Ramaphosa launches Global Water Council to mobilise $30 billion for Africa's water crisis
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for water to be placed at the centre of global climate and finance discussions, declaring that the time has come to transform water from a crisis sector into an 'opportunity sector.'
Speaking at the AU-AIP Water Investment Summit in Cape Town on Wednesday, Ramaphosa officially launched the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, a new international body aimed at driving finance and leadership toward closing Africa's water investment gap.
The Council is a key G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative under South Africa's presidency and will serve as the political and investment platform to track progress, unlock finance, and align efforts across global institutions.
'This Summit is a landmark moment not only for Africa, but for the global movement for access to safe water for all,' Ramaphosa said.
'We gather here as decision-makers, investors, financiers and champions at a time when the world faces a deepening water crisis. Yet, this is also at a moment of immense opportunity. If we rise together, water can become not just a means of survival but a driver of economic transformation, innovation and peace.'
The Global Outlook Council builds on a process that began in 2016 with the High-Level Panel on Water, launched by then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.
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Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. 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