Water underpins much of human existence — contributing to good health, food production, and the energy that powers businesses. It supports an estimated 1.7 billion jobs worldwide. Yet for billions of people and entire economies, water insecurity remains a fundamental barrier to growth.
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Failing water systems limit productivity, weaken food and energy security, undermine public health, and deter private investment. Water Forward, a new multistakeholder coalition, aims to change that — moving water from a source of risk to a driver of jobs, growth, and resilience. The goal: making water systems investable, scalable, and capable of supporting prosperity at scale.
The World Bank Group is at the heart of this effort. Through its Water Strategy Implementation Plan — with an ambitious target of improving water security for 400 million people by 2030 — it brings a proven framework, global reach, and delivery capacity as its core contribution to Water Forward.
The Water Forward approach enables action—and results—at a scale no single institution could achieve on its own, laying the foundation for greater water security, and boosting job creation, productivity, and long-term prosperity.
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Water for People
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Water for Food
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Water for the Planet
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The Numbers Tell an Urgent Story
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Water insecurity is a global crisis — and the costs are immense. Public investment alone cannot meet the scale of this challenge. Private investment remains limited by weak sector fundamentals, policy uncertainty, and a lack of bankable projects. Water Forward is built to change that.
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3.4 billion
people lacking safely managed sanitation
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2.1 billion
lacking safe drinking water
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4 billion
people experiencing water scarcity
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6.5 billion
6.5 billion people who can’t be fed sustainably in 2050 with current agri-water management practices
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How Water Forward Works
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Water Forward relies on four mutually reinforcing levers to drive results at scale — combining government ownership, multi-partner financing, institutional strengthening, and coordinated global platforms.
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Our Implementation Levers
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Country-led Water Compacts
Government ownership at the core
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Mobilization of Capital
Public, private, and philanthropic
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Strengthening Institutions
Building capacity for lasting change
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Country Platforms
Align partners and speed delivery
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Delivering clean water and safely managed sanitation
Smart Systems are Changing Lives
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Leading the fight against land degradation and drought
Empowered Communities Build Resilient Futures
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Transforming lives through climate-resilient irrigation
Better managed—Climate-Resilient Irrigation is a Game Changer
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Success Stories
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Water Forward builds on proven solutions — from utility turnarounds and sustainable irrigation to flood risk management and nature-based approaches. Explore how these interventions are already making a difference across the globe.
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Quenching thirst, building stability
Providing Clean Water in Conflict-Affected Haiti
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Building a bold blue future
Protecting Global Water Resources with Blue Finance
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Sukeni
Farmer, West Java, Indonesia
"When we didn’t have enough water, our crop was small. Now, our paddy is fuller and more profitable. I can save for my kid’s college tuition and future."
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Spread the word
Water Forward Partners
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Water Forward brings together a diverse coalition of countries, financing institutions, technical agencies, philanthropies, and private-sector leaders committed to transforming water security at scale. Each partner plays a distinct role—mobilizing finance, enabling reforms, strengthening institutions, and accelerating delivery through country-led Water Compacts. Together, these partnerships make it possible to unlock investment, improve services, and deliver water security for hundreds of millions of people.
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Partner Countries
Smart Systems are Changing Lives
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Financing Partners
Mobilizing Capital for Scalable Impact
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Enabling Partners
Strengthening Systems and Institutions
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Stay involved
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Join the Water Forward coalition and help drive water security, jobs, and prosperity for billions of people around the world.
For general and specific inquiries
Contact Us
World Bank Group
worldbankwater@worldbank.org
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LinkedIn
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