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: About this week's guests: Water.org Get Blue campaign: Related session at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos Water in the balance Related episodes: IRC's David Miliband: How leaders can meet the moment in an increasingly disordered world Watch here - YouTube: Listen here - Spotify: Read here - Transcript: What most people get wrong about progress: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker Watch here - YouTube: Listen here - Spotify: Read here - Transcript:: Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets 'non -goals' - and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness Watch here - YouTube: Listen here - Spotify: Read here - Listen:

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Matt Damon and Gary White: Why the Global Water Crisis Is Really a Finance Problem is an episode from Meet The Leader by World Economic Forum.

This episode is 32:29 long.

This episode was published on Mar 16, 2026.

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