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One in four people around the world still lack access to clean drinking water. Thankfully, people like Retno Marsudi are dedicated to making accessible water and sanitation a global priority.
From 2014- 2024, Marsudi served as the first female Foreign Minister of affairs for the Republic of Indonesia. During her tenure, she led Indonesia’s global engagement through pivotal and strategic moments, including the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia, in 2024, where a Ministerial Declaration was endorsed to adopt sustainable water management practices.
“Water is life – there is no life without water. Without water, there is no food, no health, no energy, no human rights. Therefore, caring for water is not optional; it is the foundation of a sustainable Earth.”
Marsudi is now the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water. In this role, she continues to improve water resilience and sanitation, especially for women and girls who are disproportionately affected by water-related challenges.
“We cannot talk about water without talking about women. The two agendas, water and women, are the twin pillars of a sustainable and resilient Earth. Women are not merely beneficiaries of water solutions – they are leaders and agents of change for our water.”
By collaborating among many stakeholders to safeguard water as a right and a source of development, Marsudi addresses many interconnected global crises.
“Through integrated water resources management, water can serve as a unifying solution to multiple global challenges, including poverty eradication, climate resilience, food and energy security, disaster risk reduction, and the empowerment of women and youth,” said Marsudi in an interview with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In 2017, Marsudi received the UN Women and Global Partnership Forum’s UN Agent of Change award for her work in gender equality. In 2025, she was named a Champion for Water Investment at the Africa Water Infrastructure Summit.
“I envision a world that puts water and women’s agendas at the centre of policy, programs and actions. Because empowering women accelerates water solutions, and building water resilience and sustainability protects the planet.”
“The future of Earth depends on both.”
