Major funding boost for the Freshwater Challenge as membership hits 50 at the One Water Summit
-
Water
● Global Environment Facility (GEF) invests US$5 million to catalyze action
● Membership reaches key milestone after Kazakhstan and Australia join the Challenge
RIYADH, 4 December – The Freshwater Challenge celebrated two major milestones at the One Water Summit in Saudi Arabia, securing catalytic funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and reaching 50 members after Kazakhstan and Australia officially joined the world’s largest ever freshwater restoration and protection initiative.
Speaking during the Heads of State Summit in Riyadh hosted by France, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and the World Bank, the GEF CEO, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, announced the US$5 million investment in the Freshwater Challenge, which will accelerate action by addressing some of the most critical needs and challenges identified by the Member countries.
The GEF investment will support:
● Countries and development institutions to monitor Freshwater Challenge objectives;
● Countries to operationalize their Freshwater Challenge objectives from source to sea;
● Country learning to strengthen national Freshwater Challenge objectives; and
● Communications to raise awareness locally, nationally and globally about the central role of healthy freshwater ecosystems in tackling the climate and nature crises and driving sustainable development.
The GEF is proud to announce an investment of US$5 million in the Freshwater Challenge as
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, CEO, GEF
this critical country-led initiative will be key to achieving the 30×30 targets in the Global
Biodiversity Framework. The GEF contribution will support targeted pilots and promote innovative metrics and communication efforts, including with
youth, local communities and Indigenous People, which will contribute to the Challenge’s goals
of ensuring 300,000 kilometers of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands are under
restoration by 2030.
Along with the contribution from the GEF International Waters focal area, over US$10 million in
co-financing has already been identified from a broad range of actors, including the private
sector, NGOs, and member countries. In the coming months, the Freshwater Challenge will seek
to increase the amount of co-financing and work with member countries to define project
details.
At the One Water Summit, co-host Kazakhstan officially announced its membership of the
Freshwater Challenge, following Australia’s earlier decision to join. Including the European
Union, the initiative now boasts 50 Members.
During his keynote speech, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev said, “Kazakhstan’s commitment to ensuring reliable access to clean water and
fostering sustainable growth is further demonstrated by Kazakhstan joining the Freshwater
Challenge, a critical global initiative. There is a need to advance regional collaboration and
international partnerships.”
Speaking at the Summit, H.E. Razan Al Mubarak, President of IUCN – one of the 8 global partners
supporting the country-led Freshwater Challenge – welcomed the two milestones and the
urgent need to accelerate action. “The Freshwater Challenge will continue to bang the drum for
freshwater protection and restoration globally, support capacity building and communications,
and mobilise resources for member countries to deliver on the commitment they have made to
the Freshwater Challenge,” she said.
Overall, the One Water Summit highlighted the importance of action and collaboration to tackle
the world’s worsening water crises, highlighting the critical importance of restoring and
protecting healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands.
Momentum continues to build behind the country-led Freshwater Challenge
Attention now turns to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP16 in Riyadh.
The Freshwater Challenge will continue to be visible and build on the momentum from the One
Water Summit, including through several high-level side-events aimed at sharing member
country experiences and progress to date, inspiring others to join and act.
END
Note to editors / For more information:
Please reach out to [email protected]
About the GEF
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral family of funds dedicated to confronting
biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, and supporting land and ocean health. Its
financing enables developing countries to address complex challenges and work towards
international environmental goals. The partnership includes 186 member governments as well
as civil society, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth, with a focus on integration and inclusivity. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $25 billion in financing and mobilized $145 billion for country-driven priority projects.
About the Freshwater Challenge
The Freshwater Challenge (FWC) is a country-led initiative, launched at the UN Water
Conference in New York in March 2023 by the governments of Colombia, DR Congo, Ecuador,
Gabon, Mexico and Zambia. It is part of the Water Action Agenda and under the auspices of the
UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. The FWC is the largest global effort to restore and protect
freshwater ecosystems. It aims to support, integrate and accelerate the restoration of 300,000
km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands by 2030, as well as
conserve intact freshwater ecosystems. 49 countries and the European Union have joined the
Freshwater Challenge so far. The Challenge aims to substantiate, elevate and accelerate targeted
interventions for rivers and wetlands, connecting these with national plans and strategies. It will
increase the overall investment into the restoration and conservation of freshwater ecosystems
and substantially increase the social and economic returns on those investments.