Catalysing investment for resilience. Empowering communities on the frontline of climate change through improved water security.
Photo credit: WaterAid/ James Kiyimba
The Challenge
The climate crisis is a water crisis. Around the world, people are feeling the effects of climate change through water (flooding; droughts; sea-level rise, irregular rainfall etc). Climate change is affecting seasonal and long-term water availability, meaning we can no longer rely on rain, river flows and aquifers.
To adapt to this new reality and build resilience to the impacts of climate change, we need to re-think how water resources are managed and delivered for different users over time. This provides an exciting opportunity to rethink how we create investment opportunities that promote resilient water management.
Current investment opportunities often lack the financial viability required to secure the necessary investment. This is due to barriers including long time horizons for investment and returns; lack of data on water supply and demand; competing needs from users; and weak regulatory frameworks. Therefore, our goal is to create projects that address these issues, and are not only pragmatic in the current context, but also future-proofed against impending challenges
4 billion people
live in countries where demand for water resources exceeds available supply
$650+ billion
is spent on global climate finance annually
Just 3%
of that funding goes to water-related climate adaptation projects
1 in 20
of the top recipients of adaptation financing is a low or middle income country (LMIC)
Our Approach
The RWA is global initiative that brings relevant decision makers, technical experts and investors together to create deal pipelines that address water risk, strengthen resilience and attract public and private finance. Our goal is to demonstrate the business case for more and better public and private investment in water-related deals that strengthen resilience for communities at the front lines of the climate crisis, and are replicable so that millions more can benefit.
Our Vision
By 2030, at least 50 million people in climate-vulnerable regions have greater water security and climate resilience through increased investment in well-managed water resources and services.
