Dr Rolfe Eberhard – International Water Advisor. Rolfe supported the conceptualisation and development of the Urban Water Catalyst Initiative, launched at the UN Water Conference in 2023 and advises the Initiative’s Turnaround Facility, set up to support utilities to transition to sustainable financing, with initial funding of € 30 million from the German Government.
Rolfe advises the South African Minister of Water on economic regulation and National Treasury on reforms to water services in cities. He advised the City of Cape Town during their response to the ‘Day Zero drought’, was lead drafter of the Cape Town Water Strategy “Our shared water” and author of “Strategies to improve decision making in a crisis: lessons for utility and city leaders from the Cape Town experience.” (2024) and ‘Providing Water to Poor People in African Cities Effectively: Lessons from Utility reform’ (2016). He has convened leadership programs for African water utility CEOs, and for mayors and city managers in South Africa’s cities.
Rolfe co-authored the World Bank publication “Scaling Reuse: a tipping point for municipal and industrial use” and advises the 2030 Water Resources Group on their global programmes.
Rolfe works independently as an international water adviser. He has a PhD in Economics and over 30 years of experience advising governments and development agencies on water policy, institutional reform, regulation and utility management.