Deadline: 31-Jul-2025
The Water Witness is now accepting proposals for the Fair Water Action Fund, which offers grants along with technical and legal support to organizations in the Global South working toward water justice. This opportunity is especially relevant for groups addressing water-related challenges rooted in inequality, climate change, and weak governance.
The fund gives priority to applications from African countries experiencing physical or economic water scarcity. Projects that focus on water governance and intersecting issues like climate resilience, biodiversity, and social equity are strongly encouraged to apply.
Support is aimed at civil society groups, research bodies, and media organizations striving to hold power to account, amplify local voices, promote research, and advocate for systemic change in the water sector. The ultimate goal is to help advance water justice and meet Sustainable Development Goal 6.
Initial focus areas include the water impacts of multinational corporations, global supply chains, and the effectiveness of government institutions in providing equitable water access at both national and local levels. Projects should aim to improve water security for both communities and ecosystems, or reduce risks from droughts, pollution, floods, and conflict.
Successful initiatives are expected to influence lasting policy reforms, promote better regulatory practices, and hold key actors such as governments and corporations accountable. Grant amounts range from GBP 3,000 to GBP 36,000 per project, with individual applicants typically receiving between GBP 3,000 and GBP 8,000. Projects must be completed within 12 months, although extensions may be granted in exceptional cases.
Certain activities are not eligible for funding. These include purely academic research with no direct benefit to water security, conference attendance without clear impact plans, and stand-alone operating costs like full salaries, rent, or maintenance.
Eligible applicants include civil society organizations, media outlets, research institutions, investigative journalists, and advocacy coalitions working on water security in the Global South. The first round of funding will give special attention to African-based projects.
Proposals will be evaluated based on the quality of their design, their potential to drive real change, and the applicant’s capacity to deliver results. Strong proposals will investigate corporate and governmental impacts on water security and promote concrete policy action.
For more information, visit Water Witness.