Matt Damon and Gary White: Why the Global Water Crisis Is Really a Finance Problem

2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. Solving this problem will take more than charity - it will take innovation and a new approach to scaling partnerships, building awareness and raising funding. In this episode, Water.org's co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White share key efforts to fix the 'financial plumbing' connecting people and capital, helping to bridge the water gap for 85 million around the world, including: Water Credit (a specialized microfinance solution funding safe water and sanitation solutions) and Water Equity (an asset manager mobilizing private investment in water and sanitation). The two explain why creating an economic flywheel for change can bring truly sustainable solutions. They also share what they've learned about scale and from each other in a partnership that has now spanned 17 years and the role a new campaign for the public, Get Blue, can play.

This episode was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2026.

About this episode:
Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/matt-damon-water-crisis-gary-white-finance-innovation

About this week's guests:
Water.org
Get Blue campaign: https://getblue.water.org/

Related session at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos
Water in the balance
https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/water-in-the-balance/

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