National Water Week: Investing in Australia’s Most Precious Resource
Every October, National Water Week flows back into the headlines to remind us that water isn’t just what comes out of the tap; it’s the thread that connects our lives, livelihoods and landscapes. It underpins everything from the food we eat to the energy that powers our homes. And yet, despite being the world’s most essential resource, water is still one of the most undervalued assets in finance.
A trillion-dollar market
Here’s a number worth a double take: the global economic value of water is estimated at US$58 trillion, roughly equal to the combined GDPs of China, Germany, India, Japan and the United States (World Economic Forum, 2024). But despite that scale, water-related investment makes up less than 1% of global climate-tech funding. That’s a staggering mismatch between water’s real-world importance and its financial visibility.
The opportunities are flowing fast. Global companies identified US$436 billion in water-related business opportunities in 2022 alone, from advanced efficiency tech to reuse systems and smart infrastructure (Carbon Disclosure Project, 2023). The global water and wastewater treatment market, already worth US$301.8 billion, is projected to surge past US$470 billion by 2032 (Allied Market Research, 2024).
In other words, while much of the world is focused on decarbonising, a trillion-dollar water economy is quietly taking shape.
Where Australia fits in..
Australia has skin in the game. From the Murray–Darling Basin to drought-stricken regions, shifting rainfall patterns, population growth and water stress are already shaping government policy and investment priorities (CSIRO, 2024). Federal and state programs are now scaling Indigenous-led water projects, basin restoration and urban reuse initiatives, creating opportunities for capital to drive resilience, regeneration and long-term value.
With hotter summers, tighter water security and rising demand, investing in Australia’s water future is becoming both an ethical and an economic imperative.
The rise of water innovation
Innovation is also bubbling up. The World Economic Forum’s Investing in Water: A Practical Guide spotlights a new generation of technologies (think AI-powered leak detection, smart irrigation and on-site reuse systems) all aimed at helping industries do more with less.
And then there are the “Aquapreneurs” — innovators building scalable solutions for water security. The first ten supported through WEF’s initiative raised over US$60 million in a single year. Big tech isn’t sitting it out either, with Microsoft, IBM and Amazon each pledging to become water-positive, backing restoration and efficiency projects to future-proof their operations. It’s proof that water is an innovation frontier.
The takeaway
National Water Week is a reminder that some of the most vital investments of this decade lie not in new industries, but in safeguarding the ones that make all others possible. As the World Economic Forum puts it, “investing in water is investing in stability, innovation and long-term value creation” (World Economic Forum, 2024).
References
Allied Market Research (2024). Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Outlook 2022–2032. https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/water-treatment-chemicals-market
Australian Water Association (2025). National Water Week 2025. https://www.nationalwaterweek.org/
Carbon Disclosure Project (2023). Water Security Report: Turning Risk into Opportunity. https://guidance.cdp.net/en/guidance?cid=48&ctype=theme&idtype=ThemeID&incchild=1µsite=0&otype=Guidance&tags=TAG-646%2CTAG-607%2CTAG-599
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) (2024). State of the Climate: Drought and Water Resources in Australia. https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/state-of-the-climate
World Economic Forum (2024). Investing in Water: A Practical Guide. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Investing_in_Water_A_Practical_Guide_2024.pdf
