2030 Water Resources Group

What 2030 Water Resources Group does

2030 Water Resources Group (WRG) is a non-profit multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank Group's Global Department for Water, established in 2008 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It convenes governments, corporations, and civil society to address water risks affecting food production, urban water systems, and ecosystems, organized around three thematic areas: Water for Food, Water for Cities, and Water for Planet. WRG operates across 13+ countries (including India, Bangladesh, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, Mongolia, Colombia, Peru, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan) through country-level multi-stakeholder platforms, a Governing Council co-chaired by Coca-Cola's James Quincey and the World Bank's Guangzhe Chen, and a Steering Board of senior practitioners.

WRG's product surface consists of programmatic initiatives rather than commercial software. Water for Food includes the UP PRAGATI / AGREES Accelerator targeting 1 million Indian farmers with climate-smart agriculture (precision irrigation, Direct Seeded Rice, and alternate wetting and drying that reduce water use 18-35% and methane up to 65%), plus the Low Methane Rice Initiative and the Ramthal Drip Irrigation Project in Karnataka. Water for Cities develops multi-stakeholder urban water-security platforms (e.g., the Platform for Water-Secure Gauteng) and structures PPPs that have mobilized $1.5 billion (including $650 million private capital) for Ganga basin wastewater treatment. Water for Planet advances wastewater reuse through the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), in which government pays 40% tied to construction milestones and 60% over 15 years contingent on performance, alongside conceptual Wastewater Reuse Certificates and the Blue Certificate program endorsed by Peru's National Water Authority. WRG's underlying technology stack relies on World Bank hydro-economic models and water security diagnostics rather than proprietary AI/ML systems. Supportive digital infrastructure includes the UP Micro-Irrigation Platform (UP-MIP), launched July 2023 and processing 350+ micro-irrigation installations per day.

WRG's revenue model is a multi-donor trust fund. Operating capital comes from contributions by partner organizations including The Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé, ABInBev, UPL, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNDP, the African Development Bank, GIZ, IUCN, the World Economic Forum, WaterAid, the Government of Hungary, and the Government of South Africa, with the IFC serving as a strategic partner on PPP structuring. WRG does not sell products or services with traditional pricing; instead, it generates impact and facilitates the deployment of larger financing flows (reported $1.6 billion mobilized across programs, 1 billion cubic meters of water impact, and 12 replicable innovations). Its go-to-market is community-led, with 51-100 employees running country coordinators and a central Secretariat in Washington DC.

Name

2030 Water Resources Group

Legal name

2030 Water Resources Group

Website

https://2030wrg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

2030 Water Resources Group is a multi-donor trust fund hosted by the World Bank that convenes governments, corporations, and civil society to address water risks in food, cities, and ecosystems across 13+ countries through partnerships and innovative financing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resources Management & Development Finance

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD), NRW Data Management & Water Balance (IWA Methodology, GIS/SCADA Integration, Digital Twins) (EUANAKAJ)

Keywords

• Water resource management
• Public-private partnerships
• Water security programs
• Sustainable agriculture initiatives
• Wastewater treatment financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Partner Contributions / Multi-Donor Trust Fund: WRG is funded through contributions from partner organizations including corporations, governments, development finance institutions, and civil society. As a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank's Global Department for Water, WRG does not generate revenue from product/service sales but rather facilitates and channels financing for water security projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

2030 Water Resources Group (WRG) operates as a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank Group, facilitating global water security through multi-stakeholder collaboration. It convenes governments, corporations, and civil society via country-level platforms to design, finance, and scale solutions across three program areas: Water for Food (climate-smart agriculture), Water for Cities (urban water security), and Water for Planet (wastewater reuse). WRG does not sell products or services directly; instead, it leverages World Bank analytical tools and financing to develop innovative PPP structures and replicate proven water solutions across 13+ countries.

Product overview

2030 Water Resources Group (WRG) operates as a multi-stakeholder partnership platform, not a traditional product company. WRG's offering consists of three core program areas—Water for Food, Water for Cities, and Water for Planet—that work together to advance global water security through public-private collaboration. The Water for Food program includes the UP PRAGATI Accelerator and Low Methane Rice Initiative, focusing on agricultural modernization through climate-smart practices. Water for Cities creates water-secure urban environments through multi-stakeholder platforms. Water for Planet advances wastewater reuse through the Scaling Water Reuse initiative and Wastewater Reuse Certificates. WRG also offers specialized instruments including the Blue Certificate (Peru), the Hybrid Annuity Model for PPPs, the UP Micro-Irrigation Platform, and the Ramthal Drip Irrigation Project as flagship examples. These programs are connected through WRG's role as a convener that brings together governments, businesses, and civil society to co-develop and scale water security solutions, with implementation supported through World Bank financing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water for Food WRG's core program area focused on modernizing agriculture through climate-smart practices, including micro-irrigation, low-methane rice cultivation, and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) techniques to improve water efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.
• Water for Cities WRG's core program area to help cities prevent, respond to, and recover from water crises through multi-stakeholder platforms that facilitate collaboration between government agencies, private companies, and local communities on urban water security.
• Water for Planet WRG's core program area advancing wastewater treatment and reuse through public-private partnerships, supporting industries and utilities to use water more efficiently and recycle freshwater through innovative financing and regulatory frameworks.
• UP PRAGATI Accelerator A multi-stakeholder accelerator to promote climate-smart, water-efficient agricultural practices across rice, sugarcane, mango, millets, and horticulture value chains in Uttar Pradesh, India, with the aim of reaching 1 million farmers.
• Low Methane Rice Initiative WRG initiative scaling Direct Seeded Rice and Alternate Wetting and Drying techniques across South and East Asia, which can reduce methane emissions by up to 65% while improving water efficiency.
• Blue Certificate A corporate water stewardship certification introduced in Peru, awarded to companies that measure their water footprint, implement reduction plans, and develop community projects.
• Scaling Water Reuse WRG initiative developing global position papers and roadmaps for municipal and industrial wastewater reuse, promoting policy frameworks, economic incentives, and scalable financial solutions to make water reuse a core strategy for tackling water scarcity and pollution.
• Wastewater Reuse Certificates Tradeable permits conceptualized by WRG to foster a circular economy by incentivizing efficient water use and reuse, shifting from the traditional linear 'take-use-discharge' model through a cap-and-trade approach.
• UP Micro-Irrigation Platform (UP-MIP) Digital platform launched in July 2023 to streamline micro-irrigation adoption in Uttar Pradesh, providing standardized pricing, quality assurance, and efficient subsidy disbursement, installing more than 350 systems per day.
• Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) for PPPs A public-private partnership financing structure for wastewater treatment where government pays 40% of capital costs tied to construction milestones and the remaining 60% over 15 years contingent on treatment plant performance, incentivizing long-term operational standards.
• Ramthal Drip Irrigation Project One of the world's largest fully automated drip irrigation systems spanning 24,000 hectares and benefiting 15,000 farmers in Karnataka, India, developed by WRG as a pioneering community drip irrigation initiative.
• No Drop Program South Africa's water conservation program launched by the Department of Water and Sanitation in partnership with the Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN) to tackle non-revenue water through a scorecard system that assesses and ranks municipalities on water losses, revenue collection, and water use efficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.6 Billion in financing mobilized for water-related programs
• +7 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• The Coca-Cola CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008James Quincey, Executive Chairman of The Coca-Cola Company, serves as Co-Chair of WRG's Governing Council. Coca-Cola is one of WRG's founding corporate partners, contributing to water security initiatives in agriculture, cities, and ecosystem restoration. The Coca-Cola Foundation has also funded specific programs like the IWET project in Bangladesh.
• World Bank GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRG is a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank's Global Department for Water. The World Bank provides operational capacity, technical assistance, global knowledge sharing, and financing for scaling WRG's proven solutions. Guangzhe Chen, VP for Planet at World Bank, serves as Co-Chair of WRG's Governing Council.
• NestlécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNestlé participates as a global partner, contributing expertise in water stewardship and sustainable water management practices. Ferhat Soygenis, Global Head of Communications Operations, serves on WRG's Steering Board.
• ABInBevcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal beverage company partnering on water security initiatives, particularly in agricultural supply chains where water-intensive crops like barley and rice are grown. Represents the private sector voice in multi-stakeholder platforms.
• UPL LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJai Shroff, Chairman & Group CEO, serves on WRG's Governing Council. UPL, an agricultural solutions company, contributes to climate-smart agriculture initiatives and water-efficient farming practices.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAchim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, serves on WRG's Governing Council. UNDP contributes to global development perspective and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals related to water security.
• GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman development agency partnering on technical cooperation projects, particularly in India (UP PRAGATI Accelerator) and other countries. Contributes expertise in sustainable development and climate adaptation.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrethel Aguilar, Director General of IUCN, serves on WRG's Governing Council, and James Dalton leads IUCN's participation on the Steering Board. Partnership focuses on ecosystem protection and environmental sustainability in water management.
• World Economic ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRG was launched at WEF Davos 2008. Sebastian Buckup, Managing Director at WEF, serves on both WRG's Governing Council and Steering Board. WEF provides platform for global water security discussions and multi-stakeholder engagement.
• WaterAidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTim Wainwright, CEO of WaterAid UK, serves on WRG's Governing Council. WaterAid contributes expertise in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and access to civil society networks.
• Government of HungarystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerHungarian Government participates as a government partner, with Márton Bókay on the Governing Council and Krisztina Dóra Koletár on the Steering Board. Contributes to water diplomacy and policy expertise.
• Government of South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPemmy Majodina, Minister for Water and Sanitation, serves on WRG's Governing Council. South Africa hosts the Platform for Water-Secure Gauteng and has been a key partner in urban water management initiatives.
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSumeet Thakur, Global Head of Water, Waste, and Cities at IFC, serves on WRG's Steering Board. IFC provides transaction advisory and private sector financing expertise for PPP projects, including modeling for Bangladesh wastewater PPP.
• Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrank Rijsberman, Director-General of GGGI, serves on WRG's Governing Council. Partnership contributes green growth perspective to water security initiatives.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS): AWS is a multi-stakeholder collaboration developing the International Water Stewardship Standard. Like WRG, it convenes corporates, governments, and civil society to advance water security, but it focuses on a certification/standard-setting model rather than PPP financing.
• UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate: A UN Global Compact initiative that mobilizes corporate action on water, sanitation, and the SDGs through CEO-level commitment. It is the closest analogue to WRG's corporate-convener model, though it operates as a UN-hosted initiative rather than a World Bank trust fund.
• Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI): SIWI is a water policy institute that convenes World Water Week and brokers multi-stakeholder partnerships on transboundary water management and SDG 6. Comparable to WRG in convening function and international development focus, though narrower in programmatic delivery.

Emerging players

• Water.org: Water.org is a global nonprofit focused on household-level water and sanitation access through microfinance. It overlaps with WRG's WASH agenda, particularly in South Asia, but targets end-user financing rather than PPP structuring and basin-level resource management.
• Pacific Institute: Pacific Institute is a nonpartisan research institute focused on freshwater resources, climate, and corporate water stewardship. It overlaps with WRG on policy and corporate engagement but operates through research and convening rather than PPP project delivery.
• Water Resilience Coalition (CEO-led initiative): A CEO-led coalition within the CEO Water Mandate framework focused on collective corporate action on water in priority basins. It competes with WRG for corporate partner attention in the same basin geographies (e.g., South Asia, Latin America).

Regional players

• WaterAid: WaterAid is a WASH-focused international NGO operating primarily in low-income countries. It is a Governing Council member of WRG but is also an independent peer organization with comparable scale, donor base, and developing-country footprint.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (TNC): TNC runs large-scale water security and natural infrastructure programs globally, including corporate water stewardship partnerships. It overlaps with WRG on ecosystem-based water management but operates as a single NGO with substantially larger direct program budgets.
• World Bank Water Global Practice / Global Department for Water: WRG's hosting parent. The Global Department for Water finances and advises on water projects globally. While not a competitor, it is the most relevant institutional peer given shared leadership, financing instruments, and analytical tools used by WRG.

Others

• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): IUCN is a Governing Council member and Steering Board partner of WRG focused on biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. It is comparable as a multi-stakeholder membership body with overlapping water/ecosystem mandates but operates as an independent international organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/2030wrg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCy5flRzOCZpBzLUnXUlgOSQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2030-water-resources-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about 2030 Water Resources Group