CWR

30/09/2026

Water insecurity has become an economic risk, so ADB's VIVEK RAMAN explains why APAC must move beyond "laying pipes" to ensure resilient, equitable & effectively governed water systems

https://cwrrr.org/opinions/water-security-is-asia-and-the-pacifics-next-financial-imperative/

28/09/2026

Saltwater intrusion not only causes coastal water insecurity during typhoons, but also poses long term risks – CWR's Ziyang Cai demonstrates how this threat unfolds and how we can prepare for it

https://cwrrr.org/resources/analysis-reviews/coastal-water-security-3-things-to-know-and-3-must-dos-about-saltwater-intrusion/

24/09/2026

Find out how Asia can unlock trillions of dollars in water resilience investments by scaling China’s financing innovations in CWR's new white paper with HSBC & HKGFA

https://cwrrr.org/resources/analysis-reviews/financing-resilience-at-scale-water-conservancy-reits-water-asset-revenue-backed-securities/

22/09/2026

⛰️ We are all downstream: Scaling resilience for water security – The terrifying mountain collapse that crushed thousands of people in China & Nepal is a clear sign that we’ve entered into an era of warming that is “too hot for ice”. With El Niño set to soar to 3.6°C in Nov-Dec this year, we are very far from the safe limit for ice of 1°C. If polar heatwaves continue, ice sheet collapse will speed up along with rapid sea level rise … and we are all downstream.

🌏 So, this month, we ask what does it take to be water secure in an era of “Water B”? Because climate risks are rising faster than national adaptation efforts, developmental gains are being reversed, says Vivek Raman, Principal Urban Development Specialist at ADB. Even as ADB’s flagship water security index finds APAC has lifted 2.7bn people out of extreme water insecurity since 2013, around 4bn still live with unreliable services & poor water quality. Can APAC raise the US$250bn needed per year to 2040 for water & sanitation? Read his op-ed.

💰 As this funding gap cannot be filled by governments alone, CWR, collaborated with HSBC & HKGFA to release a white paper – “Financing resilience at scale: Water conservancy REITs & water asset/revenue backed securities”. The white paper explores 5 financing instruments raising CNY6.6bn in 2024-2026 from China where the government’s water conservancy spend has grown at a faster rate than military spending since 2015. How can these scale up financing in China? Can they be applied regionally or even globally? Read on.

🚱 Ziyang Cai from CWR zeroes in on a water security threat that is flying under most people’s radar: saltwater intrusion – which only accelerates with sea level rise. When saltwater intrudes deep into the river & passes the freshwater intake point, a city's freshwater supply may be cut for days. This happened already in Shanghai in 2022 & New Orleans in 2023 – could it happen to your city? Find out more in our 3 things to know and 3 must-do’s for coastal water security.

👉 September Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/chinawaterrisk/newsletter-september-092026

📬 Sign up for next month: https://chinawaterrisk.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=5581e03c4caed6d08bcaf6af9&id=caee821f95

02/09/2026

Hong Kong, 2 September 2026 – CWR, in collaboration with HSBC & Hong Kong Green Finance Association (HKGFA), releases a white paper – “Financing resilience at scale: Water conservancy REITs & water asset/ revenue backed securities” – highlighting distinctive financial product innovations that can mobilise private capital to unlock trillions of dollars needed to finance water resilience at scale

💧 As the USD7.5trn global funding gap for water security by 2040 cannot be filled by governments alone, the white paper explores five financing instruments raising CNY6.6bn – including a global first from China – to kickstart conversations on new ways to finance water resilience.

💧Globally, 1 in 4 cities face water insecurity today and 2.2bn people still lack clean drinking water according to the World Bank.

💧 Almost 5bn people were affected by natural disasters globally between 2000-2026 – more than three-quarters of these were in Asia where 94% of the natural disasters were water-related (floods, droughts & storms).

💧 Financing water resilience at scale will not only help manage water risk exposure and financial risks but also bring compelling trillion-dollar investment opportunities in the water sector. Join the discussion now!

⬇️ Access the white paper ⬇️
https://cwrrr.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/CWR-Financing-Water-Resilience-at-Scale-White-Paper-02-Sep-2026-FINAL.pdf

⬇️ Read our press release ⬇️
https://cwrrr.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/CWR-Financing-Water-Resilience-at-Scale-White-Paper-2-Sept-2026-PRESS-RELEASE-FINAL.pdf

31/08/2026

Resilience at an asset level isn't enough anymore. Investment strategist Sadiq Currimbhoy shows how cities can leverage adaptation to improve investor confidence

https://cwrrr.org/opinions/from-brown-to-green-but-only-if-the-city-can-cope/

Resilience at an asset level isn't enough anymore. Investment strategist Sadiq Currimbhoy shows how cities can leverage adaptation to improve investor confidence

28/08/2026

Coastal threats are on global leaders' minds this year. Which cities are ready for their future coastline? CWR unpacks key water topics from urban planning for climate overshoot to AI & water

https://cwrrr.org/resources/analysis-reviews/5-takeaways-from-siww2026/

Coastal threats are on global leaders' minds this year. Which cities are ready for their future coastline? CWR unpacks key water topics from urban planning for climate overshoot to AI & water

26/08/2026

Overwhelming climate data point to a Super El Niño but what can farmers, insurers or government ministers do to prepare? International Water Management Institute (IWMI)'s Giriraj Amarnath introduces a first-of-its-kind tool that translates forecasts into anticipatory action

https://cwrrr.org/interviews/super-el-nino-stay-ahead-with-iwmis-new-enso-outlook-tool/

Overwhelming climate data point to a Super El Niño but what can farmers, insurers or government ministers do to prepare? IWMI's Giriraj Amaranth introduces a first-of-its-kind tool that translates forecasts into anticipatory action

24/08/2026

A Super El Niño is brewing. Top earth scientist Prof. Horton unpacks health impacts for major Asian economies like Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan & how to plan ahead for resilience

https://cwrrr.org/interviews/impacts-of-super-el-nino-from-lives-to-the-economy-with-prof-benjamin-horton/

A Super El Niño is brewing. Top earth scientist Prof. Benjamin Horton unpacks health impacts for major Asian economies like Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan & how to plan ahead for resilience

20/08/2026

🌪️ Super El Niño & Coastal Flooding – Are You Ready? Typhoons Noul, Dolphin & Chan-hom have lashed APAC testing our infrastructure – over a million were evacuated in China and Japan suffered 640 power outages. Yet, El Niño is just getting started with forecasts expecting a "Super El Niño" to kick in during 4Q2026.

🩺 So, this month, we talk to globally renowned earth scientist Prof. Benjamin Horton from City University of Hong KongKong on what a Super El Niño means for major APAC economies. What’s a Super El Niño exactly? How much stronger is it than a regular El Niño? Can life expectancy and health be affected? He answers our questions in “plain speak”.

🌽 Despite the abundance of forecasting data, El Niño’s impacts still take governments, businesses and farmers by surprise, causing a cascade of shocks from water scarcity to crop failure. This El Niño, a new tool, ENSO Outlook, aims to break this cycle of under preparedness. We speak to Dr. Giriraj Amarnath from International Water Management Institute (IWMI) about how decision-makers can use this tool to anticipate El Niño rather than react to it.

🏙️ As the Super El Niño escalates physical risks, building resilience on an asset level isn’t enough anymore; city-wide adaptation is imperative. With government finances stretched, investment strategist Sadiq Currimbhoy notes that cities need to attract private capital so finance must be a “foundational layer” for building resilience. See his white paper with Resilient Cities Network on how cities can systematically address physical climate risks or risk hollowing out.

🇸🇬 Finally, at Singapore International Water Week 2026 this June, it was great to see coastal threats front & centre alongside water security. CWR attended multiple Leaders Summits and closed-door CEO roundtables, as well as technical sessions covering topics ranging from coastal resilience and AI to data centres and water security. Check our 5 key takeaways.

👉 August Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/chinawaterrisk/newsletter-august-2026

📬 Sign up for next month: https://chinawaterrisk.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=5581e03c4caed6d08bcaf6af9&id=caee821f95