Transforming Water Investments
for a Water-Secure World
The Global Water Investment Platform (GIP) is the world’s first dedicated global mechanism designed to mobilise, derisk, and accelerate large-scale public and private investment in water security. Established as a flagship G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative under South Africa’s Presidency, the GIP unifies global efforts to close the USD 140 billion annual water investment gap by 2030.
“Fully aware of the importance of protecting, conserving and restoring water-related ecosystems, we commit to work towards constructive outcomes of the 2026 UN Water Conference”
– G20 Leaders’ Declaration
The GIP brings together governments, development banks, private investors, philanthropies, and innovators to create a transparent, coordinated marketplace for bankable water projects.
Global Water Investment Platform – G20 Presidential Legacy
The Global Water Investment Platform was launched in August 2025 during the AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit by H.E Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa as G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative on Water Investments.
‘’The launch of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments will see the Africa Water Investment Programme scaled up into a Global Water Investment Platform. I would like to thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for initiating the first G20 Water Dialogue under its G20 Presidency in 2020, which considered water as a key ingredient for socio-economic development, poverty alleviation, human health and well-being. This process was sustained by the subsequent G20 Presidencies of Italy in 2021, Indonesia in 2022, India in 2023 and Brazil in 2024. The Global Outlook Council and the Global Water Investment Platform will serve as the world’s premier high-level political and investment platform on water’’
– H.E Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, 2025 G20 President.
( See Speech for the launch )
2025 G20 Leaders Declaration
The recognition of water in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration marks a turning point for global cooperation, aligning strongly with the GIP Roadmap for constructive outcomes of the 2026 UN Water Conference. The G20 Leaders’ Declaration underscores the urgency of strengthening resilience, advancing sustainable development, and accelerating long-term, inclusive investment flows aligned with national priorities. Importantly, the Declaration highlights water as an essential component of resilience, food security, disaster preparedness, and climate response, and calls for constructive outcomes at the 2026 UN Water Conference.
GIP is part of the African Union Cape Town Declaration on the Africa water investment summit in the context of the G20
The GIP is part of the African Union Cape Town Declaration on the Africa water investment summit adopted by African Heads of State and Government, in the presence of other Global Leaders, gathered in Cape Town from 13 to 15 August, 2025 for the inaugural Africa Water Investment Summit, convened under the auspices of the African Union, AUDA-NEPAD, the AIP High-Level Panel on Water Investment for Africa and the Republic of South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
Download declaration
GIP Vision and Mission
H.E. Ban Ki Moon – Former Secretary General of the United Nations
GIP Vision
A unified global investment platform where countries and investors can seamlessly access financing solutions that accelerate water, climate, and development outcomes.
GIP Mission
To transform global water investment systems and deliver a water-secure world through mobilised capital, strengthened institutions, and credible investment pipelines.
G20 Legacy-Roadmap Towards G20 & UN 2026 Water Conference
The G20 leaders declaration commits to work towards concrete outcomes at the UN 2026 Water Conference. The roadmap for the G20 legacy – Global Water investment platform defines the pathway for realizing concrete outcomes for the leaders at the UN Water conference.
GIP Approach
The GIP seeks to narrow the global water investment gap and contribute towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 targets on water and sanitation by addressing the following systemic challenges in the preparation and delivery of water investments:
Global High-level political and continental leadership of ongoing and new water investments is inadequate to address the water investment gap to meet social-economic needs and falls short of the requirements to meet the 2030 SDG agenda on water and sanitation and other water related targets.
There are inadequate mechanisms for tracking progress, setting benchmarks, identifying bottlenecks, and implementation of actions required to achieve SDG6 targets on water and sanitation; as well as for enhancing mutual accountability and transparency in financing and implementation of water investments.
Planning, decision-making, and institutional processes for water investments are not gender transformative and coordination of water-related investments in food security, energy, health, and the economy is weak, reflecting structurally embedded ‘silos’ that undermine job creation and inclusive economic growth.
There are inadequate financing and capacity for preparation and implementation of bankable water projects, leading to absence of reliable water services for basic social needs and economic growth sectors, hampering private sector investments, job creation and inclusive growth of the continent.
Solutions Offered by the GIP
The GIP promotes coordinated development and implementation of global pipeline of verified water investment opportunities, derisking and blended finance instruments for investors and governments and facilitates water investment marketplace connecting projects to capital, at all levels, through five interrelated Solutions:
1. Mobilise high-level political commitment and leadership on water investments
The GIP will mobilise high-level political commitment and leadership on water investments. The Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, was launched by H.E President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Africa Water Investment Summit as a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative in Cape Town. Comprising invited current and former Heads of State and global leaders, the Global Outlook Council, through the Global Water Investment Platform (GIP), will serve as the world’s premier high-level political and investment platform on water.
2. Develop and implement the GIP Water Investment Scorecard to enhance mutual accountability, transparency and efficiency of water finance and investments
The GIP Water Investment Scorecard supports countries to track progress, set benchmarks, identify bottlenecks, and take action to meet their water investment needs.
3. Develop capacity to formulate regional and national investment programmes to close the water investment gap
Globally, many countries are extremely vulnerable to climate variability and climate change; and are further faced with weak institutional capacities, water infrastructure, and information systems to support water management. The GIP will address these gaps, informed by insights from the GIP Water Investment Scorecard.
4. Establish the GIP De-risking Blended Water Investment Facility to leverage public-private finance
The GIP will establish a GIP De-risking Blended Water Investment Facility as mechanism to support countries to leverage ODA and grant finance to de-risk priority water investments using a variety of innovative financial instruments and sources. These include sovereign wealth funds, guarantees, commercial finance, institutional investors and private equity investors, foundations, value-based impact investment, and climate finance.
5. Promote gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in water investments
The GIP will develop tools to assist governments to address systemic inequalities in decision-making, planning, and implementation of investments, by fostering a transformative approach in agencies, structures, and social relations.
About The G20
The Group of Twenty (G20) is an international forum of both developing and developed countries which seeks to find solutions to global economic and financial issues.
The G20 comprises 19 countries including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and United States and two regional bodies, namely the European Union and the African Union.
The G20 members include the world’s major economies, representing 85% of global Gross Domestic Product, over 75% of international trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.