The African Union Commission, in collaboration with the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa, has issued a call for African Union Member States to submit their water investment opportunities, programmes, and/or projects for consideration towards the High-Level Panel Investment Action Plan.
Currently under development by the African Union Commission and the High-Level Panel, the Investment Action Plan will detail specific actions needed to mobilize an additional US$30bn/year in additional financing towards water security and sustainable sanitation, the levels at which these actions are required, and the responsible persons to implement those actions. The deadline for submissions is 15 September 2023.
Submission criteria
AU Member States are invited to submit up to 5 investment opportunities, programmes, and/or projects that meet the following criteria:
- Promote cross-sectoral political leadership at the highest level, with commitment to substantially increase public budgets and investments for water security and sustainable sanitation. Water affects all economic and social sectors. Cross-sectoral leadership is critical. Make increased water security and sustainable sanitation a national and continental priority.
- Track progress and enhance mutual accountability for results in the mobilisation of water investments and in peer review mechanisms at continental, regional, national, sub-national, and community levels. Recommit to allocation of at least 5% of national budgets for the water and sanitation sector and 0.5% of GDP per annum for sanitation and hygiene programmes.
- Promote new sources of funding and innovative finance, such as institutional investors. Projects advancing matchmaking platforms to bring together the supply and demand for finance with a special focus on climate resilient, blended public-private finance, and gender transformative approaches.
- Strengthening institutional regulation for water investments, create incentives and penalties for increased water efficiency across multiple industries to lead water stewardship efforts, biodiversity, and ecosystem protection.
- Projects advancing use of ODA to de-risk water investments and leverage larger funding streams. Improve implementation capacity and quality of bankable projects, and strengthen international cooperation by aligning technical and financial support with regional, transboundary and national water investment programmes, strategies and plans.
Submission may be made by AU Member States, government agencies, private sector, civil society, and other key actors. Projects submitted by non-government agencies and actors need to confirm that they are supported by respect national governments, as part of the submission form.
Projects may be submitted via <this page>.
Investment Action Plan Development Process
The Investment Action Plan will support the implementation of the High-Level Panel’s landmark report, Africa’s Rising Investment Tide, which was released on World Water Day, 22 March 2023 during the United Nations 2023 Water Conference in New York and has been named a significant outcome of the event.
Development on the Investment Action Plan has already begun – nine expert task teams have been established to align to the potential sources of finance for water and sanitation investment in Africa as identified in the High Level Panel’s Report and shown in the diagram below.
Any queries about the Investment Action Plan development process may be submitted to info@aipwater.org .