News, Press & Perspectives

Find the latest news and press releases about our work in the water and sanitation sector below. 

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Elevate Prize Catalyst Award
ABC - Can celebrities influence environmental issues? Experts weigh in.

April 22, 2024

ABC's Julia Jacobo spoke with Co-founder Matt Damon about the scale of the water crisis and its intrinsic relationship with climate change.

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Gary and Matt, ABC
ABC - Power of Water: Mexico’s water warriors

April 19, 2023

ABC News’ Linsey Davis travels to Mexico to see firsthand the silent water crisis happening around the world, and speaks with Co-founder Matt Damon about his push to get access to clean water for all.

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A woman in Ethiopia walks to get water
Fortune - Climate change is exacerbating the global water crisis. Corporations must be part of the solution

March 22, 2023

771 million people around the world don't have access to safe water. 1.7 billion do not have a toilet. But there are solutions that work.

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Vedika and Matt at Forbes
Forbes - 2024 Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit: The Worth of Water

Oct. 11, 2024

Forbes Senior Editor Amy Feldman sits down with Matt Damon, Cofounder of Water.org & WaterEquity, and Vedika Bhandarkar, President & COO of Water.org, to discuss how they've utilized microloans to help over 69 million people get access to clean water, the impact of climate change on water access, and much more.

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Matt at Forbes Sustainability Summit
Forbes - Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit: Fast-Tracking Climate Crisis Solutions

Sept. 30, 2024

Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org, discusses the importance of access to safe water and how the organization has helped 69 million people through microfinance solutions. Read more from Damon and Water.org President & COO, Vedika Bhandarkar, on the relationship between climate crisis and the water crisis, shared at the 2024 Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit.

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A cyclist and a horse-cart carriage pass each other in a flooded area after heavy rain caused a river overflow, submerging scores of homes in Bandung, Indonesia on March 16, 2025. Timur Matahari—AFP/Getty Images
TIME -The Key to Solving the Global Water Crisis

March 22, 2025

The global water crisis is one of the most urgent and complex challenges facing humanity today. More than 2.2 billion people lack access to safe water, and 3.5 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation. This crisis undermines health and safety, education, and economic opportunity.

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Ecolab Partners With Water.org to Improve Access to Clean, Safe, Sustainable Water

Oct. 21, 2020

On the sixth annual Imagine a Day Without Water, Ecolab announced a partnership with Water.org to help enable access to sustainable water and improved sanitation for 100,000 people in at-risk watersheds in India.

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Reckitt Benckiser Group Provides Sh70 Million In Fight Against Covid-19

Oct. 14, 2020

Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB) is providing 70 million Kenya shillings (about $650,000 USD) to Water.org which will enable affordable financing for water and sanitation solutions to about 10,000 households in Kenya.

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Social Investor - Gary White: On Water and Lessons from COVID-19

Oct. 13, 2020

"I have been working in the water industry for a long time, but I have never seen so much global attention being placed on the importance of water, sanitation, and hygiene as it has in the past few months. The pandemic has made clear that water is basic “PPE”."

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Social Investor - Making Waves

Oct. 13, 2020

President Jennifer Schorsch on how Water.org is making waves, and how the organization’s strategy and use of partnerships has evolved over the years.

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Triple Pundit - International Day of the Girl, Pandemic Edition, Is All About the Necessities

Oct. 11, 2020

Hear from Vedika Bhandarkar, Water.org's Chief Global Impact Officer, on how market-driven strategies can help expand access to safe water, and open up opportunities to women.

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Creating an Enabling Environment will take more than changing the rules - we have to change minds!

Oct. 9, 2020

Water.org's Sector Strategy Manager, Lesley Pories, shares how we need to see change from both government Finance Ministers and the private finance sector to help solve the global water and sanitation crisis.

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Social Investor - Hollywood & Hometown Heroes

Oct. 6, 2020

How a united determination to overcome the water crisis brought Matt Damon and Gary White together to launch Water.org.

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Borgen Magazine - Water.org Keeps Vulnerable Communities Resilient Amid COVID-19

Oct. 1, 2020

People who now have access to safe water through Water.org’s efforts are more resilient to the global pandemic. Water.org continues its multi-layered efforts to empower more people living in poverty with access to safe water.

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Bloomberg Green Festival 2020

Sept. 17, 2020

From Bloomberg Live a conversation with Jason Kelly and Water.org Co-founder and CEO Gary White and Water.org President Jennifer Schorsch on how with bold philanthropy and corporate commitment, we can solve global water issues and help bring safe water to all.

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Skoll - What to Do During a Pandemic in a World of Water Inequality

Aug. 25, 2020

"Because water and sanitation are the most essential of essential services, there was never any possibility of putting our mission on hold." Water.org's Rich Thorsten, on the global pandemic's effect on our work and how we're taking action.

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On COVID-19 and People Living in Poverty in India

Aug. 11, 2020

“The virality of this pandemic highlights the critical need for increased investment to accelerate access to safe water and sanitation for all.” By Water.org’s Manoj Gulati, Managing Director India, a read on the need for access to safe water and sanitation in impoverished communities to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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RB partners with Water.org to improve access to safe, clean water in Kenya

July 31, 2020

RB is supporting Water.org to help change the lives of more than 68,000 Kenyans with access to safe water.

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