The 5th Space4Water Stakeholders meeting took place from 29 to 30 May 2025 at the United Nations Offcies at Vienna, Vienna International Center (VIC). 

The meeting was co-organoised by the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water and offciiated by UNOOSA Director Ms. Aarti Holla-Mainy.

The opening session was addressed by PSIPW Executive Director Eng. Ali-Wafa Abu-Risheh. PSIPW also participated with a detailed explanation of crucial prizewinner contributions to space-based water management in their research and at the most receont COP in Baku.

Bringing together researchers from government, national space agencies, proivate corporations, and academia who are engaged in space and water applications, the two-day workshop, the fifth in the series, sought to develop practical, applicable solutions for water challenges on the ground, particularly in developing countries. 

Participants shared country case studies and exchanged knowledge. They engaged with pressing water-related challenges such as floods, groundwater scarcity, water quality degradation, and irrigation needs.

The objectives for the meeting included:

(1) Fostering knowledge exchange between Space4Water stakeholders, professionals, young professionals, and Indigenous voices;
(2) Presentations of country cases;
(3) Co-developing space-based solutions for water-related challenges; and
(4) Identifying and addressing other ways to improve Space4Water community interaction and achieving shared objectives.

The meeting included panel discussions and workshops. Interdisciplinary teams co-designed space-based solutions, leveraging space-based tools like satellites & geospatial data, to craft tangible, collaborative responses. Breakout groups engaged in intensive, hands-on efforts to hone these space-based solutions.

Many of the projects in development have been underway after being conceived at earlier meetings.

At the end of the two day-workshop, presentations were given of co-designed space-based solutions. Some of these solutions were:

(1) Determining optimum sites for rainwater-runoff harvesting.
(2) Identification of potential locations/recharge for shallow groundwater in geographically small countries.
(3) Wetland extent mapping - North Central Nigeria, Ibaji State.
(4) SAR-based Monitoring of hydrocarbon contamination of water bodies in the Niger Delta.

In addition, new projects were proposed and launched with international teams committed to them.