Globally, one in four people, or about 2.1 billion, still lack access to safely managed drinking water, with the greatest inequities concentrated in humanitarian, rural and small municipal settings where weak institutions, chronic underinvestment and climate pressures reinforce vulnerability.
Despite global commitments, progress remains slow because the water sector faces a deep financing gap, persistent governance and capacity weaknesses, and limited political prioritisation. An estimated additional USD 138 billion per year is required to meet core water targets, yet many low‑income and climate‑vulnerable countries lack the institutional strength and investment‑ready systems needed to attract and absorb finance.
“Without a decisive shift toward sustainable, climate‑resilient and nationally anchored water services, millions of vulnerable people will remain without reliable access to safe drinking water, undermining health, livelihoods and long‑term development.“
These challenges are compounded by a long‑standing bias toward short‑term, infrastructure‑led interventions that neglect the institutional, financial and operational foundations required for sustainable service delivery. The result is a recurring cycle of build‑and‑neglect, high system failure rates and declining confidence among policymakers and investors.
Recent cuts to WASH aid, alongside intensifying climate shocks, have further weakened already fragile systems – particularly in humanitarian contexts where emergency water services are increasingly expected to operate for decades. Without a decisive shift toward sustainable, climate‑resilient and nationally anchored water services, millions of vulnerable people will remain without reliable access to safe drinking water, undermining health, livelihoods and long‑term development.
In the current state of climate crisis, cities face significant and increasing climate risks. The majority of these are due to changes in both our global and local water cycles. Whether it is too much water in the form of floods due to sea level rises, extreme precipitation and storms, or not enough water resulting in water shortages and droughts, no city in the world is immune to these climatic changes.
Woman with child walking the flooded streets of Jakarta. Photo: Kompas – Hendra A Setyawan – World Meteorological Organization
So far, the Foundation has
The C40 secretariat will deliver the project with input from relevant C40 cities that have experienced different water-related issues. The research will draw on expert advisors in the form of international organizations and private actors.
All cities worldwide that are vulnerable to water-related climate changes will be able to benefit from the research and solutions developed.
In the intense circumstances following disasters, a crucial aspect of saving lives is the speed at which relief efforts can commence. This speed hinges on having experienced partners with the
necessary access and capacity, but it also fundamentally relies on the availability of funding.
“Our partnership model allows our partners to bridge the critical initial gap when a disaster occurs, with preapproved funding ready for disbursement as soon as it is needed.“
Executive Director Kim Nøhr Skibsted
No humanitarian funding from the Grundfos Foundation is contingent on new initiatives or ideas created specifically for our sake; instead, we support the established work that our partners are already doing.
2025
- DKK 5 million| Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) – Emergency Response Partnership 2025-2026
- DKK 5 million| Danish Church Aid (DCA) – Emergency Response Partnership 2025-2026
- DKK 7.5 million | UNHCR – Emergency Response Partnership 2025-2026
2024
- DKK 5 million | Danish Refugee Council – Emergency Response Partnership 2024-2026
- DKK 5 million | Danish Red Cross, winter aid for Ukraine
- DKK 5 million | Extraordinary contribution to UNICEF’s emergency relief in Gaza
- DKK 5 million | Water Mission – Emergency Response Partnership 2024-2026. Find out more
2023
- DKK 5 million | UNICEF disaster response pool. Find out more
- DKK 4 million | Four organizations providing emergency assistance to victims of the earthquakes striking Turkey and Syria each receive 1 million DKK. Find out more
