Milan, May 8, 2025 – Webuild, a global leader in water infrastructure, is supporting the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia to highlight the global water crisis and to show how environmental challenges such as water scarcity can be turned into opportunities in everyday life.

“Works connected to water will be the real and greatest challenge in the future to ensure the well-being of populations", said Webuild CEO Pietro Salini. “Water is our planet's most precious resource, a common resource that Webuild contributes to safeguarding and sharing – continued Salini. – Our desalination plants serve 20 million people every day, demonstrating our commitment to solving the global water emergency. Our leadership in the water sector is the result of many years of innovation and dedication. We are ready to continue to make the difference for the communities around the globe, starting from Italy. In fact, we have just submitted a project to the Sicilian Regional Government to provide a permanent solution to water shortages in some parts of the island. Like in other nation, the water issue can be both met and solved. And we put ourselves at the service of institutions with the competence of our Group and of all the supply chain that works with us in the sector. But a strong political will in this is also a must".

The sustainable management of water is one of the main global challenges that must be met, in a moment where the world has 40% of its global population living in areas with a water scarcity risk, while over 2 billion people cannot access drinking water. 

In 2024, the Webuild Group generated 23% of its total revenues from clean hydro energy and clean water projects combined. This reinforces its role as a global partner for addressing major challenges such as climate change and urban population growth, with a strong track record and more than 330 projects completed over the past 12 years. Webuild has solid expertise in the hydropower sector, which remains the largest source of renewable energy globally. Hydropower is one of the most reliable and cost-efficient green energy sources, making it an effective solution for the energy transition and for expanding electricity access in regions where energy is still lacking or insufficient. The Group's ongoing hydropower projects will generate over 14,000 megawatts of capacity, delivering clean and affordable energy to millions of people around the world.

Amongst the Group's iconic projects, there are dam systems, aqueducts, desalination plants and water treatment ones, and irrigation infrastructures, capable of transforming communities and safeguarding the environment. Amongst the irrigation dams, the Tokwe Mukosi dam in Zimbabwe, to irrigate 25,000 hectares of agricultural land, and the Neckartal dam in Namibia, to irrigate 5,000 hectares of land. 

Thanks to Fisia Italiampianti, which has almost a century of experience in the desalination and water treatment sectors, the Group positions itself on the market as strategic player in areas subject to water stress, especially in the Middle East. Thanks to the desalinators are built, Fisia Italimpianti can currently cover the water demand of over 20 million people, globally, ensuring access to water even in the most arid areas of the planet. The Group, through Fisia Italimpianti, has built some of the main desalination plants in the Middle East, like the Shoaiba-3 plant in Saudi Arabia, which covers the demand of over 1 million people of the cities of Jeddah, La Mecca and Taif; and the Jebel Ali M one in the United Arab Emirates, to produce drinking water and for other domestic uses for the population of Dubai.  

Transforming the salty, non-potable water of Venice’s canals into filtered and purified water, even suitable for making coffee, is the idea behind the Biennale’s special project “Canal Cafè”, an initiative supported by the Webuild Group and curated by Carlo Ratti, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Natural Systems Utilities, SODAI, Aaron Betsky and Davide Oldani.