Stockholm, 26 August 2025 – The Global Water Partnership (GWP) has launched its new Strategy 2026–2030, setting out an ambitious plan to unlock USD 15 billion in global water investments and mobilise USD 500 million directly for countries and partners.
The strategy was launched in Stockholm by GWP, and witnessed by H.E. Retno Marsudi, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, Eva Schreiner, Head of Water Team at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other development partners, who welcomed the strategy and called for urgent collective action to tackle the escalating global water crisis.
Voices from Global Leaders
H.E. Retno Marsudi, UN Water Envoy:“Water is at the heart of peace, prosperity, and climate resilience. This bold new strategy is a vital step in mobilising investments at the scale needed to deliver the SDGs. The United Nations welcomes GWP’s role in uniting governments, development banks, and the private sector to deliver solutions for billions still left behind.”
Eva Schreiner, Head of Water Team, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Netherlands: “The Netherlands has supported GWP since its inception over 20 years ago. We strongly welcome GWP’s strategy. By focusing on governance, partnerships, and investment, it reflects the urgency of scaling solutions in water and climate resilience. We look forward to working closely with GWP to deliver results.”
Donors and MDBs Signal Confidence and Trust
Major donor partners — Sida (Sweden), FCDO (UK), ADA (Austria), and the Netherlands — praised the strategy as timely, ambitious, and necessary, signalling strong confidence in GWP’s leadership.
Paul Deverill, Senior WASH Adviser, FCDO (UK):“This strategy is not just relevant — it’s necessary. To attract finance, we must strengthen governance and foster political leadership.”
Maria Vink, Senior Programme Specialist – Water Security, Sida (Sweden):“GWP is transforming both the water sector and investment. Speaking the language of investors is essential, and this strategy makes it possible.”
Klaus Leroch, Advisor – Water and Sanitation, ADA (Austria):“Congratulations. The strategy is balanced and aligned with our priorities. It provides a clear path to engage the private sector — something long overdue.”
MDBs and Regions welcome new strategy, commend GWP
Satoshi Ishii, Director – Strategy and Partnerships Team, Asian Development Bank (ADB):“Your three pillars mirror our priorities. Investors always ask: where is the information? This strategy provides that foundation.”
Mtchera Chirwa, Director of Water and Sanitation at the African Development Bank (AfDB):“Africa faces a huge water financing gap. By putting governance, data, and climate finance at the centre, this strategy offers the right direction.”
Across GWP’s global network, regions also voiced strong support:
● Sindy Mthimukhulu and Callist Tindimugaya from Southern And Eastern Africa Region: “It directly responds to Africa’s urgent challenges of water security, financing gaps, and capacity.”● Raymond Valiant from South East Asia Region: “It speaks to our needs on climate resilience, youth, and digital transformation.”● Fabiola Tabora from Central America Region: “It bridges global investment flows with the realities of vulnerable communities.”
Oxford University Partnership Announced
At the launch, GWPO and Oxford University signed an MOU to train 500 water professionals by 2030, with a focus on women and youth — a key element of the new strategy’s capacity-building agenda.
Alex Simalabwi, CEO of GWPO and Executive Secretary of GWP and Alex Money, Oxford University, signing the MoU.
Diplomats from 25 Countries welcome strategy signal Interest
Following the launch, a High-Level Diplomatic Briefing brought together Ambassadors and representatives of 25 countries.
The session was opened by Maarten Gischler of the Netherlands, a founding Sponsoring Partner of GWPO, who invited other nations to consider joining GWPO as Sponsoring Partners on behalf of the organisation’s existing Sponsoring Partners.
Diplomats welcomed the strategy with urgency and optimism, recognising GWPO as a credible and trusted platform to accelerate water investments. Several noted that the strategy comes at a decisive moment, when water challenges demand coordinated global leadership.
They highlighted governance as the foundation for credible investments, the need to mobilise finance at scale, blending public and private capital, water as central to climate resilience and global stability and importance of partnerships and capacity development — empowering governments, women, and youth to lead change.
Many countries expressed interest in further exploring Sponsoring Partner membership, with follow-up discussions to be pursued in capitals in the coming months.
Countries represented included: Argentina, Canada, China, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Pakistan, Spain, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Netherlands, Germany, Indonesia, Turkey, South Korea, and Tanzania.
Scaling Up Global Investment
The new strategy builds on the success of the Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) and the Africa Water Investment Summit in Cape Town (August 2025), where more than USD 10 billion in potential investments were identified through project–investor matchmaking.
As part of scaling up this model globally, GWP will work with governments, development banks, and the private sector through the Global Investment Platform, and has been invited to support the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative announced in Cape Town.
A Global Transformation Agenda on Water Investments
Alex Simalabwi, CEO of GWPO and Executive Secretary of GWP, concluded:
“This strategy is about transformation. Donor partners have united in endorsing our new direction — a strong vote of confidence that we are on the right track. Regions across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America confirm the strategy speaks to their needs on the ground. And with 25 countries engaging at today’s diplomatic briefing, alongside the Oxford partnership, the appetite for global cooperation is clear.
We thank our donors for their steadfast support and continued trust in GWP. We remain fully committed to transparency, accountability, and fiduciary discipline. Since 2002, we have published clean, unqualified audit reports every year — and we will proudly continue this tradition as we scale up to unlock billions in water and climate investments worldwide.”
About the Global Water Partnership (GWP)
The Global Water Partnership is a global action network of over 2,800 organisations in 180 countries, advancing water governance and climate-resilient investments for a sustainable and equitable future. Through its intergovernmental arm, the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO), and its worldwide multi-stakeholder network, GWP connects governments, development partners, businesses, and civil society to accelerate solutions to the global water crisis.
Download GWP’s 2026-2030 Strategy
Download GWP’s 2026-2030 Strategy – Summary
Watch GWP’s 2026-203 Strategy Video
Media Enquiries:
Monika Ericson, Senior Communications Specialist: monika.ericson@gwp.org