GWPO Advances Water Investment Agenda at 2026 Africa Public Service Day in Namibia

The Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) participated in the 2026 Africa Public Service Day commemoration, hosted by the Office of the Prime Minister in Swakopmund, Namibia, from 21–23 July 2026. The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Namibia, Dr Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare, was represented at the high-level gathering by Hon. Dr Inge I. Zaamwani, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform.

The event brought together government leaders, public institutions, development partners, the private sector, academia and civil society under the theme: “Enhancing Public Sector Institutions and Empowering Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to Achieve Universal Water Availability and Safe Sanitation by 2063.”

GWPO was represented by Alex Simalabwi, Chief Executive Officer of GWPO and Executive Secretary of the Global Water Partnership (GWP), and Dr. Alex Money, GWPO Technical Committee Member, Oxford University, and Founder of Watermarq.

Mr. Alex Simalabwi, CEO and Executive Secretary of GWPO and Dr. Alex Money, GWPO Technical Committee Member, Oxford University, and Founder of Watermarq during the 2026 Africa Public Service Day Commemoration Event

In his presentation, Mr. Simalabwi outlined GWPO’s Global Transformation Agenda on Water Investments and GWP’s 2026 – 2030 Strategy, which seeks to transform climate-resilient water investments for a water-secure world. He highlighted the urgent need for greater political leadership, stronger institutions and significantly increased investment to address the global water financing gap, which exceeds USD 140 billion annually.

The strategy is centred on three interconnected priorities: mobilising finance and investment; strengthening water governance and transboundary cooperation; and expanding knowledge, institutional capacity, data and digital transformation. Together, these priorities aim to support countries in developing investment-ready water projects, strengthening public institutions and accelerating the delivery of climate-resilient water and sanitation services.

Mr. Simalabwi also highlighted Namibia’s growing role in global water diplomacy following the relocation of GWPO’s global headquarters from Stockholm to the Global South. GWPO’s new dual headquarters are located in Windhoek, Namibia, and Cape Town, South Africa, with Windhoek serving as the organisation’s primary global headquarters and Cape Town as its water finance and investment hub.

The CEO commended Namibia’s political stability, leadership, and extensive experience in managing water resources in one of the world’s driest regions. Its pioneering work in water reclamation, drought management and integrated water-resource management provides valuable lessons for other water-scarce countries.

“Water security transforms nations,” Mr. Simalabwi emphasised, noting that the relocation positions Windhoek as an emerging global centre for water dialogue, knowledge exchange, investment and international cooperation.

The presentation also highlighted the Global Water Investment Platform, launched as a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative by H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa. These mechanisms seek to mobilise political leadership and align the efforts of governments, the G20, United Nations agencies, multilateral development banks, climate funds, and the private sector around water as a global investment priority.

Through the Global Water Investment Platform, GWPO will work with partners to scale up the Africa Water Investment Programme, while supporting the development of water investment programmes in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe. The Africa Water Investment Programme will remain the Platform’s principal African pillar.

Dr. Money’s participation reinforced the importance of bringing together technical expertise, academic research, public-sector leadership, and innovative finance to develop scalable and investment-ready water solutions. His work focuses on mobilising investment for sustainable development and advancing new approaches to understanding and valuing water.

The discussions throughout Africa Public Service Day underscored that achieving universal water availability and safe sanitation requires more than infrastructure alone. It depends on capable and accountable public institutions, effective governance, reliable data, sustainable financing, and partnerships that connect government, communities, academia, development partners, and the private sector.

GWPO reaffirmed its commitment to working with Namibia and partners across Africa to strengthen institutions, mobilise climate-resilient water investments, and translate continental ambitions into tangible improvements in water and sanitation services.