Kaveh Madani awarded the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize

Professor Kaveh Madani, an Iranian researcher and Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), has been awarded the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize. The award, often referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize of Water,’ was presented to him by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in Stockholm.

At 44 years old, Madani is the youngest recipient in the history of the prize. He is also the first United Nations official and former politician to receive the honor. The Stockholm Water Prize Committee recognized his pioneering research and global leadership in water resource management, water governance, policy, and diplomacy, specifically his work in providing scientific solutions for shared water resource conflicts.

Madani’s research, including the concept of ‘Water Bankruptcy,’ has shifted global discourse from focusing solely on infrastructure to emphasizing governance, demonstrating how weak management leads to systemic failures. He is the first Muslim scientist to win the award and the second recipient from the Middle East.