UCL academic to co-chair global commission on the economics of water

Mariana Mazzucato - Professor Mariana Mazzucato (Director, UCL Institute for Innovation & Public Purpose - IIPP) will co-chair the newly launched Global Commission on the Economics of Water, facilitated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The commission was launched at the 9^th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal. The forum takes place every three years and brings together global key decision makers to collaborate on worldwide water challenges such as floods, pollution or droughts. The commission will conduct an in-depth, independent global review; 'The Economics of Water and Beyond' will feed into the UN 2023 Water Conference, taking a systems-level approach to water governance. It will pay particular attention to the challenges around valuing water as a common good and a natural asset, which is an area of particular focus for Professor Mazzucato. The team will aim to challenge the current global economic system's logic around water management, looking at evidence gathered to date and providing input into societal dialogue focused on remedial action, before integrating results into the final report. Professor Mazzucato explained: "Water is at the centre of the economy, health and climate, and it's a cross-cutting feature across all Sustainable Development Goals.