This paper sets out essential facts about the economic case for water-related investment and the financing gap. It charts a series of actions to better value water and ultimately facilitate investment at a scale commensurate with the commitments of the global community.

The investment choices we make in the coming years will either lock-in a climate-compatible, inclusive growth pathway, or a high-carbon, inefficient and unsustainable pathway for decades to come. Cities and regions, responsible for 60% of public investment in OECD countries, are significant...