Kyoto World Water Grand Prize 2027 by Japan Water Forum

Established in 2003 by the City of Kyoto and the World Water Council to commemorate the 3rd World Water Forum held in Kyoto, Japan, the Prize has since been awarded every three years during the World Water Forum. The Prize is grounded in Kyoto’s tradition of resilience, cultural exchange, and harmony between tradition and innovation. It is founded on the belief that initiatives aligned with local cultures and respectful of relationships with nature are essential for sustainable development.

The Kyoto World Water Grand Prize 2027 will be conferred at an award ceremony to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from March 21 to 25, 2027, in conjunction with the 11th World Water Forum.
The World Water Forum is a global event convened once every three years, bringing together water-related experts, organizations, companies, and stakeholders from around the world to engage in dialogue on water issues.

The Prize selection is based on the concept that activities which respect the unique social and cultural characteristics of local communities contribute to sustainable development. This concept is inspired by Kyoto’s history of resilience, its ability to recover from natural disasters, epidemics, and other crises while harmonizing tradition and innovation.
Previous awardees have used the support to expand and strengthen their activities, as well as to launch new initiatives.

1st and 2nd selection: June to September 2026
• Final selection: October to December 2026
• Results announcement: December 2026

Location:

Online

Benefits

• Prize Amount: JPY 2,000,000 (approximately USD $13,000, subject to exchange rates )

• The Prize will be awarded at the opening or closing ceremony at the 11 th World Water
  Forum, to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in March 2027.

• One representative of the winning organization will be invited to make an acceptance
  Speech at the awarding ceremony

Eligibilities

• Non-profit, non -governmental, and locally led organizations based in a developing
  country.

• Organizations whose activities are non -sectarian in nature and conducted independently.

• Initiatives that demonstrate clear local ownership and are not primarily financed or
  controlled by external entities from developed countries.

• Countries and territories classified as Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Low Income Countries (LICs), Lower Middle Income Countries (LMICs), and Upper Middle Income Countries (UMICs) from the website list.

Eligible initiatives include, but are not limited to:
• Construction or repair of a water supply resource, such as a well and reservoir
• Installation of a small -scale water supply system
• Construction or repair of sanitation and hygiene facilities
• Maintenance/improvement of a water resource environment

Eligible Regions: Open for all.

Application Process

• Submit all materials online

• Fill in Application Form A, which includes basic information and an overview of your
  organization. You may also provide the name of a recommending person or organization, if
  any.

• Fill in Application Form B. First, choose one project implemented by your organization
  between 2020 and 2024. If follow-up activities were conducted, they must have been
  implemented by 2025. Provide all required information, including:
  1. An overview of the project
  2. Its relevance to the SDGs
  3. Efforts made to harmonize the project with local culture at the project location
  4. Changes observed in the area after implementation
  5. Photographs of the project (before, during, and after implementation)

• The forms must be filled out in English. Forms or languages other than the designated
  ones will not be accepted.

• Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.