Water Futures Mobilizing Multi Stakeholder Action for Resilience 2025

Executive summary Water is life. It sustains ecosystems, fuels economies and nourishes communities, yet our planet faces a growing water crisis. Climate change, population growth and industrial demand are driving water systems to the brink. From devastating droughts to catastrophic floods, water-related risks impact billions of people and threaten the well-being of future generations. Amid this urgent crisis, there is hope – a chance to reimagine water finance, catalyse innovative solutions and inspire collective action, to ensure water of high quality is accessible and available to all. Water is not just an operational input – it is a cornerstone of sustainable development and global stability, and it is critical for sustaining lives and livelihoods. Securing the future of water within the global economy, society and environment demands bold action today. This white paper calls for a transformative approach to water resilience, where “resilience” refers to a “system’s ability to anticipate, reduce, accommodate, and recover from disruptions in a timely, efficient, and fair manner”.1 The paper emphasizes the vital role of public-private collaboration and cross-sector partnerships to meet emerging challenges and seeks to mobilize a freshwater multi-stakeholder community convened by the World Economic Forum. Based on consultations with nearly 60 partner organizations, the white paper outlines five pathways for collective action, led by the private sector and multi-stakeholder platforms. Informed by a systems approach, it highlights key tools and examples to inspire and guide companies and public-private collaborations to work towards more resilient water systems. This systems approach applies to multiple scales – from the local to the level of ecosystems. At a local scale, innovations in water solutions are critical, but require greater investment, data-driven approaches and supportive governance and policy. The aim here is to develop and expand circular net- zero water systems, using energy-neutral solutions with secure and sustainable water supplies. At an ecosystem scale, a new approach to water use and ecosystem protection that recognizes and values the full hydrological cycle is needed. This requires holistic, innovation-driven strategies and collaborative models to build resilient, efficient and sustainable water systems. The stakes are high: global economic resilience, social equity and environmental integrity hinge on actions that can be taken today. By embracing the water ecosystem – including both green and blue water2 – as a shared responsibility across business, government and society, stakeholders acting together can transform challenges into opportunities and create a legacy of water resilience, equity and abundance for a future in which every drop counts.Five pathways to adopt a systems approach to water and bring back stability to an out-of- balance hydrological cycle. 1 Holistic water valuation Better understanding and reflection of the value, price and cost of water are key for fostering initiatives and incentives for circularity as well as the better use and treatment of freshwater ecosystems. 2 Fit-for-purpose finance Fit-for-purpose financing mechanisms that are deployed from diverse sources across project stages to mobilize capital are essential for supporting measures to address the two focus areas. 3 Sustained basin-level partnerships Basin-level partnerships and collaborative approaches enable a holistic and system- wide approach towards rethinking water systems at all scales.4 Adaptive water governance Adaptive water governance approaches ensure resilience in times of uncertainty, while providing the incentive mechanisms required for holistic and systemic action across water scales.5 Collaborative policy-innovation nexus Policy that is in sync with innovation needs and progress is a catalyst for water solution development and deployment at scale across the focus areas.Five pathways Water Futures: Mobilizing Multi-Stakeholder Action for Resilience 4