Water touches nearly every aspect of development. It drives economic growth, supports healthy ecosystems and is fundamental for life. However, this critical resource can harm as well as help. Water-related hazards such as floods, storms, and droughts are responsible for 9 out of 10 natural disasters. Climate change is expected to increase this risk and place even greater stress on scarce water supplies.
New challenges and new contexts require new responses. That’s why the World Bank, together with its partners, has launched a new partnership for a water-secure world, the Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP). Building on a nearly half-century of collaboration driven by the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), the Water Partnership Program (WPP) and others, the GWSP aims to provide action equal to the ambition articulated within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.)
The GWSP primarily focuses on advancing knowledge and building capacity. It supports client governments to achieve the water-related SDGs through the generation of innovative global knowledge and the provision of country-level support, while leveraging World Bank Group financial instruments and promoting global dialogue and advocacy with key partners and clients to increase reach and impact. This Partnership will provide new opportunities to test and scale-up innovations, build country capacity where needed and influence client demand and World Bank operations.
Learn more about GWSP in this brochure.
View our fact sheet.
Check out the 2018 Cartoon Calendar.
The GWSP has identified five priority themes for action:
Sustainability | Inclusion | Institutions | Financing | Resilience
Of course, these themes do not exist in isolation and need to be rolled out simultaneously so that actions under each of these themes can mutually reinforce each other and can contribute to the many other SDGs with which they are so closely interlinked.
A NEW APPROACH
The GWSP primarily focuses on advancing knowledge and building capacity. It supports client governments to achieve the water-related SDGs through the generation of innovative global knowledge and the provision of country-level support. It leverages World Bank Group financial instruments and promotes global dialogue and advocacy with key partners and clients to increase reach and impact. This Partnership provides new opportunities to test and expand innovations, builds country capacity and informs client country demand and World Bank operations.
BACKGROUND
The GWSP is a ‘living laboratory’ which provides countries with guidance, policymakers with knowledge and learning products, and the public with resources about why water is so crucial to the world’s wellbeing. The GSWP, hosted by the World Bank’s Water Global Practice (Water GP), offers many years of experience from the ground, some of the world’s foremost water experts and the ability to convene a wide range of diverse actors.
MEASURING RESULTS
Block A: Direct results from activities funded by the Partnership
Block B: Impact of GWSP activities on the Water GP itself
Block C: Combined results at the client country level
List of Block C Countries: Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Vietnam and Pakistan
At the core of GWSP’s model is a belief that first-rate research and systematic knowledge is essential to maintaining the high quality of World Bank operations. It is equally essential to shaping the external debate as part of our mission to deliver a water-secure world for all. So the GWSP produces strategic, robust and practical information, insights and ideas to shape both practice and policy.
Knowledge Highlights from the Water Global Practice 2016-2018→
See All World Bank Publications on Water→
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UNCHARTED WATERS: THE NEW ECONOMICS OF WATER SCARCITY AND VARIABILITY Author(s): Damania, Desbureaux, Hyland, Islam, Moore, Rodella, Russ, Zaveri This book presents new evidence to advance our understanding of how rainfall shocks, coupled with water scarcity, affect farms, firms, and families. A key message is that water has multiple economic attributes that entail distinct policy responses at each stage in its cycle of use. If water is not managed more prudently— from source, to tap, and back to source—the crises observed today will become the catastrophes of tomorrow. |
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HIGH AND DRY: CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER, AND THE ECONOMY ALSO AVAILABLE IN FRENCH, SPANISH AND ARABIC Author(s): Water GP | Focus: Water, Poverty and the Economy The impacts of climate change will be channeled primarily through the water cycle, with consequences that could be large and uneven across the globe. Water-related climate risks cascade through food, energy, urban, and environmental systems. Growing populations, rising incomes, and expanding cities will converge upon a world where the demand for water rises exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain. They will jeopardize growth prospects in the regions worst affected and in some of the poorest countries. |
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WATER, WELL-BEING, AND THE PROSPERITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS Author(s): Chase, Damania |Focus: Water, Poverty and the Economy This discussion paper provides an overview of the poverty-related impacts of inadequate water supply and sanitation and highlights the policy challenges that have emerged in a more populated, polluted, and urbanized world with finite water resources. It highlights the need for sustained changes in individual behavior, more equitable access to services, and incentives for improved water resource stewardship. |
See All Publications on WATER and the ECONOMY→ |
See the full selection of reports, case studies and toolkits supported by GWSP→
Last Updated: Oct 30, 2018
Updated every month The World Bank’s water portfolio currently covers 175 projects worth US$27 billion in lending and technical expertise. In the "Project of the Month" series, we feature the results achieved by these projects and showcase how the World Bank works with countries to address challenges and deliver solutions on the ground. |
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![]() |
Dec. 14, 2017 Under the auspices of Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP), the Water Cartoon Calendar has carried on the tradition of raising awareness around critical global water issues through humor. |
![]() |
Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Initiative Nov. 19, 2017 Citywide Inclusive Sanitation means that everybody benefits from adequate sanitation, with human waste being safely managed at every point along the service chain. The cities show-cased in these videos each demonstrate experiences that have embraced such approaches to ensuring the poor are provided with sanitation services. |
![]() |
Aggregation of Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities Nov.14, 2017 Water Supply and Sanitation utilities work together, or “aggregate”, when multiple municipalities unite under a single administrative structure. The World Bank’s Water Global Practice launched a toolkit and background report which explore why, when and how water utilities can work together to provide better services. |
![]() |
Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity and Variability Oct. 24, 2017 The report looks at how the increasing number of droughts and floods impact farms, firms, and families in ways that are far costlier and longer lasting than known before. |
![]() |
Sept. 21, 2017 As part of High Level Panel on Water (HLPW)’s campaign for valuing water, the video was shown to a few heads of state at the UN General Assembly 2017 in New York, calling for a fundamental shift in the way the world looks at water. |
![]() |
Beyond Scarcity: Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa Aug. 29, 2017 The report draws on regional and global examples to show that limited water resources need not restrict the region’s future, but that a combination of technology, policy and management can convert scarcity into security. |
![]() |
The Rising Tide: A New Look at Water and Gender Aug. 29, 2017 The report shows how water often reflects, and even reinforces, gender inequality examining how norms and practices related to water often exacerbate ingrained gender and other hierarchies. |
![]() |
Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Poverty Diagnostic Initiative Aug. 28, 2017 This initiative – which encompasses 18 countries ranging from fragile and conflict-affected states to middle-income countries – undertook multidisciplinary research and developed innovative methods to fully appreciate the impacts of inadequate services on human development outcomes and identify the binding constraints to service delivery. |
![]() |
August 27-September 01, 2017 World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. People from around the world come to Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking, and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today. The World Bank Group has convened and participated in over 30 sessions of 2017 World Water Week. |
![]() |
Thirsty Energy: Water-Smart Energy Planning in South Africa June 15, 2017 As part of the Thirsty Energy Initiative to incorporate water constraints into its energy-planning model and foster a more sustainable system, the report “Modeling the Water–Energy Nexus: How Do Water Constraints Affect Energy Planning in South Africa?” finds that accounting for the regional variability of water supply (and the associated costs of water supply infrastructure) can significantly impact energy planning, especially in a water-scarce country like South Africa. |
![]() |
Water-Scarce Cities Initiative May 15, 2017 Water scarce cities around the world, in both high income and developing countries, are undertaking a paradigm shift in how policy, technology, and management systems are applied to improve financial and ecological sustainability and social equity. The Water Scarce Cities (WSC) Initiative brings together practitioners to learn from each other and accelerate the adoption of this new paradigm in all of the water stressed regions of the world. |
![]() |
2017 Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High-level Meetings - Finance Ministers’ Meeting Apr. 20, 2017 The 2017 SWA High-level Meetings (HLMs), which took place in Washington D.C. on 20 April during World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, included a Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) convened by the World Bank on behalf of the SWA partnership, and a Sector Ministers’ Meeting convened by UNICEF, including ministers responsible for water, sanitation, and hygiene. Countries and partners discussed national plans to meet the challenges of the water, sanitation and hygiene-related SDG targets and required resources. |
![]() |
Turbulent Waters: Pursuing Water Security in Fragile Contexts Apr. 18, 2017 The report finds that when water insecurity repeatedly affects populations, it can act as a risk multiplier, fueling the perception that institutions and governments are ‘not doing enough’, exacerbating existing grievances, creating new risks, and deepening inequities. In turn, this contributes to destabilizing already fragile contexts, aggravating the challenges of water management, and perpetuating a vicious cycle of water insecurity and fragility. |
![]() |
Performance of Water Utilities in Africa Mar. 21, 2017 The report finds that many water utilities in Africa are working hard to expand access, but most haven’t kept up with the growing demand or the maintenance on aging infrastructure. This has left only one third of urban residents with piped water to their homes. Increasing access to a safe water supply will require more investment in utility infrastructure, while improving the capacity to operate and maintain services. |
![]() |
Solar Water Pumping for Sustainable Water Supply Jan. 1, 2016 Even though solar water pumping is ready for mainstreaming and has started to take off in some parts of the world, its benefits remain largely unknown to communities, governments, and development institutions. To address this knowledge gap, the World Bank has developed an accessible and interactive Knowledge Base on Solar Water Pumping, aiming to raise awareness about the technology and provide resources that help incorporate it into operations. |
|
Updated every month The World Bank’s water portfolio currently covers 175 projects worth US$27 billion in lending and technical expertise. In the "Project of the Month" series, we feature the results achieved by these projects and showcase how the World Bank works with countries to address challenges and deliver solutions on the ground.
|
![]() |
Dec. 14, 2017 Under the auspices of Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP), the Water Cartoon Calendar has carried on the tradition of raising awareness around critical global water issues through humor. |
![]() |
Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Initiative Nov. 19, 2017 Citywide Inclusive Sanitation means that everybody benefits from adequate sanitation, with human waste being safely managed at every point along the service chain. The cities show-cased in these videos each demonstrate experiences that have embraced such approaches to ensuring the poor are provided with sanitation services. |
![]() |
Aggregation of Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities Nov.14, 2017 Water Supply and Sanitation utilities work together, or “aggregate”, when multiple municipalities unite under a single administrative structure. The World Bank’s Water Global Practice launched a toolkit and background report which explore why, when and how water utilities can work together to provide better services. |
![]() |
Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity and Variability Oct. 24, 2017 The report looks at how the increasing number of droughts and floods impact farms, firms, and families in ways that are far costlier and longer lasting than known before. |
![]() |
Sept. 21, 2017 As part of High Level Panel on Water (HLPW)’s campaign for valuing water, the video was shown to a few heads of state at the UN General Assembly 2017 in New York, calling for a fundamental shift in the way the world looks at water. |
![]() |
Beyond Scarcity: Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa Aug. 29, 2017 The report draws on regional and global examples to show that limited water resources need not restrict the region’s future, but that a combination of technology, policy and management can convert scarcity into security. |
![]() |
The Rising Tide: A New Look at Water and Gender Aug. 29, 2017 The report shows how water often reflects, and even reinforces, gender inequality examining how norms and practices related to water often exacerbate ingrained gender and other hierarchies. |
![]() |
Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Poverty Diagnostic Initiative Aug. 28, 2017 This initiative – which encompasses 18 countries ranging from fragile and conflict-affected states to middle-income countries – undertook multidisciplinary research and developed innovative methods to fully appreciate the impacts of inadequate services on human development outcomes and identify the binding constraints to service delivery. |
![]() |
August 27-September 01, 2017 World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. People from around the world come to Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking, and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today. The World Bank Group has convened and participated in over 30 sessions of 2017 World Water Week.
|
![]() |
Thirsty Energy: Water-Smart Energy Planning in South Africa June 15, 2017 As part of the Thirsty Energy Initiative to incorporate water constraints into its energy-planning model and foster a more sustainable system, the report “Modeling the Water–Energy Nexus: How Do Water Constraints Affect Energy Planning in South Africa?” finds that accounting for the regional variability of water supply (and the associated costs of water supply infrastructure) can significantly impact energy planning, especially in a water-scarce country like South Africa. |
![]() |
Water-Scarce Cities Initiative May 15, 2017 Water scarce cities around the world, in both high income and developing countries, are undertaking a paradigm shift in how policy, technology, and management systems are applied to improve financial and ecological sustainability and social equity. The Water Scarce Cities (WSC) Initiative brings together practitioners to learn from each other and accelerate the adoption of this new paradigm in all of the water stressed regions of the world. |
![]() |
2017 Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High-level Meetings - Finance Ministers’ Meeting Apr. 20, 2017 The 2017 SWA High-level Meetings (HLMs), which took place in Washington D.C. on 20 April during World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, included a Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) convened by the World Bank on behalf of the SWA partnership, and a Sector Ministers’ Meeting convened by UNICEF, including ministers responsible for water, sanitation, and hygiene. Countries and partners discussed national plans to meet the challenges of the water, sanitation and hygiene-related SDG targets and required resources. |
![]() |
Turbulent Waters: Pursuing Water Security in Fragile Contexts Apr. 18, 2017 The report finds that when water insecurity repeatedly affects populations, it can act as a risk multiplier, fueling the perception that institutions and governments are ‘not doing enough’, exacerbating existing grievances, creating new risks, and deepening inequities. In turn, this contributes to destabilizing already fragile contexts, aggravating the challenges of water management, and perpetuating a vicious cycle of water insecurity and fragility. |
![]() |
Performance of Water Utilities in Africa Mar. 21, 2017 The report finds that many water utilities in Africa are working hard to expand access, but most haven’t kept up with the growing demand or the maintenance on aging infrastructure. This has left only one third of urban residents with piped water to their homes. Increasing access to a safe water supply will require more investment in utility infrastructure, while improving the capacity to operate and maintain services. |
![]() |
Solar Water Pumping for Sustainable Water Supply Jan. 1, 2016 Even though solar water pumping is ready for mainstreaming and has started to take off in some parts of the world, its benefits remain largely unknown to communities, governments, and development institutions. To address this knowledge gap, the World Bank has developed an accessible and interactive Knowledge Base on Solar Water Pumping, aiming to raise awareness about the technology and provide resources that help incorporate it into operations. |
|
Updated every month The World Bank’s water portfolio currently covers 175 projects worth US$27 billion in lending and technical expertise. In the "Project of the Month" series, we feature the results achieved by these projects and showcase how the World Bank works with countries to address challenges and deliver solutions on the ground.
|
![]() |
Dec. 14, 2017 Under the auspices of Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP), the Water Cartoon Calendar has carried on the tradition of raising awareness around critical global water issues through humor. |
![]() |
Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Initiative Nov. 19, 2017 Citywide Inclusive Sanitation means that everybody benefits from adequate sanitation, with human waste being safely managed at every point along the service chain. The cities show-cased in these videos each demonstrate experiences that have embraced such approaches to ensuring the poor are provided with sanitation services. |
![]() |
Aggregation of Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities Nov.14, 2017 Water Supply and Sanitation utilities work together, or “aggregate”, when multiple municipalities unite under a single administrative structure. The World Bank’s Water Global Practice launched a toolkit and background report which explore why, when and how water utilities can work together to provide better services. |
![]() |
Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity and Variability Oct. 24, 2017 The report looks at how the increasing number of droughts and floods impact farms, firms, and families in ways that are far costlier and longer lasting than known before. |
![]() |
Sept. 21, 2017 As part of High Level Panel on Water (HLPW)’s campaign for valuing water, the video was shown to a few heads of state at the UN General Assembly 2017 in New York, calling for a fundamental shift in the way the world looks at water. |
![]() |
Beyond Scarcity: Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa Aug. 29, 2017 The report draws on regional and global examples to show that limited water resources need not restrict the region’s future, but that a combination of technology, policy and management can convert scarcity into security. |
![]() |
The Rising Tide: A New Look at Water and Gender Aug. 29, 2017 The report shows how water often reflects, and even reinforces, gender inequality examining how norms and practices related to water often exacerbate ingrained gender and other hierarchies. |
![]() |
Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Poverty Diagnostic Initiative Aug. 28, 2017 This initiative – which encompasses 18 countries ranging from fragile and conflict-affected states to middle-income countries – undertook multidisciplinary research and developed innovative methods to fully appreciate the impacts of inadequate services on human development outcomes and identify the binding constraints to service delivery. |
![]() |
August 27-September 01, 2017 World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. People from around the world come to Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking, and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today. The World Bank Group has convened and participated in over 30 sessions of 2017 World Water Week.
|
![]() |
Thirsty Energy: Water-Smart Energy Planning in South Africa June 15, 2017 As part of the Thirsty Energy Initiative to incorporate water constraints into its energy-planning model and foster a more sustainable system, the report “Modeling the Water–Energy Nexus: How Do Water Constraints Affect Energy Planning in South Africa?” finds that accounting for the regional variability of water supply (and the associated costs of water supply infrastructure) can significantly impact energy planning, especially in a water-scarce country like South Africa. |
![]() |
Water-Scarce Cities Initiative May 15, 2017 Water scarce cities around the world, in both high income and developing countries, are undertaking a paradigm shift in how policy, technology, and management systems are applied to improve financial and ecological sustainability and social equity. The Water Scarce Cities (WSC) Initiative brings together practitioners to learn from each other and accelerate the adoption of this new paradigm in all of the water stressed regions of the world. |
![]() |
2017 Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High-level Meetings - Finance Ministers’ Meeting Apr. 20, 2017 The 2017 SWA High-level Meetings (HLMs), which took place in Washington D.C. on 20 April during World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, included a Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) convened by the World Bank on behalf of the SWA partnership, and a Sector Ministers’ Meeting convened by UNICEF, including ministers responsible for water, sanitation, and hygiene. Countries and partners discussed national plans to meet the challenges of the water, sanitation and hygiene-related SDG targets and required resources. |
![]() |
Turbulent Waters: Pursuing Water Security in Fragile Contexts Apr. 18, 2017 The report finds that when water insecurity repeatedly affects populations, it can act as a risk multiplier, fueling the perception that institutions and governments are ‘not doing enough’, exacerbating existing grievances, creating new risks, and deepening inequities. In turn, this contributes to destabilizing already fragile contexts, aggravating the challenges of water management, and perpetuating a vicious cycle of water insecurity and fragility. |
![]() |
Performance of Water Utilities in Africa Mar. 21, 2017 The report finds that many water utilities in Africa are working hard to expand access, but most haven’t kept up with the growing demand or the maintenance on aging infrastructure. This has left only one third of urban residents with piped water to their homes. Increasing access to a safe water supply will require more investment in utility infrastructure, while improving the capacity to operate and maintain services. |
![]() |
Solar Water Pumping for Sustainable Water Supply Jan. 1, 2016 Even though solar water pumping is ready for mainstreaming and has started to take off in some parts of the world, its benefits remain largely unknown to communities, governments, and development institutions. To address this knowledge gap, the World Bank has developed an accessible and interactive Knowledge Base on Solar Water Pumping, aiming to raise awareness about the technology and provide resources that help incorporate it into operations. |
|
Updated every month The World Bank’s water portfolio currently covers 175 projects worth US$27 billion in lending and technical expertise. In the "Project of the Month" series, we feature the results achieved by these projects and showcase how the World Bank works with countries to address challenges and deliver solutions on the ground.
|
![]() |
Dec. 14, 2017 Under the auspices of Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP), the Water Cartoon Calendar has carried on the tradition of raising awareness around critical global water issues through humor. |
![]() |
Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Initiative Nov. 19, 2017 Citywide Inclusive Sanitation means that everybody benefits from adequate sanitation, with human waste being safely managed at every point along the service chain. The cities show-cased in these videos each demonstrate experiences that have embraced such approaches to ensuring the poor are provided with sanitation services. |
![]() |
Aggregation of Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities Nov.14, 2017 Water Supply and Sanitation utilities work together, or “aggregate”, when multiple municipalities unite under a single administrative structure. The World Bank’s Water Global Practice launched a toolkit and background report which explore why, when and how water utilities can work together to provide better services. |
![]() |
Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity and Variability Oct. 24, 2017 The report looks at how the increasing number of droughts and floods impact farms, firms, and families in ways that are far costlier and longer lasting than known before. |
![]() |
Sept. 21, 2017 As part of High Level Panel on Water (HLPW)’s campaign for valuing water, the video was shown to a few heads of state at the UN General Assembly 2017 in New York, calling for a fundamental shift in the way the world looks at water. |
![]() |
Beyond Scarcity: Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa Aug. 29, 2017 The report draws on regional and global examples to show that limited water resources need not restrict the region’s future, but that a combination of technology, policy and management can convert scarcity into security. |
![]() |
The Rising Tide: A New Look at Water and Gender Aug. 29, 2017 The report shows how water often reflects, and even reinforces, gender inequality examining how norms and practices related to water often exacerbate ingrained gender and other hierarchies. |
![]() |
Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Poverty Diagnostic Initiative Aug. 28, 2017 This initiative – which encompasses 18 countries ranging from fragile and conflict-affected states to middle-income countries – undertook multidisciplinary research and developed innovative methods to fully appreciate the impacts of inadequate services on human development outcomes and identify the binding constraints to service delivery. |
![]() |
August 27-September 01, 2017 World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. People from around the world come to Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking, and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today. The World Bank Group has convened and participated in over 30 sessions of 2017 World Water Week.
|
![]() |
Thirsty Energy: Water-Smart Energy Planning in South Africa June 15, 2017 As part of the Thirsty Energy Initiative to incorporate water constraints into its energy-planning model and foster a more sustainable system, the report “Modeling the Water–Energy Nexus: How Do Water Constraints Affect Energy Planning in South Africa?” finds that accounting for the regional variability of water supply (and the associated costs of water supply infrastructure) can significantly impact energy planning, especially in a water-scarce country like South Africa. |
![]() |
Water-Scarce Cities Initiative May 15, 2017 Water scarce cities around the world, in both high income and developing countries, are undertaking a paradigm shift in how policy, technology, and management systems are applied to improve financial and ecological sustainability and social equity. The Water Scarce Cities (WSC) Initiative brings together practitioners to learn from each other and accelerate the adoption of this new paradigm in all of the water stressed regions of the world. |
![]() |
2017 Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High-level Meetings - Finance Ministers’ Meeting Apr. 20, 2017 The 2017 SWA High-level Meetings (HLMs), which took place in Washington D.C. on 20 April during World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, included a Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) convened by the World Bank on behalf of the SWA partnership, and a Sector Ministers’ Meeting convened by UNICEF, including ministers responsible for water, sanitation, and hygiene. Countries and partners discussed national plans to meet the challenges of the water, sanitation and hygiene-related SDG targets and required resources. |
![]() |
Turbulent Waters: Pursuing Water Security in Fragile Contexts Apr. 18, 2017 The report finds that when water insecurity repeatedly affects populations, it can act as a risk multiplier, fueling the perception that institutions and governments are ‘not doing enough’, exacerbating existing grievances, creating new risks, and deepening inequities. In turn, this contributes to destabilizing already fragile contexts, aggravating the challenges of water management, and perpetuating a vicious cycle of water insecurity and fragility. |
![]() |
Performance of Water Utilities in Africa Mar. 21, 2017 The report finds that many water utilities in Africa are working hard to expand access, but most haven’t kept up with the growing demand or the maintenance on aging infrastructure. This has left only one third of urban residents with piped water to their homes. Increasing access to a safe water supply will require more investment in utility infrastructure, while improving the capacity to operate and maintain services. |
![]() |
Solar Water Pumping for Sustainable Water Supply Jan. 1, 2016 Even though solar water pumping is ready for mainstreaming and has started to take off in some parts of the world, its benefits remain largely unknown to communities, governments, and development institutions. To address this knowledge gap, the World Bank has developed an accessible and interactive Knowledge Base on Solar Water Pumping, aiming to raise awareness about the technology and provide resources that help incorporate it into operations. |
|
Updated every month The World Bank’s water portfolio currently covers 175 projects worth US$27 billion in lending and technical expertise. In the "Project of the Month" series, we feature the results achieved by these projects and showcase how the World Bank works with countries to address challenges and deliver solutions on the ground.
|
![]() |
Dec. 14, 2017 Under the auspices of Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP), the Water Cartoon Calendar has carried on the tradition of raising awareness around critical global water issues through humor. |
![]() |
Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Initiative Nov. 19, 2017 Citywide Inclusive Sanitation means that everybody benefits from adequate sanitation, with human waste being safely managed at every point along the service chain. The cities show-cased in these videos each demonstrate experiences that have embraced such approaches to ensuring the poor are provided with sanitation services. |
![]() |
Aggregation of Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities Nov.14, 2017 Water Supply and Sanitation utilities work together, or “aggregate”, when multiple municipalities unite under a single administrative structure. The World Bank’s Water Global Practice launched a toolkit and background report which explore why, when and how water utilities can work together to provide better services. |
![]() |
Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity and Variability Oct. 24, 2017 The report looks at how the increasing number of droughts and floods impact farms, firms, and families in ways that are far costlier and longer lasting than known before. |
![]() |
Sept. 21, 2017 As part of High Level Panel on Water (HLPW)’s campaign for valuing water, the video was shown to a few heads of state at the UN General Assembly 2017 in New York, calling for a fundamental shift in the way the world looks at water. |
![]() |
Beyond Scarcity: Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa Aug. 29, 2017 The report draws on regional and global examples to show that limited water resources need not restrict the region’s future, but that a combination of technology, policy and management can convert scarcity into security. |
![]() |
The Rising Tide: A New Look at Water and Gender Aug. 29, 2017 The report shows how water often reflects, and even reinforces, gender inequality examining how norms and practices related to water often exacerbate ingrained gender and other hierarchies. |
![]() |
Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Poverty Diagnostic Initiative Aug. 28, 2017 This initiative – which encompasses 18 countries ranging from fragile and conflict-affected states to middle-income countries – undertook multidisciplinary research and developed innovative methods to fully appreciate the impacts of inadequate services on human development outcomes and identify the binding constraints to service delivery. |
![]() |
August 27-September 01, 2017 World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. People from around the world come to Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking, and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today. The World Bank Group has convened and participated in over 30 sessions of 2017 World Water Week.
|
![]() |
Thirsty Energy: Water-Smart Energy Planning in South Africa June 15, 2017 As part of the Thirsty Energy Initiative to incorporate water constraints into its energy-planning model and foster a more sustainable system, the report “Modeling the Water–Energy Nexus: How Do Water Constraints Affect Energy Planning in South Africa?” finds that accounting for the regional variability of water supply (and the associated costs of water supply infrastructure) can significantly impact energy planning, especially in a water-scarce country like South Africa. |
![]() |
Water-Scarce Cities Initiative May 15, 2017 Water scarce cities around the world, in both high income and developing countries, are undertaking a paradigm shift in how policy, technology, and management systems are applied to improve financial and ecological sustainability and social equity. The Water Scarce Cities (WSC) Initiative brings together practitioners to learn from each other and accelerate the adoption of this new paradigm in all of the water stressed regions of the world. |
![]() |
2017 Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High-level Meetings - Finance Ministers’ Meeting Apr. 20, 2017 The 2017 SWA High-level Meetings (HLMs), which took place in Washington D.C. on 20 April during World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, included a Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) convened by the World Bank on behalf of the SWA partnership, and a Sector Ministers’ Meeting convened by UNICEF, including ministers responsible for water, sanitation, and hygiene. Countries and partners discussed national plans to meet the challenges of the water, sanitation and hygiene-related SDG targets and required resources. |
![]() |
Turbulent Waters: Pursuing Water Security in Fragile Contexts Apr. 18, 2017 The report finds that when water insecurity repeatedly affects populations, it can act as a risk multiplier, fueling the perception that institutions and governments are ‘not doing enough’, exacerbating existing grievances, creating new risks, and deepening inequities. In turn, this contributes to destabilizing already fragile contexts, aggravating the challenges of water management, and perpetuating a vicious cycle of water insecurity and fragility. |
![]() |
Performance of Water Utilities in Africa Mar. 21, 2017 The report finds that many water utilities in Africa are working hard to expand access, but most haven’t kept up with the growing demand or the maintenance on aging infrastructure. This has left only one third of urban residents with piped water to their homes. Increasing access to a safe water supply will require more investment in utility infrastructure, while improving the capacity to operate and maintain services. |
![]() |
Solar Water Pumping for Sustainable Water Supply Jan. 1, 2016 Even though solar water pumping is ready for mainstreaming and has started to take off in some parts of the world, its benefits remain largely unknown to communities, governments, and development institutions. To address this knowledge gap, the World Bank has developed an accessible and interactive Knowledge Base on Solar Water Pumping, aiming to raise awareness about the technology and provide resources that help incorporate it into operations. |