As a result of rapid and unplanned urban growth, heightened vulnerability to climate change, and relatively poor water management practices, a growing number of cities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LCR) are struggling with problems of water scarcity, watershed pollution, inadequate service provision, and increased flooding, directly affecting their population's quality of life and economic prospects. These problems are often compounded by the fact that they are being addressed in a disconnected way, by different actors across neighboring jurisdictions.
The World Bank's LCR Blue Water Green Cities initiative seeks to learn from the tremendous experience of Latin American cities, many of them World Bank clients, in dealing with these challenges; and propose a concrete approach – Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) – to support municipal actors in addressing these urban water challenges in a cleaner, more efficient, more resilient and more equitable manner by working across sectors and spatial boundaries.