Water Changemakers 2023 is a global challenge to recognize high-level commitment and leadership for climate-resilient water investments and showcase the most promising climate-resilient innovations with the greatest potential for scale, replication, and further investment to support a water-secure world. Changemaker Awards include:

(a) Presidential Global Changemaker Award - for demonstrated leadership and commitment

(b) Innovation Challenge Award - for the most promising climate innovations.

(c) Youth innovation changemaker

Every USD $1 invested returns at least USD $7

A paradigm shift in water investments is required to access new sources of innovative finance. Investment in climate-resilient water security and sanitation has an economic return of USD $7 for every USD $1 invested. Investing in a water-secure future now will realize human security, and a healthy environment, amplify gender equality, health, energy, education, food security, and many other societal gains for this generation – and those to come.

Promising climate innovations exist, but many of them fail before reaching the scale at which they can make a significant impact. Water Changemakers 2023 seeks proposals from those innovations that have already proven their business model by operating for at least 1 year.

Matchmaking 'supply and demand' of climate resilient innovations

Water Changemakers will bring together the supply and demand for innovative finance with a special focus on climate-resilient, blended public-private finance, and gender transformative approaches. Changemakers promotes the most promising climate-resilient innovations to enable them to access new and innovative finance sources from institutional investors, debt, equity, and others from private and public sources, to enable them to scale up.

Enhance investment opportunity for scaling up

Selected Water Changemakers will receive technical assistance and seed funding to scale up their innovations, and strengthen their business and investment case for investors to provide funding for replication and scale-up.

Contribution to the UNFCCC's Resilience Frontiers

The Water Changemakers contributes to Resilient Frontiers , an initiative of the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) that 'reimagines our world beyond its current horizons, where in harmony with nature and each other, we harness the power of frontier technologies to enrich , rather than deplete, our environment and overall well-being'.

Mobilize high-level political commitment and global leaders

The 2023 Changemakers will recognize globally  leaders demonstrating high-level political commitment and leadership for climate-resilient water security. In Africa, Changemakers will contribute to the Mind the Gap – Invest in Water Campaign of the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa. Comprising current and former Heads of States and global leaders, the panel is developing actionable pathways for mobilizing USD $30 billion annually by 2030, to close the existing water investment gap in Africa through the implementation of the Continental Africa Water Investment Programmes, which was adopted by the African Union Heads of States in February 2021. Collaboration with other high-level related water investment initiatives at the Heads of States level will be pursued in South Asia, South East Asia, Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe,

Components of the Water Changemakers

Objective

To identify and promote the most promising and innovative water and climate-resilient solutions, specifically:

1. To identify and promote high-level political and global leaders demonstrating commitment and leadership for scaling up climate-resilient water investments.
2. To identify and scale up innovative climate solutions.
3. To promote access to climate finance for innovators.
4. To promote collaboration between innovators, funders, and technical partners. 

Outcomes

• Coalition of High-level political and global leaders demonstrating commitment and leadership for transforming climate resilient water investments created.
• Selected water and climate innovations, solutions, and access to climate finance scaled up.
• Enhanced collaboration among innovators through matchmaking of supply and demand.
• Increased access to impact investments, offering investment opportunities, equity, strategic partnerships, and alliances with development impact and return on investments.