AquaFed is working on a wide range of issues for our members. There are details below about some of the examples of current work.

 

We warmly welcome all comments, support, partnering and collaboration opportunities through our work. Please contact us at: info@aquafed.org

 

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The Water PPP Hub

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We recently launched the first phase of the Water PPP Hub. This is an AquaFed-led initiative to help governments and public authorities, and those who work with them, to grow the pipeline of bankable and well-designed PPP projects.   

 

Specifically, the Hub is an online learning portal which highlights, simplifies and brings to life the best information available on all aspects of the PPP process.   

  

The information is from trusted and validated sources, for example development banks and UN-accredited institutions. 

  

The content in the first phase focuses on governance and regulatory frameworks for PPPs.  We will be updating the Hub with the content every 4-6 weeks.

 

Take a look at the Hub. To access the content you’ll need to register (for free). We will also welcome any feedback and ideas for future content.

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​​​​​​Preparations for the UN Water Conference

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Aquafed is ensuring our members are involved in the development of this crucial event in Abu Dhabi in December 2026. 

 

We are part of the core groups working on Interactive Dialogue 2 (Water for prosperity) and Interactive Dialogue 6 (Investments for Water). Our objective is to ensure water reuse and desalination are recognised as solutions and prioritised for water security and that Public Private Partnerships are seen by governments as options for delivering SDG 6 goals.

 

We made these points at the recent Conference preparatory meeting held in Dakar in January 2026. Other points we made were that governments should focus on getting the essentials right – for example clear governance and systems for water services and improving utilities so that are in a position to recover costs. Without these types of factors in place, countries will simply be unable to attract the finance they think they need.

 

A strong theme of the preparatory meeting in Dakar was the realisation from governments and the UN of the essential need for all parts of the private sector to be involved more in water policy, planning and delivery of solutions. 

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Examples of current collaborative action involving the private sector include:

 

• World Bank’s Mission Water strategy

• CEO Water Mandate’s 100 Priority Basins initiative 

• UAE government’s MoU with the World Economic Forum

 

AquaFed is holding a call with all members in a few weeks to decide which of these actions we will input to and how members can be involved in the UN Water Conference and World Water Forum.

 

A major milestone will be the UN Water Meeting later this month, which will further shape the discussions and potential outcomes from the Conference.

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Leading the innovation theme at the World Water Forum

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With our core partners we are developing the first detailed concept note and proposal for sessions for the innovation theme at the World Water Forum in Riyadh in March 2027.

 

The areas of focus for the innovation theme include:

• What types of AI are best suited for water challenges and how they are already being applied.

• Accelerating the path of water tech from pilots to deployment.

• How to increase and improve water data so it supports better decision making.

• Encouraging citizen science and building this knowledge and information into mainstream governance and policy making.

• Building capacity from communities to technicians to better harness and deploy innovation in water.

 

A first draft of the concept note and proposed sessions for innovation will be posted here shortly.

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EU Procurement Directives Consultation

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AquaFed responded to the European Commission consultation on revising EU public procurement directives (covering concessions, purchases, construction, etc). 

 

Our response proposed seven targeted recommendations, defending the concessions model and its associated flexibility:

• Mandatory integration of environmental/social criteria

• Valuing long-term innovation benefits

• Strengthening pre-procurement dialogue with IP protections

• Removing arbitrary concession duration limits

• Establishing optimal risk allocation principles

• Clarifying in-house exemption requirements

• Ensuring strategic preferences enhance supply security

 

Our position emphasizes that the current framework is sound but requires targeted improvements—as opposed to complete overhaul—to enable quality assessment, innovation, and alignment with climate and SDG objectives, while preserving transparency and competition principles.

 

The EC will announce draft revised directives this summer.

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