Smart Development in Action through Adaptation

Overview 

The World Bank Group is committed to meeting the needs of its clients looking for smart development solutions by helping people and communities prepare for, adapt to, and rebound from the unpredictable, worsening, and often life-changing weather patterns they are experiencing.  Droughts, extreme heat, flooding and hurricanes/cyclones made worse by climate change push millions into poverty annually, causing unemployment and risking unplanned internal and cross-border migration. 

Helping people and communities adapt to the potential impacts of extreme weather means providing context-specific solutions that reduce their exposure to shocks, help them absorb them with fewer losses, and help them rebound faster. These actions in turn can help foster jobs and economic stability. And it means that scarce development resources are not wasted, so infrastructure or social protection investments are resilient and don’t break down in the next disaster.

Examples of smart development in action through adaptation 

• Planting heat resistant seeds and seedlings to improve crop quality and yields. 

• Improving drainage systems on roads.

• Designing more accurate weather forecasting technology.

• Protecting against water scarcity and floods by using drip irrigation in farming.

• Providing accessible insurance and cash payments to support people directly in the aftermath of damage from weather events.

• Cleaning up lakes, rivers and woodlands near large cities to help cool and clean the air and provide drainage channels to protect the city from floods.

World Bank Project Examples

Early warning systems 

Bangladesh: Investments to improve weather forecasting services, including a new early warning system for farmers to prepare for major storms and flooding. Results: Farmers’ crop losses reduced by 75 percent. 

Weather-proofing infrastructure

Haiti: Since 2018, the Rural Accessibility & Resilience Project has rebuilt 475 km [295 miles] of rural roads and eight critical bridges. Results: 27% increase in the rural population's access to all-weather roads, benefiting around 400,000 people, including 71,500 women with improved access to health facilities and 195,000 people with better access to markets.

Colombia, the Philippines, and Türkiye: The Global Program for Safer Schools invests in safer school infrastructure.  Results: From 2014-2023, the program supported 35 countries with funding flood, storm and heat proof buildings, benefiting over 121 million students in around 564,000 schools. This has been scaled up and replicated across a further $3.1 billion in World Bank-financed school infrastructure operations. 

Pakistan: The World Bank has supported the design and construction of weather-resilient housing in Sindh Province, following the 2022 floods.  Results: Over 1 million families have received funding for the construction of new weather-resistant homes. Of these, over 650,000 houses have progressed beyond the initial structural work, and 400,000 houses have been fully completed. This effort has generated an estimated 450,000 direct jobs and an additional 650,000 jobs in the construction supply chain, enabling families to rebuild and remain in their communities.

Insurance and National Safety Net Programs

Bangladesh, Nigeria, Nepal, and Niger: Anticipatory and early response programs, such as national safety net programs, provide food, cash, health care, and job training to households damaged by extreme weather. Results: Reduced food insecurity: e.g. in Niger, food security improved by 8%, consumption by 17.6%, and psychological well-being by 17.8%.

Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal:  Supporting the design and implementation of national household registries and other compensation programs based on risk of damages from flooding, drought and extreme heat. Results: 19,000+ cash transfers to affected households following the 2024 Sahel floods as well as regular “lean” (dry) season support – for example, 86,000 households received financial support in 2021.

Water access

Brazil: The First Water Cisterns Program collects rainwater to be processed for drinking during the dry season in face of growing water stress. Results: Decreased diarrhea risk by 73%; improved birth weight and neonatal outcomes; delivered an approximate net gain of $200 per cistern.

Flood risk management

Argentina: The World Bank developed flood risk management strategies in Buenos Aires, including education activities and data collection. Results: By June 2023, flood risks were substantially reduced for close to 47,000 people in vulnerable communities.

Mozambique: The World Bank’s Cities and Climate Change program created a 17-hectare urban green park along the Chiveve river in Beira and restored its stormwater drainage. Results: Enhanced flood protection for 50,000 people, while providing livelihood and recreational benefits.

Sri Lanka: The Metro Colombo Urban Development Project restored 20 sq km of wetlands, providing flood protection, air purification, and income for the urban poor. Results: Preservation efforts and new infrastructure benefited 2.5 million residents and inspired 50 additional wetland conservation plans across Sri Lanka.