---

Henk Ovink (The Netherlands) is the Executive Director and founding Commissioner for the Global Commission on the Economics of Water.

He joined the Board in December 2024.

Ovink was the first ever global water ambassador appointed in 2015 by the Dutch Cabinet as Special Envoy for International Water Affairs. He co-led the second UN Water Conference in 2023. As the Ambassador for Water, Ovink was responsible for advocating water awareness around the world, building institutional capacity and coalitions amongst governments, multilateral organizations, private sector and NGOs, and initiating innovate approaches like Water as Leverage and actively engaging with, supporting and empowering young water professionals and youth to address the world’s stressing needs on water.

Ovink served on President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force where he led the long-term innovation, resilience, and rebuilding efforts. He developed and led the groundbreaking ‘Rebuild by Design’ competition and initiated the National Disaster Resilience Competition.

Before joining the Task Force, Ovink was both Acting Director General of Spatial Planning and Water Affairs and Director National Spatial Planning for the Netherlands after multiple roles in the private sector, from his own start-up for planning, design, and innovation.

Ovink holds an honorary doctorate at Delft University “for his pioneering work on transformative design for climate change, and for his leadership in communicating and practicing the importance of water for peaceful global co-existence.” He is affiliated to the Center for Resilient Cities and Landscapes at Columbia University’s GSAPP and Climate School and is lecturer at the University of Groningen.

In 2023, Henk Ovink was the 10th recipient of the Foreign Affairs Decoration of Honor in Gold for his unique and outstanding water diplomacy work and global leadership.