Bapon (SHM) Fakhruddin, PhD
Water and Climate Leader| Strategic Investment Partnerships and Co-Investments| Professor| EW4ALL| Board Member| Chair- CODATA TG| Award Winner (SDG 2021, EWS 2025)
Bapon Fakhruddin
Dr Fakhruddin is a water and climate leader with over 23 years of global experience in designing and implementing projects that address climate change risks and enhance resilience. He currently provides leadership and oversight of the portfolio of investments in water resources for addressing climate change at the Green Climate Fund, the world’s largest dedicated fund for climate action.
Disaster Risk Reduction & EWS
Explore essential insights and strategies on Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Warning Systems (EWS). Uncover expert advice, case studies, and practical tips to safeguard communities and build resilience against natural hazards.
Water Security
Dive into crucial discussions on Water Security and explore sustainable solutions. Uncover expert insights, innovative practices, and actionable strategies on water security and climate finance.
Climate Change
Immerse in vital conversations on Climate Change Risk and Adaptation. Explore expert insights, resilient strategies, and innovative solutions to navigate the challenges of a changing climate and build a sustainable future for all.
From our blog
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From Whakapapa to AI: Māori Knowledge Nurturing a Sustainable Water Future
At the World Economic Forum, Nia Tero reminded us that Indigenous knowledge is not just wisdom of the past, it’s a blueprint for our future. Her leadership in establishing the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument shows how culture, community, and science can converge to protect our oceans and secure our planet’s resilience. From Aotearoa to Hawai‘i,…
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UK Water Sector Faces Once-in-a-Generation Overhaul
The UK Government’s 2026 Water White Paper calls out five systemic failures in the water sector: a lack of long-term strategic direction, overlapping and confusing planning processes, widespread pollution of rivers, lakes, and seas, limited regulatory oversight, and the urgent need for fundamental reform. These issues have led to public distrust, underinvestment, and environmental degradation…
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Dr. Bapon Fakhruddin’s 2025 Reading Picks
In 2025, I’ve been drawn to books that explore the intersection of climate resilience, water security, and inner peace. From visionary climate fiction to meditative reflections on mindfulness and leadership, these titles have helped me stay grounded and inspired in a world facing complex challenges.I hope you find something here that resonates, and I’d love…
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Water: The Blue Heart of a Greener Economy
The global green economy worth over $5 trillion per year is now one of the planet’s most dynamic markets (surpassed in growth rate only by tech). From clean energy to climate-smart agriculture and circular industries, water underpins every pillar of green growth. Secure water resources and smart water management enable renewable energy deployment, increase agricultural…
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Decide with Values, Lead with Joy
A nice weekend read! Thank you Adrienne Adhami The average person makes about 35,000 decisions daily, leading to decision fatigue! Accept that uncertainty is inevitable. Regret is part of growth! Shift focus from “Did I make the right decision?” to “How can I make this decision right?” In today’s interconnected world, the global community should…
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Climate Crossroads After 2025: Why Water Security Reveals the Stakes
2025 presented a jarring juxtaposition: on the one hand, rollbacks in climate policy by some of the world’s largest economies threatened to slow collective action; on the other hand, the clean energy revolution and on-the-ground adaptation efforts (often supported by multilateral finance) forged ahead, showcasing solutions. The implications for climate finance and water security are…
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A Practical, Plug-and-Play Resource for Building an Effective ESMS
If you’re building an ESMS, here’s a resource from IFC 👉 The IFC ESMS Toolkit (updated August 2025)https://lnkd.in/epj3TDmP What makes it powerful isn’t just the guidance—it’s the plug‑and‑play tools that help you move from theory to implementation fast. Here are a few standout features I find incredibly useful: • Operations‑based risk identification using process mapping,…
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Breaking the Debt–Disaster Trap for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
#SIDS face severe debt vulnerabilities, with nearly half of SIDS (around 40–45%) already at high risk of debt distress or in debt distress, 13% at moderate risk, and only about 42% at low risk. These tiny economies carry disproportionately heavy debt burdens of government debt averages 57% of GDP in small states (about 10 percentage…
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A NextGenerationEU-Style Green Bond Model for LDCs and SIDS
LDCs and SIDS can benefit immensely from a NextGenerationEU (NGEU) https://lnkd.in/eQj6p_wt) style green bond approach, but it must be customized to their realities. The core idea is to mobilize global investor capital at scale and channel it into climate and green development projects in vulnerable economies, blending public and private finance. By employing credit enhancements…
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Debt, Water, and Vulnerability: Why LDCs and SIDS Need Highly Concessional Blended Finance
LDCs and SIDS face a dual crisis of high debt and underinvestment in water infrastructure. Only 37% of LDC residents have access to safely managed drinking water, reflecting a huge infrastructure gap. Government debt in LDCs has climbed to roughly 60% of GDP on average (2023), up from 41% a decade ago. As of late…
Bapon (SHM) Fakhruddin, PhD 