Author: Bapon Fakhruddin
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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…
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Pan Asian International Water Law Training in Bangkok (8–11 Dec 2025)
The Green Climate Fund‘s Board approved the Glaciers to Farms (G2F) Regional Program: Advancing Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development in Central and West Asia. We spoke about how GCF is advancing climate resilience in transboundary water basins and mountain regions, highlighting our support for cross-border initiatives that strengthen water governance and climate adaptation. It was…
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Why Blended and Concessional Finance Are Critical for Water Security and Climate Resilience
Blended and concessional finance are essential to bridge the huge investment gap in water security and climate resilience. Public resources alone cover only a fraction of the multi‑trillion-dollar funding needed to ensure safe water and adapt to climate change. In Asia and the Pacific, for example, less than 40% of the $250 billion needed annually for…
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Argentina’s Glacier Law at a Crossroads: Water Security vs Short-Term Gains
As Argentina’s Congress prepares to debate the Glacier Law amendments on December 10, the core question: Will Argentina safeguard its vital water sources and ecological heritage, or trade them away for uncertain short-term gains? Argentina’s landmark 2010 glacier law, which currently prohibits mining and industrial activity in glacier and periglacial zones. The proposed changes would…
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Water as an Asset Class: Mobilising Finance for Water Security and Resilience
Climate change is intensifying floods, droughts, and water scarcity. However, global financing for water security and climate resilience falls far short of what’s needed. A 2024 survey of 59 Ministries of Finance (MoFs) finds that while finance leaders recognise water-related climate risks, few have fully integrated these risks into economic planning or mobilised adequate investment.…
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The Seasonal Heartbeat of Glaciers Is a Warning We Can No Longer Ignore
The seasonal rhythms of Earth’s glaciers with summer surges and winter calms are speaking to us. They are telling us the story of climate change in real time, in cycles that we can observe every year. They show us where we still have time to act (Antarctica’s ice, for instance, has not yet awakened to…
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Tipping Point Earth: Climate Cascades and the Urgency of Adaptation in 2025
In 2025, the planet’s climate system is flashing red. Global temperatures from January to August averaged 1.42 °C above pre-industrial levels, making 2025 likely the second- or third-warmest year on record. Ocean heat content reached a new peak in 2024 and continues to rise, with over 90% of excess heat from global warming absorbed by the…
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Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au” – I am the river, and the river is me
Indigenous communities in New Zealand and Brazil offer powerful models of water stewardship rooted in cultural reverence and ecological responsibility. The Māori of Aotearoa treat water as a living ancestor, guided by the principle of Te Mana o te Wai, which prioritises the health of water above all other uses. This philosophy was embedded in…
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How EWS could De-Risk and Catalyse Investment
Given the scale of need (the EW4All initiative estimates $3.1 billion needed by 2027 to cover global EWS gaps), public finance alone won’t suffice. So far, most EWS projects are grants in the public sector. A potential growth area is innovative financing for EWS and early action for example, we could expand support for parametric…
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Water Takes Center Stage at COP30: GCF’s Six Pathways to a Resilient Water Security
As global climate talks convene at #COP30 in Belém, Brazil, one reality is clear: the climate crisis is a water crisis. Worsening floods and droughts are disrupting water supplies around the world, threatening livelihoods and stability. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is pioneering a comprehensive approach to tackle the water–climate crisis. Rather than isolated, one-size-fits-all…
Bapon (SHM) Fakhruddin, PhD 