Aqua for All has announced two new strategic public and private partnerships that place financing at the forefront of efforts to scale access to water and sanitation. The announcements include a $40 million commitment from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a new collaboration designed to develop additional investment pathways for the corporate sector, both aimed at strengthening water resilience and advancing progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6.
The $40 million commitment will support the second phase of the Making Water Count programme, running from 2026 to 2029. The initiative focuses on expanding access to safe drinking water and sanitation while addressing one of the sector’s most persistent challenges: the lack of investable capital in emerging markets. Through a blended finance approach, the programme targets improved water and sanitation services for 11.5 million people and aims to mobilise $350 million in investment, generating significant leverage from public funding.
The Making Water Count programme targets improved water and sanitation services for 11.5 million people and aims to mobilise $350 million in investment
The agreement was signed during the High-level Preparatory Meeting for the 2026 UN Water Conference in Dakar, highlighting the growing emphasis on financing solutions as a cornerstone of global water action.
In parallel, Aqua for All is partnering with the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate’s Water Resilience Coalition, a corporate leadership initiative that seeks to mobilise investment from multinational companies to address shared water risks across up to 100 water basins worldwide. During the World Economic Forum 2026, Aqua for All announced that the governments of the Netherlands and Luxembourg will fund the development of a specialised corporate water investment facility, designed to support private-sector engagement in water solutions.
Mohammed CBC Diatta, Senegal's Sherpa for the 2026 UN Water Conference, said: “Mobilising finance at scale is critical to closing the global water gap. These partnerships with Aqua for All show how public leadership, private capital and corporate engagement can come together to turn ambition into action.”
Meike van Ginneken, Water Envoy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, stated: “Making Water Count shows how public funding can unlock private investment to close that gap and strengthen health, food security, climate resilience and economic productivity in countries where the need is greatest.”
Josien Sluijs, Managing Director of Aqua for All, added: “With Making Water Count, Aqua for All is proving that water and sanitation services can be both socially transformative and financially viable.”
