Public Development Banks for Water Initiative

The Public Development Banks for Water initiative fosters peer learning, joint advocacy and knowledge-sharing among public development banks to address global water challenges and support the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and biodiversity protection.

The initiative builds on the achievements of the Water Finance Coalition that was established in 2021 as a community of practice for public development banks committed to increasing water sector financing under the umbrella of Finance in Common. It focuses on increasing engagement by national Public Development Banks (PDBs) and remains firmly anchored in the overall Finance in Common global network of PDBs.

Our work focuses on three main areas:

• Raise awareness of water sector investment needs and innovative financing schemes among public development banks and water sector actors through regular outreach.

• Develop analytical work to help public development banks increase the scale and quality of water financing.

• Support national development banks in strengthening their capacity to finance water through policy dialogues and peer-to-peer learning.

Participants in the Public Development Banks for Water initiative include national, subnational and multilateral public development banks (PDBs), as well as knowledge partners such as academia, non-governmental organisations or other groups looking to leverage public development bank financing. 

• Investing in water: How governments and development banks can work together to achieve greater impact, virtual side event as part of the UN’s 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, 3 July 2025
  
  
• Lauch of the OECD Public Development Banks for Water initiative, 22 September 2025

Session one:

Session two: