The Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum is an annual, collaborative initiative between the Aspen Institute and Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, gathering ~50 thought leaders to discuss domestic water challenges in the 21st century. The participants are leaders from industry, finance, government and academia, including representatives from water utilities, agriculture, food and technology companies, investors and entrepreneurs.

The 2016 forum focused on the shifting role of public and private financing for water infrastructure and the new universe of innovative financing solutions to create impacts in the water sector, including how impact investing can hold the multiple roles of bridging the ever growing funding gap for infrastructure, improve water use efficiencies, and protect water resources while at the same time making a financial profit.