also reflects on the value of working within a global network of Waterkeepers committed to defending waterways in their own regions. As we get ready to meet with his fellow regional Waterkeepers at the Asia Regional Summit, which kicks off next week in China, this conversation offers timely insight into what connects local action to a broader movement for clean water. Listen here ([link removed]) or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Our latest Who Is Waterkeeper ([link removed]) highlights the incredible dedication of

Bargny Coast Waterkeeper Cheikh Fadel Wade in Senegal. Inspired by the Waterkeeper Movement and the sense of community it fosters, Fadel did not hesitate to take action to protect Bargny. He has empowered his community, demonstrating that they can hold their government accountable for ignoring harmful pollution.
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