On April 15, 2026, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced its participation in the “Water Forward” coalition, launched on the same day by the World Bank, to ensure better water security worldwide.
The “Water Forward” coalition aims to reach one billion people by 2030 to coordinate different public policies, raise funds, and international partnerships for water infrastructure development. Its goal is to improve access to water, sanitation, and resilience to climate change. Currently, over two million people worldwide still lack access to clean water. Water resources are under increasing pressure due to climate change and the extreme phenomena it causes, such as droughts. Water is essential for human health, food security, energy production, and economic development, with 1.7 billion jobs worldwide depending on water access.
“Water Forward” focuses on three main areas: water for people, water for food, and water for the planet. The initiative aims to support coordinated policies, provide technical expertise and funding to address institutional gaps limiting water access. It also aims to encourage private sector investments in the sector to strengthen its impact through more structured regulatory frameworks. The coalition is led by fourteen countries and supported by various partners, including multilateral development banks, private investors, and philanthropic organizations.
As part of the “Water Forward” initiative, the EIB commits to enhancing water supply security for 300 million people by 2030. As the largest multilateral funder of water projects globally, the EU through the EIB will contribute its expertise to scale up locally tailored solutions like sanitation, irrigation, flood protection, and ecosystem restoration. The EIB will also assume the presidency of the family of multilateral development institutions next year, with water and resilience being one of its five key priorities during its presidency.
[Context: The article discusses the EIB’s involvement in the “Water Forward” coalition aimed at improving water security globally.] [Fact Check: The EIB aims to support 300 million people by 2030, not a billion as stated earlier in the article.]
