About UWCI
We are convinced that public water and sanitation utilities can achieve high levels of performance and serve all their customers. We are on a mission to accelerate utility turnarounds as a sustainable strategy to extend services to the left behind and build climate resilience.
Our Turnaround Facility supports utilities from the Global South to realise their immense potential to drive performance improvements and achieve creditworthiness. Our bespoke, long-term support comprises complementary technical and financial assistance targeted at cost recovery and business viability.
Our partnership model presents a unique opportunity for utilities to transform themselves into well-performing, financially sustainable service providers – and for financiers to contribute cost-effective, transformative lending.
Our participating utilities are chosen through a competitive selection process based on commitment and readiness: a successful turnaround requires leadership and political support.
Our Vision, Mission and Values
 |
Our vision is to provide access to safe and climate-resilient water and sanitation services in urban areas for all as a powerful contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6 (“Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”) and 13 (“Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”) through well-performing, financially viable and resilient urban water and sanitation utilities. | |
 |
Our mission is to improve and accelerate the performance and climate resilience of urban water and sanitation utilities by mobilizing additional finance through enhanced cost recovery and creditworthiness. | |
|
|
In line with our mission, we aim to build our collaboration with urban water and sanitation utilities based on four core values: | |
|
Trust – do what you say and do the right thing Innovation – try different, because the world is different, and changing fast Pragmatism – choose ‘practically good’ over ‘ideally excellent’ Respect – choose ‘practically go count people as your assets, because human connections matter |
Our Team
Supervisory Council
Dr Jörg Dux, Chair
Dr Jörg Dux is the Director of KfW, the German Development Bank, in Tunisia. Prior to to taking up this post in 2024, he headed the Bank's Division for Urban Water and Waste Management in North Africa.
Dieter Rothenberger, Vice Chair
Dieter Rothenberger is Head of the sector programme “Water and Sanitation Policy – Innovations for Resilience (InnoBlue)” at the German International Cooperation, GIZ. He has many years' experience leading GIZ water programmes in the Middle East and the Caribbean.
Toine Ramaker, Secretary
Toine Ramaker is the CEO of VEI, an organisation founded by Dutch water utilities to implement Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs) with public water utilities in 21 countries to improve utility performance. He also leads the Dutch utilities' Water for Life Foundation, which provides affordable and safe drinking water and sanitation solutions to underserved communities in low-income areas.
Management Team
Dr Adriaan Mels, Interim CEO
Dr Adriaan Mels is seconded from VEI and has long history in initiating and coordinating Water Operators’ Partnerships in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He has a passion for improving water and wastewater utility services. Since 1 April 2025, he is also working as professor in Water Technology and Metropolitan Solutions at Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands.
Sounding Board
Shaping solutions together: UWCI has secured the support of a range of highly experienced water and sanitation sector professionals to lend their expertise to the initiative as members of our multi-stakeholder sounding board.
- Barbara Schreiner - Executive Director (Water Integrity Network)
- Virginia Roaf - Senior Advisor (Sanitation and Water for All)
- Katrin Bruebach - Global Director, Programs & Delivery (Resilient Cities Network)
- Åsa Jonsson - Head of Global Water Operator’s Alliance (GWOPA)
- Gustavo Saltiel - Strategic Advisor (World Bank)
- Najib Lukoyaa - Deputy Director (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
- Boris Greifeneder - Managing Director (German Water Partnership e.V.)
- Hadi Toure - Advisor (IWA Young Water Professionals)
- Dr Rose Kaggwa - Senior Director Business and Scientific Services (National Water & Sewerage Corporation Uganda)
- Vedika Bhandarkar - President & COO (Water.org)
Work with us
We are small and flexible international team, each bringing different skills and expertise. What unites us is our passion and determination to achieve safe and climate-resilient urban water and sanitation for all together with our utilities and partners. We thrive on continuously challenging ourselves and each other to new ways of thinking and doing, and we recognise that we all have more to learn if we are to bring about meaningful change.
We are proud to be part of a vibrant network of professionals and supporting partners. Our people are bold, courageous, and fully committed to inclusion and a climate-resilient future.
We are not recruiting to our team at the moment, but all new UWCI vacancies will be published here and on our LinkedIn page.
 |
If you are interested in joining our network of experienced utilities or utility managers to support our partner utilities along their turnaround journey, we would like to hear from you. | |
 |
To find out how to co-finance the UWCI, please get in touch with us through info@urbanwaterci.org |
Our Governance
The Stichting has a supervisory council that currently consists of three members, i.e.
Mr Dr Jörg Dux (Chair)
Mr Dieter Rothenberger (Vice Chair)
Mr Toine Ramaker (Secretary)
And a Management Board consisting of one member:
Mr Dr Adriaan Mels (CEO)
Chamber of Commerce Registration
The Urban Water Catalyst Initiative Turnaround Facility is registered as Stichting (Foundation) under RSIN number 867637456 at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. It holds its statutory seat at Reactorweg 47, Utrecht, in The Netherlands
Remuneration Policy
The members of the Supervisory Board do not receive any remuneration for their activities for the Foundation.