Mobilising Finance for WASH: Getting the Foundation Right

A substantial increase in sector financing is needed for governments to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6). Mobilizing finance to address the SDG 6.1 and 6.2 financing gap successfully and sustainably will require more than innovative or sophisticated financial vehicles and mechanisms. To move to scale, private and public investment hinges on core foundational issues being addressed in the water sector by service providers, governments, and other enabling environment stakeholders.

This paper unpacks what is meant by the enabling environment for finance in WASH and presents real examples of how these bottlenecks are being overcome by innovators in the sector. This work is a product of the staff of IRC, Water.org and The World Bank with external contributions.