Dakar / The Hague, 26 January 2026 – Aqua for All, a leading international foundation in the water and sanitation sector, has announced two new strategic public and private partnerships contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation in 2030. The partnerships reinforce global efforts to accelerate access to safe drinking water and sanitation while unlocking private capital at scale, strengthening global water resilience.
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Scaling up Making Water Count with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Aqua for All have signed the second phase of the Making Water Count programme, a long-term initiative designed to accelerate access to safe drinking water and sanitation while unlocking private investment in emerging markets. Backed by a EUR 40 million commitment from the Ministry’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation (Inclusive Green Growth), the programme will run from 2026 to 2029.
Through its dual approach, Making Water Count tackles two of the sector’s most persistent challenges at once: limited access to water and sanitation services, and a chronic lack of capital. Instantly contributing to SDG 6, targeted results for the Making Water Count programme include improved water and sanitation services for 11.5 million people and the mobilisation of EUR 350 million in investments, creating a leverage effect of 1:5.
The agreement was signed during the High-level Preparatory Meeting for the 2026 UN Water Conference in Dakar, reinforcing Aqua for All’s role as an active contributor to the UN Water Interactive Dialogue on Financing for Water.
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Corporate water investment facility with the CEO Water Mandate’s Water Resilience Coalition
Aqua for All continues to stay a frontrunner in water and sanitation financing through advancing innovative public and private partnerships to strengthen global water resilience. A key example is the partnership with the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate’s corporate leadership initiative, the Water Resilience Coalition. This landmark initiative aims to mobilise investments from leading multinational companies seeking to address shared water risks across up to 100 water basins around the world. The partnership creates a practical pathway for companies to invest in solutions that deliver multiple benefits for the basins that they operate in to create lasting social and environmental impact on global water security and resilience.
During the World Economic Forum 2026, at the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC) CEO Roundtable Meeting, Aqua for All has announced that the governments of Luxembourg and the Netherlands have committed to funding the development of a specialised corporate investment facility in conjunction with Aqua for All, sending a strong signal that mobilising private capital for water is essential, urgent and requires strong public-private collaboration.
Mohammed CBC Diatta, Senegal’s Sherpa for 2026 UN Water Conference, Ministry of Water and Sanitation 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. As we prepare for the 2026 UN Water Conference co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal, initiatives like these demonstrate that collaboration and effective delivery must be our top priorities in increasing investment for water.”
Meike van Ginneken, Water Envoy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands said: “Today, 2.2 billion people still lack access to clean drinking water and 3.5 billion lack safe sanitation. ‘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.”
Jason Morrison, Pacific Institute, Head, UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate said: “Companies increasingly recognise that water risk is business risk. This collaboration creates a credible pathway for corporate leaders to invest in real, on-the-ground water resilience at the scale the global water crisis demands.”
Josien Sluijs, Managing Director, Aqua for All said: “With Making Water Count, Aqua for All is proving that water and sanitation services can be both socially transformative and financially viable. The partnership with CEO Water Mandate allows us to scale solutions that work and attract the investments needed to catalyse systemic change in the water and sanitation sector and to make water security a reality for millions.”
About Aqua for All
Aqua for All is an international foundation dedicated to scaling sustainable drinking water and sanitation solutions in Africa and Asia. By bridging the finance and service gaps, Aqua for All mobilises private capital and strengthens local enterprises and financial institutions to ensure universal access to clean water and safe sanitation and reach Sustainable Development Goal 6.
More information: aquaforall.org
For media inquiries or to request an interview with Aqua for All, please contact:
Sietse Blom, Lead Partnerships and Investor Solutions, Aqua for All, telephone +31 6 2526 3312, email: s.blom@aquaforall.org