GWSP
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GLOBAL WATER
SECURITY & SANITATION
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ANNUAL
REPORT
2 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Contents
A Message from Our Global Director 6
A Message from the Program Manager 8
About GWSP 10
Executive Summary 13
Abbreviations 21
1. Introduction 23
Prioritizing Water Sector Investment 27
Highlighting Water on the Global Agenda 28
Renewing Urgency for Universal Access 28
Fostering Transboundary Water Cooperation 29
Looking Ahead 30
2. Key Themes 33
Water, Climate, and the Economy 34
Water and Social Inclusion 36
Water and Finance 41
Sanitation 44
3. Knowledge Into Action 49
Water Resources Management 50
An Agile Approach to Assessing Water Security in Europe and Central Asia 52
Integrating Nature-Based Solutions in Projects to Improve Water Security and Climate Resilience
Globally 55
Focusing on Sedimentation in Central Asia’s Reservoirs and Dams 58
Climate-Resilient Irrigation 60
Boosting Food Security Through Improved Irrigation and Sediment Management in Nigeria 60
Employing Remote Sensing to Assess Irrigation Performance in India 64
Advancing Irrigation Service Delivery and Climate-Smart Agriculture in Indonesia 66
GWSP Annual Report 2024 3
C ONTENTS
Water Supply and Sanitation 68
Guiding Utilities on the Journey to Water Digitalization 68
Supporting the Sanitation Sector in Zambia 71
Building Climate-Resilient Water Security in Pacific Island Countries 73
Modeling the Intersection of Ocean Health, Sanitation, and Investment in Mexico 75
Promoting Lakewide Integrated Sanitation Services in the Lake Victoria Basin 77
4. Advancing Results 81
The GWSP Results Framework 82
Knowledge and Technical Assistance Supported by GWSP 86
GWSP’s Direct Influence on World Bank Water Lending 88
Reporting on Portfolio Shifts and Project Results 90
Reporting on the Combined Results of GWSP Technical Assistance and World Bank Lending
in Nine Countries 97
5. From Knowledge Sharing to Engagement 99
Knowledge Management and Learning 100
Communications 107
Featured Publications 109
Appendixes 113
A. Financial Update 113
B. Results Progress 121
Boxes
Box 1.1. World Bank Group Results for Water Security, FY24 27
Box 2.1. Equal Aqua 37
Box 2.2. Improving Utility Performance and Creditworthiness in Karachi 43
Box 4.1. GWSP Results Framework’s Three Components 82
Box 4.2. Example of Results, FY24 87
Box 5.1. Redesigning IBNET to Support Utility Performance Improvement 102
4 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Figures
Figure 4.1. GWSP’s Theory of Change 84
Figure 4.2. The Cross-Cutting Nature of Financing and Inclusion, as Percentage of Portfolio, FY24 86
Figure 4.3. Intermediate Outcomes Achieved Through Active Grants, FY24 87
Figure 4.4. GWSP-Influenced World Bank Lending by Department 89
Figure 4.5. GWSP-Influenced World Bank Lending by Financing Source Eligibility, FY24 89
Figure 4.6. Results Reported by World Bank Lending Operations, FY24 95
Figure A.1. GWSP Funding Status, FY25–30 115
Figure A.2. GWSP Disbursements by Activity, FY24 115
Figure A.3. GWSP Disbursements by Activity and by Region, FY24 116
Figure A.4. GWSP Annual Disbursements, FY18–24 117
Figure A.5. GWSP Disbursements by Activity and by Region, FY18–24 117
Tables
Table 4.1. Block B1 Indicators: Progress and Targets Summary 90
Table 5.1. Examples of Just-in-Time Support, FY24 105
Table A.1. GWSP Donor Contributions as of June 30, 2024 114
Table A.2. Top 10 Trust Fund Programs Disbursing Through the Water Units, FY18–24 119
Table B.1. Summary of Results Achieved as of June 30, 2024 122
Table B.2. Portfolio Influence Indicators 124
Table B.3. Sector Results Indicators 126
Map
Map 4.1. GWSP-Influenced Global Water-Related World Bank Lending by Region, FY24 88
GWSP Annual Report 2024 5
FOREWORD
A Message from Our Global Director
Water is essential to people and the planet and, there-
fore, it is now integral to the mission of the World Bank
Group. Water reduces poverty, boosts shared prosper-
ity, fuels economic growth and climate resilience, and
sustains ecosystems.
Moreover, water and climate change are fundamen-
tally linked. Climate change amplifies water-related
risks and affects the hydrological cycle. Nine of ten
natural disasters are water-related and, by 2050, flood
and droughts could cause $5.6 trillion in cumulative
losses to the global economy. We are committed to
The World Bank Group recognizes that without water
security, countries will fail to achieve most Sustainable
scaling up our impact
Development Goals (SDGs). In fiscal year (FY) 2024, we on water for people,
moved decisively on our water agenda and had a sig-
nificant impact at different levels: on people’s lives, on
water for food, and
country-level policy and investments, and in the global water for the planet.
arena. Consider the following achievements:
• World Bank Group-supported programs provided
access to water or sanitation to 19 million people.
partnerships, and the knowledge for achieving the
• The Bank’s water portfolio expanded to $29.45 bil- World Bank Group’s impact at scale. GWSP equips Bank
lion, and all new projects that entered the portfolio teams to work with governments on diagnostics, proj-
promoted sustainable and efficient water use. ect design, capacity building, and policy advice, and it
addresses complex challenges with global expertise.
• The Bank’s Global Department for Water assisted the In FY24, GWSP influenced $9.31 billion of new World
government of Indonesia in hosting the 10th World Bank lending and conducted more than 240 activities
Water Forum in Bali in May 2024. This forum empha- in 70 countries and regions; 46 of these activities were
sized to a global audience water security’s intrinsic in settings affected by fragility, conflict, and violence.
link to shared prosperity, and it garnered high-level The World Bank Group has made significant prog-
political support for the Bank’s work. ress on our water agenda, but it is not enough. We are
committed to scaling up our impact on water for peo-
• The Bank released two seminal reports that give pol- ple, water for food, and water for the planet, and we are
icymakers a strong case for more investment in the working closely with business leaders, entrepreneurs,
water sector. Water for Shared Prosperity highlights and civil society organizations.
global disparities in water access. Funding a Water- In FY24, the Bank selected the Fast-Track Water
Secure Future quantifies government spending on Security and Climate Adaptation Global Challenge Pro-
water for the first time and identifies opportunities gram (GCP-W) as one of six global challenge programs
to catalyze private investment. to scale up urgent activities and amplify our impact in
low- and middle-income countries. The program helps
The Global Water Security and Sanitation Partner- client countries create ambitious reform road maps and
ship (GWSP) is helping develop the framework, the design projects with customized analytics to meet the
6 GWSP Annual Report 2024
SDGs related to food, water, and climate. GWSP will We need to come together—all of us—to secure
support the GCP-W with a robust knowledge architec- new sources of public and private funding and to find
ture that includes technical expertise, solutions, tools, creative and effective solutions that safeguard water
and global and country diagnostics. Additionally, it will security for generations to come. That goal is founda-
help build capacity in client countries to implement tional for achieving the World Bank’s vision of a world
needed policy reforms and to sustain project results. free of poverty on a livable planet.
Of course, the World Bank Group cannot address
today’s myriad water challenges alone. We need the
support of partners’ strategic guidance, technical
expertise, and financial contributions. We welcome
more donors to join GWSP and invite existing donors Saroj Kumar Jha
to increase their contributions to respond effectively to Global Water Director
the global water challenge. World Bank Group
GWSP Annual Report 2024 7
W ELCOME
A Message from the Program Manager
Today’s multifaceted challenges to water security
cut across sectors and national borders. A holistic,
collaborative approach is required—and that is what
the Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership
(GWSP) offers.
GWSP is an action-oriented think tank and platform
for collaboration, housed within the Global Department
for Water of the World Bank Group. It is committed to
creating innovative and timely solutions to global water
issues and to helping countries meet their water-related
Sustainable Development Goals. Over the past seven By providing scientific
years, GWSP has invested in a robust knowledge ar-
chitecture: country diagnostics, scientific data, global
data and analytics, the
analytics, and implementation tools. By providing Partnership fosters
scientific data and analytics, the Partnership fosters
a policy dialogue that influences how governments,
a policy dialogue
businesses, and the public use, manage, and conserve that influences how
this vital resource. GWSP also offers a variety of critical
supports for World Bank Group initiatives: help with
governments, businesses,
coordinating investments, support for countries to de- and the public use,
velop solid WASH programs to meet their SDG targets,
and assistance with creating enabling environments for
manage, and conserve
mobilizing private capital and establishing public-pri- this vital resource.
vate partnerships.
A few of the ways, highlighted in this report, in which
GWSP has contributed to fiscal year (FY) 2024 results
include:
sectors, for example, helping Karachi Water Sewer-
• GWSP supported 34 countries in strengthening age Corporation improve its enabling environment
the capacity of their water-related institutions for and mobilize private capital.
managing water resources or service delivery. This
assistance helps utilities adopt digital solutions to • GWSP helped design projects to overcome barriers
achieve greater efficiency. to women’s employment in the sector. Ninety-three
percent of International Development Association-
• Eighty-three percent of GWSP grants reported financed operations in the water sector approved
addressing climate adaptation, climate mitigation, in FY24 included actions to create employment op-
or both. These grants include support for activities portunities for women in medium- and high-skilled
that aim to improve water quality in watersheds in water jobs.
countries such as Fiji.
Implementing the World Bank Group’s ambitious
• GWSP supported 31 countries in developing policies, agenda for water security on a livable planet will re-
strategies, and regulatory frameworks to improve quire capacity development, scalable solutions, and
the financial viability of their water and sanitation new ways of partnering—all grounded in robust data
8 GWSP Annual Report 2024
analysis, diagnostics, knowledge building, and financ- tremendous role over the past year in helping us shape
ing. GWSP is well-placed to accelerate achievement of a collective vision for water security on a livable planet.
this agenda. The progress noted in this year’s annual report re-
Overseeing GWSP’s crucial role is the Partnership flects the hard work and dedication of our client gov-
Council, a group of development partners dedicated ernments, the World Bank Group Water team across
to assisting countries in reaching their water-related the globe, and our partners.
SDGs. This past year, we were pleased to welcome the
United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Devel-
opment Office back to this group. Council members
enabled the activities described in this report through
their financial support, and they provided leadership, Sarah Nedolast
learning opportunities, and feedback to make our Program Manager
programs stronger and more effective. They played a Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership
GWSP Annual Report 2024 9
A BOUT GWSP
About GWSP providing client countries and development partners
with global knowledge, innovations, and country-level
technical support while leveraging World Bank Group
The Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership resources and financial instruments.
(GWSP) was launched in 2017 as an international GWSP-funded knowledge and technical assistance
partnership to support countries to meet the targets influence the design and implementation of govern-
related to water and sanitation under the Sustainable ment policies and programs, as well as water sector
Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those of SDG 6. investments and reforms carried out by client countries
GWSP is a multidonor trust fund administered by the with the support of the World Bank Group and other
World Bank Group’s Global Department for Water and partners. GWSP expands the global knowledge base
is supported by the Australian Department of Foreign through broad dissemination of its knowledge and an-
Affairs and Trade; Austria’s Federal Ministry of Finance; alytical work. This work is open source and available
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Denmark’s Ministry globally to all development partners.
of Foreign Affairs; the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign
Affairs; Spain’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Influence on World Bank Group Lending
Transformation; the Swedish International Development GWSP’s unique position within the Water Department
Cooperation Agency; Switzerland’s State Secretariat for enables it to influence, through knowledge and techni-
Economic Affairs; the Swiss Agency for Development cal assistance, the design and implementation of water
and Cooperation; the United Kingdom Foreign, Com- sector reforms and infrastructure projects financed by
monwealth, and Development Office; and the United the World Bank Group. In FY24 alone, GWSP provided
States Agency for International Development. critical knowledge and analytical support to teams that
GWSP is a platform for collaboration and support, delivered $9.3 billion in Bank lending.
GWSP Entry Points
GWSP supports World Bank Group task teams and clients through three distinct entry points:
Knowledge into Just-in-Time Long-Term Country
Implementation Technical Assistance Engagement
• Leverages the global reach • Enhances project designs • Lays the framework for
of the Water Department, with highly specialized global country strategies between
sharing lessons from one part knowledge. lending operations or before
of the world with another. lending operations begin.
• Offers rapid response to
• Drives investments and inno- changing circumstances. • Strengthens institutions
vation through cutting-edge before and during reforms.
analyses. • Provides an unparalleled
capacity-building model • Provides project implementa-
• Supports proof-of-concept based on peer-to-peer tion support to agencies with
applications. learning. lower capacity, especially in
fragile and conflict-affected
• Shifts mindsets through situations.
advocacy and outreach.
10 GWSP Annual Report 2024
PRIMARY
THEMES
Sustainability Inclusion Financing Institutions Resilience
GWSP
Donors Clients
Knowledge
GW
Into Implementation
P LEVERAGES
SP LEAR S FROM
How GWSP Influences World Bank Group
PARTNERS
N
Lending and Works with Partners
GWS
Private Academia
Sector
$9.3 Billion
FY2024
ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND BLUE ECONOMY
RESEARCH,
KNOWLEDGE,
HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND POPULATION AND OTHERS
ANALYSIS,
CONVENING,
ADVOCACY
LESSONS
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
LEARNED AND
URBAN, RESILIENCE, AND LAND
WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION
Impact
CLIMATE RESILIENT IRRIGATION
EMERGING
TRENDS
AGRICULTURE AND FOOD
GWSP provides client
countries with policy advice,
EDUCATION
technical assistance, and
capacity building to enhance
the impact of water sector
OTHER DEPARTMENTS WATER
investments and achieve $3.2 BILLION $6.1 BILLION
measurable results on the
ground—demonstrating the
added value of GWSP-funded
activities in achieving results
not possible with World Bank
Group funding alone.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 11
Executive
Summary
GWSP Annual Report 2024 13
E XECUTIVE SUMMARY
Access to the right amount and quality of water for
health, livelihoods, ecosystems, and production—also
known as water security—is the foundation for shared
This fiscal year saw
prosperity on a livable planet. However, burgeoning commitments from the
populations may produce a 40 percent shortfall be-
tween forecast demand and available supply of water
World Bank Group, member
by 2030—a shortfall that will have an outsize impact countries, and donors to
on the poor and those in conflict-affected regions.
Realizing the benefits of water requires sustainable
a more ambitious water
management and development of water resources, agenda and to scaling
along with equitable and inclusive delivery of water
services.
up the Bank’s impact.
Heightened awareness of the importance of water
security was evident at several major events through-
out fiscal year 2024 (FY24), including the 28th United
Nations Conference of the Parties to the Paris Climate
Agreement in Dubai. Yet despite water’s critical role,
investments in the sector have not been a priority. An- Global Facility for Transboundary Water Cooper-
nual spending in the water sector would need to triple ation. The Global Facility for Transboundary Water
current levels to meet the Sustainable Development Cooperation, which GWSP established in FY23, began
Goals (SDGs) targets for clean water and sanitation. operations in FY24. It published background papers,
This fiscal year saw commitments from the World hosted two roundtables for river basin organizations
Bank Group, member countries, and donors to a more with more than 100 participants, held its first advisory
ambitious water agenda and to scaling up the Bank’s committee meeting, and developed a roster of experts
impact. The Global Water Security and Sanitation who can give advice and work directly on issues rele-
Partnership (GWSP) continued its work of the past vant to specific basins and aquifers that span national
seven years in advancing global knowledge and boundaries.
building governments’ capacity to support sustain-
able delivery of water services. GWSP leaned into Fast-Track Water Security and Climate Adaptation
three efforts: Global Challenge Program. The World Bank Group
announced the Fast-Track Water Security and Climate
SDGs and Universal Access. Despite some progress Adaptation Global Challenge Program (GCP-W) as
on a global basis toward achieving SDG 6—achieving one of six Global Challenge Programs (GCPs) to help
clean water and sanitation for all—Africa has been countries tackle major issues with greater scale, speed,
losing ground. Recent reports reveal that 37 million and impact—with a line of sight to the SDGs—and to
more people are without basic water supply and 247 crowd in public and private sector solutions and financ-
million more people are without basic sanitation than ing. GWSP helped lay the groundwork for the GCP-W,
in the year 2000. Closing this widening access gap which will roll out in FY25, by investing in a robust
was the topic of the Eastern and Southern Africa Lead- knowledge architecture, including technical expertise,
ership Summit on WASH (water supply, sanitation, and solutions, tools, and global and country diagnostics.
hygiene), hosted by the World Bank Group and the A key feature of the GCP-W will be government-led
Government of Ethiopia, with support from GWSP. Par- country platforms that will serve as the main vehicles
ticipating ministers of finance and of water, sanitation, for convening stakeholders to create a shared vision for
and hygiene issued the Addis Communiqué, calling achieving the SDGs. GWSP plans to expand its pivotal
for accelerated progress on resilient and sustainable GCP-W support for Bank teams, partners, and client
universal access to WASH. governments.
14 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Key Themes World Bank Group project teams and client countries
to integrate social inclusion into water projects to
Water, Climate, and the Economy. Nine of ten climate reach marginalized groups—women, youth, Indig-
change events are water-related, and climate impacts enous people, and people with disabilities—and
could push as many as 132 million people into poverty. to engage all citizens. In FY24, GWSP provided this
One key World Bank Group diagnostic tool that inte- targeted support to 52 active projects and gave ad-
grates climate change and development is the Country vice to 24 projects under design. To promote gender
Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs). GWSP diversity in water sector jobs, the GWSP-supported
funding provided analytical and diagnostic support Equal Aqua Platform assisted 12 projects, including
to 23 CCDRs in FY24. Additionally, GWSP supported in Tajikistan, where it analyzed gender-disaggregated
technical expertise to help design Bank projects so human resources data for 17 institutions and proposed
that all new lending for water sector investments align solutions. To encourage citizen engagement in water
with the Bank’s commitments under the Paris Agree- resources management, GWSP funded Bank efforts to
ment. In FY24, 68 percent of new World Bank lending implement a set of tools for an approach that involves
commitments had climate change co-benefits, and 100 all segments of society in decision-making, implemen-
percent of projects had at least one climate-related tation, and monitoring. The tools were applied in East
indicator in their results framework. For example, a Africa and Türkiye and were included in the design of
project in Senegal aims to improve access to sanitation a program in Chile. Furthermore, 16 Bank projects in
services in priority water-scarce areas and to address FY24 considered persons living with disabilities
water challenges through circular economy principles, as key stakeholders. In Tanzania, GWSP supported a
such as reusing treated wastewater for irrigation. workshop to strengthen the capacity of local govern-
ments in inclusive WASH infrastructure and services,
Water and Social Inclusion. To achieve a water-se- for example, by involving students with disabilities in
cure world for all, water must be equitably and sustain- design decisions such as the location of accessible
ably shared. GWSP supports technical assistance for handwashing facilities.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 15
E XECUTIVE SUMMARY
Water and Finance. New sources of finance must Sanitation. Despite progress over the last two de-
be tapped to meet the SDG targets for universal ac- cades, about 40 percent of the world’s population
cess to safely managed water supply and sanitation lack access to safely managed sanitation services, and
by 2030. In FY24, the Global Department for Water nearly 8 percent of the global population still practices
identified projects in its pipeline with the potential to open defecation. Therefore, GWSP places emphasis
attract private capital. Using the Bank’s Water Sector on boosting access to sanitation, which requires both
Assessment Programs (WaterSAPs), the Water De- significant investments and political prioritization. In ru-
partment can detect binding constraints to scaling up ral settings, the Partnership supports the World Bank’s
finance for water investments and mobilizing private collaboration with UNICEF, WaterAid, the Sanitation
sector financing. GWSP funded pilot WaterSAPs in Learning Hub, and USAID to provide equitable, sus-
Bangladesh, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. Additionally, tainable sanitation at scale and to inform rural program
the Partnership supported technical assistance for designs and implementation. In urban settings, GWSP
11 Water Department engagements in 10 countries to promotes the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) ap-
enable water service providers to tap private sector proach to ensure that everyone has access to safely
participation, commercial finance, or both. GWSP also managed sanitation through tailored solutions. For
supported several Bank training programs to focus on example, in FY24, the Partnership supported a deep-
private sector participation, including the Water Utility dive workshop to inform a project in Indonesia that is
Creditworthiness Course offered to clients in Ghana, expected to become the country’s first Bank-financed
Tanzania, and Zambia. investment with an exclusive focus on urban sanitation.
16 GWSP Annual Report 2024
GWSP Activities in Water
Resources Management In FY24, GWSP disbursed
Prolonged water scarcity, hydrological uncertainty, and $30.2 million and had
extreme weather events such as floods and droughts
are some of the major threats to global prosperity and
an active portfolio
stability. The World Bank Group’s water resources man- of 243 activities.
agement initiatives focus on reducing hydroclimatic
risks—particularly from floods and droughts—thereby
increasing capacity to manage more variable water
flows and improving sustainable water management at
local, national, and transboundary basin levels. GWSP billion more people could be fed if rainfed croplands
funds critical upstream analytical work that helps man- were converted to sustainable irrigation. The World
agement activities achieve results. Bank Group has a range of strategies to support climate
In Europe and Central Asia, GWSP facilitated a new change adaptation: improved management of water
agile approach to water security diagnostics that re- stored in the soil, irrigation innovation and moderniza-
sulted in a comprehensive and easily digestible water tion, farmer-led irrigation development, water account-
security narrative for internal and external audiences. ing, and irrigation governance and service delivery.
The rapid diagnostic processes allowed the Bank’s GWSP-funded knowledge and technical assistance
Europe and Central Asia water team to conduct pro- supported results achieved by World Bank Group cli-
ductive dialogues at the country level. In Albania, the mate-resilient irrigation projects in FY24.
discussions prompted the government to secure Eu- In Nigeria, GWSP funds supported training for offi-
ropean Union grants to address dam safety and to de- cials responsible for the country’s water policy in river
velop nationwide sanitation master plans that follow the basins to understand, prioritize, and plan for dam safety
CWIS approach. GWSP support also allowed the Bank and maintenance, helping ensure long-term food se-
to bring in outside technical expertise on nature-based curity. In India, GWSP funds supported training for the
solutions (NBS) for climate resilience—such as re- water resources ministry and state government staff to
forestation and creation of urban green spaces—to use two analytical remote sensing tools: one to assess
ensure that they are part of water investment projects which irrigation schemes are functioning and one to
globally. In Fiji, NBS training helped a Bank team de- assess irrigation performance. In Indonesia, where
sign a proposed project to improve water quality in GWSP funded research for a Bank project that im-
selected watersheds through methods including built proved irrigation service and promoted climate-smart
wetlands for wastewater treatment. The project would agriculture practices, farmers’ incomes have increased
aim to enhance the resilience to climate risks of 80,000 by 25 percent.
people and would contribute to the conservation and
management of 400,000 hectares of terrestrial and
aquatic areas. Additionally, GWSP supported Bank ef- GWSP Activities in Water
forts to promote assessment and mitigation of sediment
in reservoirs and dams in Central Asia.
Supply and Sanitation
Today, 2.3 billion people lack access to safely managed
water, and 3.5 billion lack access to safely managed san-
GWSP Activities in itation. The World Bank Group’s water supply and sanita-
Climate-Resilient Irrigation tion activities focused on improving policies, institutions,
and regulations in urban and rural contexts; developing
About 35 percent of water-stressed rainfed croplands effective policies for pricing and subsidies; building
are suitable for sustainable irrigation, and about 1.4 utilities that provide inclusive, resilient, and sustainable
GWSP Annual Report 2024 17
E XECUTIVE SUMMARY
services; and fostering innovation and reuse (to improve
efficiency and address water scarcity). GWSP support for
these initiatives extended around the world.
Globally, the Partnership helped build the capacity of
In FY24 GWSP informed
utilities to adopt digital solutions for greater efficiency. $9.3 billion in newly reported
In Zambia, GWSP funded technical assistance activi-
ties that complemented implementation of the Bank’s
lending and $44.8 billion
Lusaka Sanitation Project and that will inform future in all lending projects.
projects to improve sanitation across the country by
strengthening utilities. In the Pacific Islands, where
GWSP has long helped some of the most vulnerable
countries adapt to climate change, the Partnership
supported strengthening water security and increasing
low levels of access to water and sanitation services. In
Advancing Results
Mexico, through GWSP funding of the CWIS program, The GWSP Results Framework tracks how the Partner-
the Bank worked with partners to improve understand- ship helps client countries improve and deliver water
ing of the magnitude and complexity of pollution of services by enhancing the impact of the World Bank
marine and freshwater environments from inadequate Group’s water portfolio and achieving measurable
sanitation. In the Lake Victoria Basin in Eastern Africa, results on the ground. FY24 results capture the added
GWSP supported consensus-building on a regional value of GWSP’s “knowledge into implementation”
sanitation strategy and provided assessments that in- model. GWSP informed $9.3 billion in newly reported
formed plans to improve the delivery of sanitation and lending projects and $44.8 billion in all lending projects
related urban services in sanitation “hot spots.” (including previously reported projects). Among the
18 GWSP Annual Report 2024
newly influenced lending projects, eight were linked to opportunities for women in medium- and high-skilled
six countries (Burkina Faso, the Central African Repub- water sector jobs. More than half (58 percent) of the
lic, Comoros, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Timor Leste) and projects included disability-inclusive approaches in
one region (Eastern and Southern Africa) in fragile and water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (compared with
conflict-affected situations. a target of 60 percent by FY30).
More than a third (35 percent) of the lending projects
influenced by GWSP were led by global departments Resilience. As in FY23, all new projects incorporated
other than the Global Department for Water. This is resilience in the design of water-related activities. Addi-
consistent with the role that water plays in all facets of tionally, the percentage of projects with climate change
the Bank’s work, including in ensuring that clients are co-benefits increased from 65 percent in FY23 to 68
prepared to adapt to and mitigate climate change im- percent in FY24. Furthermore, newly approved projects
pacts. For example, GWSP informed approximately $1.2 incorporating a resilience lens in their design supported
billion in the lending portfolio of the Urban, Resilience, five countries affected by fragility and conflict (Burkina
and Land Department and more than $750 million in Faso, Comoros, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and the Solo-
the portfolio of the Environment, Natural Resources, mon Islands).
and Blue Economy Department.
In FY24, GWSP supported the following achieve- Financing. GWSP helped 13 countries improve the fi-
ments: nancial viability and creditworthiness of their water sector
institutions. The percentage of projects that supported
Inclusion. Ninety-three percent of water operations reforms/actions to improve financial viability decreased
financed by the International Development Association, (from 81 percent in FY23 to 77 percent in FY24). However,
the World Bank organization that helps the world’s poor- the percentage of projects focused on leveraging private
est countries, included actions to create employment finance increased (from 8 percent to 41 percent).
Results Reported By World Bank Lending Operations
GWSP’s knowledge, analytics, and technical assistance influenced how policies and projects were designed and
implemented, contributing to better project outcomes.
17.24 4.13
million people with access to million people with access to
an improved water source improved sanitation
5,404 16.37
schools and health centers with access to million people covered by risk
improved water and sanitation services mitigation measure (flood/drought)
2.9 24
million hectares under sustainable Institutions with water resources
land/water management practices management monitoring systems
GWSP Annual Report 2024 19
E XECUTIVE SUMMARY
Institutions. GWSP helped 34 countries strengthen the
capacity of their water-related institutions for managing
water resources or service delivery. All projects approved
in FY24 supported reforms/actions that strengthen insti-
tutional capacity (up from 96 percent in FY23).
Sustainability. GWSP helped 31 countries develop
policies and strategies that strengthen the sustainable
management of water resources and built infrastructure
assets. All 22 Water Department-approved projects
promoted sustainable and efficient water use, in line
with performance in FY23. Furthermore, the indicator
for rural water supply and sanitation that measures the
functionality of water points held steady at 100 percent
in FY24.
From Knowledge Sharing
to Engagement
GWSP’s global knowledge activities supported World
Bank Group engagements with strategic value and
global reach. Communication activities were funda-
mental to the task of involving people in development
initiatives, which helps ensure lasting impact.
Learning. The Water Department’s staff and partici-
pants from client institutions engaged in more than 60
knowledge exchange programs and training sessions
in areas ranging from desalination to financing of water another 250 service providers from 89 countries to reg-
security. Meanwhile, the World Bank Group Academy ister and share their data with it.
moved from traditional instructor-led training to peer-
to-peer exchanges, creating content with top industry Connecting Teams and Clients with Expertise.
experts and clients, and establishing communities of The Water Department’s Knowledge Management
practice. It will provide new avenues for disseminating and Learning program connects operational teams
GWSP-funded analytical work and encouraging uptake with technical expertise and knowledge through the
of GWSP-supported approaches and tools. AskWater Help Desk and the Water Expertise Facility.
Data for Development. The Water Department helped GWSP Communications. The communications team
clients put data to work in day-to-day planning and de- focused on the importance of water security on a liv-
cision-making processes. GWSP supported the World able planet and elevated this message in global fora.
Bank’s design and launch of NewIBNET, a web-based To demonstrate GWSP’s capacity to help countries
platform for utilities to track their performance and learn accelerate action on water, the team produced a suite
from other utilities. In FY24, GWSP assistance allowed of videos, interactive tools, blog posts, and stories. It
the platform to become more functional as well as released some of this content on Menstrual Hygiene
available in multiple languages, which helped persuade Day and World Toilet Day.
20 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Abbreviations
CCDR Country Climate and Development Report
CRI climate-resilient irrigation
CWIS Citywide Inclusive Sanitation
FCV fragility, conflict, and violence
GCP Global Challenge Program
GCP-W Fast-Track Water Security and Climate Adaptation Global Challenge Program
GDP gross domestic product
IDA International Development Association
JMP Joint Monitoring Programme
MPA multiphase programmatic approach
NBS nature-based solutions
NRW nonrevenue water
PIR policy, institutional, and regulatory
PM&A program management and administration
PPP public-private partnership
SDG Sustainable Development Goal
UA umbrella authority
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UoF Utility of the Future
WASH water supply, sanitation, and hygiene
WaterSAP Water Sector Assessment Program
WEF Water Expertise Facility
WICER Water in Circular Economy and Resilience
WSS water supply and sanitation
All dollar amounts are United States dollars unless otherwise noted.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 21
1
Introduction
GWSP Annual Report 2024 23
Introduction
Water serves as the lifeblood of the planet, supporting for employment. The poor are the most exposed to
lives, livelihoods, biodiversity and the environment, water-related risks and the least able to adapt. An
food and energy security, and economic growth and estimated 1.4 million people die every year from lack
development. Yet, 1.81 billion people face significant of access to safely managed water and sanitation
flood risk, 2.3 billion lack access to safely managed services. Around 66 percent of the global population
water, and 3.5 billion lack access to safely managed live in a water basin that encounters water stress for at
sanitation. These challenges are exacerbated by the least part of the year, and the world’s poorest and driest
intensifying effects of climate change, rapid population regions face the most severe scarcity and water-related
growth, and rising food insecurity. challenges.
Burgeoning populations may produce a 40 percent Realizing the benefits of water requires sustainable
shortfall between forecast demand and available sup- management and development of water resources,
ply of water by 2030. Lack of access to water supply, along with equitable and inclusive delivery of water
sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services contributes services. Sustainable water management benefits both
to weak educational outcomes and is a major factor in economic development and the planet. Nature-based
the spread of disease. solutions can boost carbon sequestration, replenish
These risks have an outsize impact on the poor and water resources, and benefit poor communities. Im-
those in conflict-affected regions. Developing coun- proved water and sanitation infrastructure can reduce
tries disproportionately rely on water-intensive sectors the spread of waterborne diseases, promote better
24 GWSP Annual Report 2024
health and education outcomes, and enable commu-
nities to better withstand the impact of droughts and
Access to the right amount floods. Climate-smart irrigation can significantly reduce
and quality of water methane emission from agriculture and enhance agri-
cultural productivity.
for health, livelihoods, Critically, investment in water security also supports
ecosystems, and job creation, livelihoods, and economic growth. Ensuring
a reliable water supply can boost productivity and em-
production—also known ployment in water-intensive sectors, such as agriculture,
as water security—is energy, transportation, and manufacturing. Developing
countries disproportionately rely on water-intensive
the foundation for sectors, which account for 55 percent of employment in
shared prosperity low-income countries but less than 20 percent in high-
income countries.
on a livable planet. Access to the right amount and quality of water for
health, livelihoods, ecosystems, and production—also
known as water security—is the foundation for shared
prosperity on a livable planet.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 25
Introduction
26 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Prioritizing Water Sector
Investment BOX 1.1
Despite water’s critical role, investments in the
sector have not been a priority. Annual spending
World Bank Group Results for
in the water sector for 130 developing countries Water Security, FY24
is approximately US$164.6 billion. That spending
would need to triple current levels to meet the 67 million people
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets for provided with water, sanitation, and/
clean water and sanitation. The share of public or hygiene,* of which 2.7 million are
investment in the water and sanitation sector is provided with safely managed water
an average of only 1.2 percent, compared with and/or sanitation; 33 million are female;
around 4 percent each for the transport and en- and 10 million are located in countries
ergy sectors. affected by fragility, conflict, and
More of the same is not an option. The past year violence (FCV).
saw commitments from the World Bank Group,
member countries, and donors to a more ambitious 201 million people
water agenda and to scaling up the Bank’s impact. with strengthened food and nutrition
In fiscal year (FY) 2024, the World Bank Group security, of which 97 million are female
announced six Global Challenge Programs and 97 million are in FCV-affected
(GCPs) to help countries tackle major issues with countries.
greater scale, speed, and impact and with a line
of sight to the SDGs. The GCPs aim to crowd-in 123 million beneficiaries
public and private sector solutions and financ- with enhanced resilience to climate
ing. The Fast-Track Water Security and Climate risks, of which 62 million are female and
Adaptation Global Challenge Program (GCP-W) 47 million are in FCV-affected countries.
aims to enhance water security and climate ad-
aptation through systems change and targeted 45 million hectares
investments in water, sanitation, irrigation, water of terrestrial and aquatic areas
resources management, and measures to reduce under enhanced conservation/
the risks of floods and droughts. GWSP helped lay management , of which 11 million are in
the groundwork for the GCP-W by investing in a ro- FCV-affected countries.
bust knowledge architecture, including technical
* The number 67 million was calculated using the new World
expertise, solutions, tools, and global and country Bank Group scorecard indicator methodology adopted in FY24.
diagnostics. The GCP-W will be rolled out in FY25. The number includes the total number of results (cumulative)
Another change is the World Bank Group’s reported by the Bank’s active portfolio as of the end of FY24.
The scorecard also tracks net results achieved during the new
new corporate scorecard, adopted in FY24. It corporate scorecard period (FY24–30). As of FY24, the net
captures results from the Bank’s active portfolio achieved number for this period is 20 million people. The cumu-
related to water access, sanitation, irrigation, lative and net results numbers reported in the scorecard differ
and water resources management for climate from the number of results reported under the GWSP results
indicators on number of people with access to improved water
resilience through indicators on water supply, or to improved sanitation. The GWSP numbers reflect only the
sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) (including safely net results delivered by the Bank’s active portfolio in FY24, and
managed level of service); food and nutrition reports these separately for water and sanitation. The corporate
scorecard indicator consolidates all water supply, sanitation,
security; enhanced climate resilience; and con-
and hygiene subsectors into a single number, adopting a con-
servation/management of terrestrial and aquatic servative approach by counting the highest result from either
areas (box 1.1). access to water or access to sanitation under each project.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 27
Introduction
Highlighting Water In FY24, the Global Water Security and Sanitation
on the Global Agenda Partnership (GWSP) leaned into several key areas,
among them, addressing a renewed urgency for uni-
Heightened awareness of the importance of water se- versal access to water supply and sanitation to meet
curity was evident at several major events throughout the water-related SDGs and implementing the Global
the fiscal year, including the 28th United Nations Con- Facility for Transboundary Water Cooperation. Other
ference of the Parties to the Paris Climate Agreement in priorities were to increase awareness and understand-
Dubai (November–December 2023). The World Bank ing of the centrality of water in climate and economic
Group participated in the conference’s inaugural Wa- development dialogues (chapter 2, Water, Climate,
ter Day and co-convened sessions on various water- and the Economy section) and to scale up finance
related topics, such as the private sector’s role in com- for water sector investments (chapter 2, Water and
bating climate change, water in the circular economy, Finance section).
climate-resilient approaches to mitigate floods and
droughts, and youth engagement in climate and water
management. The 10th World Water Forum in Bali (May Renewing Urgency for
2024), hosted by Indonesia with the World Water Coun-
cil, united leaders, experts, scholars, entrepreneurs,
Universal Access
and policymakers to develop integrated strategies for Almost a decade into the SDG era, the world is not
water prosperity. At the 3rd Dushanbe Water Action on track to achieve the goals for water—especially
Decade Conference in Tajikistan (June 2024), organized SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2, which call for universal and
by the Republic of Tajikistan and the United Nations, equitable access to safely managed water supply and
the final declaration highlighted growing water-related sanitation facilities, as well as basic hygiene. The World
challenges, the impact of climate change on water, and Bank Group is focused on finding solutions because
the need for international cooperation to achieve SDG universal access to water supply and sanitation will
6 and other water-related targets. enable countries to grow and develop inclusively.
28 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Despite some progress on a global basis toward
achieving SDG 6, Africa has been losing ground. Re-
cent reports reveal that 37 million more people are
without basic water supply and 247 million more peo-
The Addis Communique calls
ple are without basic sanitation than in the year 2000. for accelerated progress on
This finding highlights the need for intensified efforts
and targeted interventions to improve the continent’s
universal access to WASH.
access to water and sanitation services. Closing this
widening access gap was the topic of the Eastern
and Southern Africa Leadership Summit on WASH,
hosted by the World Bank Group and the Government
of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa in November 2023, with Fostering Transboundary
support from GWSP. Participating ministers of finance
and of water, sanitation, and hygiene issued the Addis
Water Cooperation
Communiqué, calling for accelerated progress on Almost half the world’s rivers span national boundaries,
resilient and sustainable universal access to WASH. which makes transboundary cooperation a necessary
The discussed strategies included the following: op- and powerful instrument for building resilience to cli-
erationalizing five systems-change principles at the mate risks, improving water security, and preventing
country level; creating country-level national WASH conflicts. Building on the World Bank Group’s long
platforms to anchor joint planning, coordination, and engagement in the transboundary space, GWSP es-
monitoring of the sector; addressing sector-level gov- tablished the Global Facility for Transboundary Water
ernance bottlenecks; realigning sector-wide incentives Cooperation in FY23. This facility develops targeted
for performance improvement; mobilizing additional knowledge, tools, and investments to support riparian
funding, especially from the private sector and climate cooperation. In addition, it serves as a venue for neigh-
finance; and designing climate- and disaster-resilient boring countries, the Bank, and its partners to share
WASH systems. global expertise and to learn from one another.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 29
Introduction
In FY24, the global facility began operating. It pub- will serve as the main vehicles for convening stakehold-
lished background papers, hosted two roundtables ers to create a shared vision for achieving the SDGs.
for river basin organizations (“Achieving Drought GWSP expects to expand its efforts in this area. As
Resilience in Transboundary Water Cooperation” and an example, a new USAID-World Bank partnership,
“Instruments for Managing Climate Variability in Trans- implemented through GWSP, will support the Demo-
boundary Basins”) with more than 100 participants, cratic Republic of Congo Water and Sanitation Access
conducted the first meeting of its advisory committee, Program (PASEA), a long-term, $1.25 billion Bank pro-
and developed a roster of experts who can give ad- gram that aims to provide at least basic water access
vice and work directly on issues of specific basins and to an additional 12 million people and basic sanitation
aquifers. access to 8 million people. The new partnership will
support PASEA with global knowledge and initiatives
such as Digital Water and will assist the government in
Looking Ahead creating a national platform to improve coordination
and mobilization of resources. In FY25, GWSP will team
As the World Bank Group ramps up its levels of ambition up with the 2030 Water Resource Group to support the
and impact to reach significantly more people through convening of multistakeholder platforms to advance
the GCP-W, GWSP support will be pivotal for Bank dialogue about and commitment to prioritizing wa-
teams, partners, and client governments. A key feature ter-related investments and mobilizing private sector
of the GCP-W is government-led country platforms that innovation, expertise, and capital.
30 GWSP Annual Report 2024
This Year’s Annual Report
Chapter 2: Key Themes
This chapter provides an in-depth look at pressing issues that GWSP actively addressed.
This year, it looks at how GWSP helped design World Bank Group projects so that all new
lending for water investments align with the Bank’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Additionally, the chapter describes how the Partnership helped Bank efforts to mobilize
private sector financing for water investments, and it details GWSP’s extra emphasis on
boosting access to sanitation, particularly in rural areas. As in past years, this chapter also
examines GWSP’s activities related to social inclusion.
Chapter 3: Knowledge Into Action
This chapter offers highlights of GWSP’s support to Bank activities at the country, regional,
and global levels, and it shows how the Partnership contributed to progress and results in
the Bank’s client countries. The chapter is organized around GWSP’s three business lines—
water resources management, climate-resilient irrigation, and water supply and sanitation.
Chapter 4: Advancing Results
This chapter presents an overview of GWSP’s accomplishments in FY24. These accom-
plishments capture the added value of the Partnership’s “knowledge into implementation”
model. In total, GWSP informed $9.3 billion in newly reported Bank lending projects and
$44.8 billion in all lending projects (including previously reported projects).
Chapter 5: From Knowledge Sharing to Engagement
The report concludes by detailing GWSP’s support for knowledge and learning activities
and products and their dissemination. It describes communications content that raised
awareness of the vital importance of water security on a livable planet.
Appendixes
The appendixes include a financial update and a results framework.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 31
2
Key Themes
GWSP Annual Report 2024 33
Key Themes
KEY THEMES
Water, Climate, and the Economy
Nine of ten climate change events are water-related,
and climate impacts could push as many as 132 million
people into poverty. Meanwhile, every $1 spent on cli- In FY24, 68 percent of
mate-resilient infrastructure yields $4 in savings, and
a shift to low-carbon, resilient economies could create
new World Bank Group
more than 65 million new jobs globally by 2030. The lending commitments
World Bank Group is committed to pursuing measures
to strengthen water security and related climate adapta-
had climate change co-
tion to mitigate the ruinous impacts of climate change. benefits, and 100 percent
of projects had at least one
Operational Support climate-related indicator in
To help client countries determine actions to meet
their climate and development goals, the World Bank
their results framework.
Group provides core analytics and analysis. One key
diagnostic tool that integrates climate change and de-
velopment is the Country Climate and Development
Reports (CCDRs). The diagnostic assists countries in
identifying and prioritizing the most effective resilience emissions in FY24 was −540,958.55 tCO2eq. Some
and adaptation actions, while reducing greenhouse examples of GWSP technical assistance follow.
gas emissions and delivering broad development
outcomes. GWSP funding provided analytical and di- Burkina Faso. The Burkina Faso Water Security proj-
agnostic support to 23 CCDRs in fiscal year (FY) 2024. ect aims to enhance the resilience to climate risks of
Analysis from the CCDRs considered the aggregate 1 million people while securing 43 million cubic meters
impact of water-related risks on growth and livelihoods. of surface water capacity to improve management of
Some findings: In Argentina, annual losses in rainfed ag- droughts, floods, or both. The Bank developed a mul-
riculture from water deficits or excesses are estimated tipronged set of activities, including fortifying dams
at $2.1 billion (0.6 percent of gross domestic product, or vulnerable to floods, delivering more drought-resilient
GDP). In South Africa, drought in Cape Town in 2018 led irrigation to farmers, installing climate early warning sys-
to a loss of 20,000 jobs in agriculture, a decrease in tems, and investing in restoration of vegetation cover
numbers of tourists, and a direct economic impact of 3.4 to reduce erosion and runoff. Almost $70 million of the
percent of provincial GDP and 0.3 percent of national financing contributes to climate adaptation co-benefits,
GDP. In Uzbekistan, a rising incidence of waterborne with an additional almost $14 million yielding mitigation
and heat-related illnesses could result in an increase co-benefits.
in mortality of 0.6–1.2 percent by 2050.
GWSP supports technical expertise to help design Cambodia. The core focus of the Water Supply and
World Bank projects so that all new lending for water Sanitation Acceleration Project is building climate
sector investments align with the Bank’s commitments resilience. This resilience includes increasing access
under the Paris Agreement. In FY24, 68 percent of new to piped water in water-scarce regions vulnerable to
World Bank lending commitments had climate change droughts and floods, as well as improving sanitation
co-benefits, and 100 percent of projects had at least services in areas frequently impacted by climate ex-
one climate-related indicator in their results frame- tremes. Sixty-six percent of the project’s lending com-
work. The projects’ net reduction of greenhouse gas mitments are aligned with climate co-benefits.
34 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Senegal. The Integrated Water Security and Sanitation are more likely to depend on rainfed agriculture for live-
Project aims to improve access to sanitation services in lihoods, to spend a high share of their income on food,
priority water-scarce areas and to address water chal- and to have limited capacity to recover from shocks
lenges through circular economy principles. It focuses such as floods and droughts. Funding a Water-Secure
on sustainable practices such as developing new water Future: An Assessment of Global Public Spending
sources, restoring depleted or polluted ones, reusing is a global review of public expenditures in the water
treated wastewater for irrigation, and reducing water sector. It quantifies for the first time how much govern-
losses in the supply system. More than 90 percent of ments spend on water and the size of the financing and
the financing ($183.22 million) is dedicated to climate funding gaps that must close to meet people’s needs.
co-benefits.
Knowledge Development
GWSP supports cutting-edge research on water issues
and assists with knowledge generation by the World
Bank Group’s Global Department for Water. In FY24,
the department published two flagship research pub-
lications related to water and economic issues. Water
for Shared Prosperity highlights the disproportionate
burden borne by the poor. They are the most exposed
to water-related risks and the least able to adapt. They
GWSP Annual Report 2024 35
Key Themes
Water and Social Inclusion
Environmental impacts threaten water security for To achieve a water-secure world for all, water must
many around the world, and they may be compounded be equitably and sustainably shared. To enable World
by societal norms that are known to exclude people, Bank Group project teams and client countries to effec-
further reducing water security. Some examples: In tively integrate social inclusion into water operations,
Latin America and the Caribbean, Indigenous com- GWSP supports technical assistance in the form of
munities face a 19 percent gap in access to piped tools, training, capacity-building activities, and knowl-
water and a 25 percent gap in access to sanitation edge products. In FY24, GWSP supported a total of 52
when compared with non-Indigenous populations. projects and provided advice to 24 projects during their
Worldwide, 15 percent of people live with a disability. design stage.
Inability to independently access sanitation facilities
places persons with disabilities at increased risk of
sexual and financial exploitation. In Uganda, drought
Gender
increases by 13 percent the amount of time that women In FY24, all 23 approved World Bank water projects
and girls spend fetching water—an extra 1.9 hours a conducted gender analysis and included gender ac-
week—and raises the likelihood that they must pay tions that will be monitored during implementation. Of
user fees, which would worsen their existing financial these 23 projects, 14 addressed voice and agency, 2
and time burdens.1 targeted gender-based violence, and 6 focused on
36 GWSP Annual Report 2024
health.2 In terms of employment, 12 projects included diversity and inclusion in the water sector.
the creation of medium- and high-skilled job opportu- The Bank was increasing efforts to support water
nities for women. resources management institutions in becoming more
An annual portfolio review conducted as of FY24 diverse and participatory. These efforts included in-
provided valuable insights into implementation of social tegrating GWSP-funded Equal Aqua knowledge re-
inclusion in the Bank’s water portfolio. It found that 73 sources and methodologies into World Bank Group
percent of projects (66 of 90) approved between FY17 lending operations and expanding knowledge about
and FY21 achieved their gender indicator in part or in participatory approaches in water resilience (see box
full, a slight increase from 71 percent of projects in FY23. 2.1). The Equal Aqua Platform, established in 2019, of-
In FY 22, only 38 percent of projects showed progress fers tools, resources, and services to support gender
toward achieving gender indicators. equality efforts in water institutions around the world.
The GWSP-funded Women in Water Utilities: Break- There was a growing focus on outcomes specific
ing Barriers report (2019) continued to influence World to women in World Bank Group projects that extend
Bank Group operations. The report identified lack of beyond broader water access. For example, in the
quality childcare services as a key factor limiting wom- Kyrgyz Republic, the Water Supply and Sanitation Uni-
en’s participation in the water sector workforce. This versal Access Program was tracking the integration of
finding has directly informed the Bank’s engagement trained female professionals into technical and deci-
with water utilities, including in Latin America and the sion-making roles, so that it could identify investments
Caribbean, where the Bank was assessing childcare of significance to women. With this achievement, and
needs to identify inclusive solutions tailored to the other activities to increase the delivery of water supply,
local context for seven utilities in the Dominican Re- sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, the program
public, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Peru. This ongoing aims for (usually lower-income) women to spend less
impact exemplifies how GWSP’s investment in inclu- time carrying water to their homes. The program in-
sive project design has sparked a cycle of research, cludes surveys to assess the reduction of time required
advocacy, and programmatic action, fostering gender for off-site water collection.
BOX 2.1
Equal Aqua
In FY24, the Equal Aqua Platform made significant strides in promoting gender
diversity and inclusion in water sector jobs. The Equal Aqua human resources survey
was updated to include new questions for water resources management and irrigation-
related institutions. For example, the East Africa Regional Climate Resilience Project in
Mozambique worked on benchmarking gender diversity among employees and leadership
in transboundary and national river basin agencies. Various water institutions completed 34 Equal Aqua sur-
veys, providing insights into their performance on gender indicators and allowing for comparison with other
institutions, both regionally and globally.
The Equal Aqua Platform provided support to 12 water projects in FY24, including extensive assistance for
two projects in Tajikistan: the Strengthening Water and Irrigation Management Project and the Water Supply and
Sanitation Investment Project. The support included analyzing gender-disaggregated human resources data for 17
institutions (national, river basin, local) and data on various workplace dimensions, as well as proposing solutions.
At the Equal Aqua Annual Forum in May 2024, some 200 participants from more than 30 countries addressed
youth participation, social norms, and other topics.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 37
Key Themes
38 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Citizen Engagement
In FY24, 19 of the 23 newly approved World Bank The number of disability-
Group water projects included actions focused on
civic engagement. The Bank’s inclusion in water team
inclusive projects has
developed a set of tools to operationalize a “whole of increased exponentially.
society engagement”—an inclusive approach that
involves all segments of society in decision-making,
In FY24, 16 projects
implementation, and monitoring—in water resources considered persons living
management. GWSP funding supported work by Bank
staff and consultants to develop and implement these
with disabilities as key
tools. The tools have been applied in the East Africa stakeholders, and 4 projects
Regional Climate Resilience Project and in the Türkiye
Flood and Drought Management Project, and they
conducted detailed analyses
have been included in the design of the Chile Water of disability inclusion.
Transition Program.
With support from GWSP, the Bank’s inclusion in
water team provided technical advice to projects in
Burkina Faso, Chile, and Nigeria to demonstrate ways
to strengthen participatory governance, community Disability
engagement, and participation in river basin gover-
The number of World Bank Group disability-inclusive
nance. As a result, these projects included an indicator
projects (projects with actions that address the needs
for participatory water governance, which measures
of persons living with disabilities) has increased expo-
community participation and inclusive beneficiary en-
nentially in all regions since FY17. In FY24, 16 projects
gagement, signaling the importance of participatory
considered persons living with disabilities as key stake-
governance in overall project success. The Chile Water
holders, and 4 projects conducted detailed analyses of
Transition Project also included a target for female par-
disability inclusion. Furthermore, 9 of the 12 projects
ticipation in jobs generated by public works contracts
with WASH components that identified disability as
tendered by the Ministry of Public Works—jobs that will
one of the main exclusion issues implemented specific
have an impact well beyond the project. Furthermore,
actions to support persons living with disabilities.
the project included measures to track female participa-
For example, the Tanzania Sustainable Water Supply
tion in river basin working groups and to inform efforts
and Sanitation Program took steps to build more acces-
to enhance women’s voices in the process.
sible infrastructure in schools and health care centers
and to strengthen its collaboration with civil society.
The project team and Bank’s inclusion in water team
partnered with WaterAid, UNICEF, and a local organi-
zation of persons with disabilities. In FY24, the groups
organized a GWSP-supported workshop to strengthen
the capacity of local governments in inclusive WASH
infrastructure and services. The activity introduced
accessibility and safety audits, which are participatory
site visits that help identify opportunities to make infra-
structure more accessible. As a result, program imple-
menters encourage involving students with disabilities
in design decisions, such as the location of handrails,
ramps, and accessible handwashing facilities.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 39
Key Themes
40 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Water and Finance
Global levels of investment are inadequate to address
water sector risks and achieve the Sustainable De-
velopment Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Annual spending
in the water sector—encompassing the water supply
and sanitation, irrigation, water transport, and hydro-
power subsectors—is estimated to be $164.6 billion in
2017 prices. To achieve the SDG targets for universal
access to safely managed water supply and sanitation
by 2030, countries must spend between $131.4 billion
and $140.8 billion more—nearly triple their current
levels of annual spending. Large, coordinated flows of
public, concessional, and private capital are needed
to compensate for decades of underinvestment in the
water sector and to meet present and future challenges.
Crowding in new sources of finance to meet the SDGs
in 2030 will require making public sector water service
providers financially sustainable and creditworthy and
bringing in private lenders and investors—not only to
increase the total pool of financing, but also to transfer
knowledge and broaden local financial markets.
In FY24, the Global Department for Water mobilized
teams across the World Bank Group, including the
International Finance Corporation and Multilateral
Investment Guarantee Agency, to review its pipeline
of projects and identify those with potential to attract
private capital. The goal: combine measures that enable
private capital (such as good governance in the water
sector) to improve the sector’s financial sustainability,
with mobilization of private capital through tools such
as blended finance, hybrid public-private partnerships
(PPPs), and credit enhancement.
In Senegal, this approach led the World Bank Group
to develop a joint implementation plan that will use
various Bank instruments to support PPPs for waste-
water treatment and reuse, desalination, and inter-basin
water transfers as well as use capital expenditures for
reducing nonrevenue water in phases. The outcome of
the plan was an $800 million multiphase programmatic
approach project—which allows for complex Bank
engagements to be broken down into interconnected
phases—to address water security in Senegal. The
project was expected to leverage an additional $800
million in private capital.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 41
Key Themes
To advance the finance agenda, the World Bank Group sector participation, commercial finance, or both. Box
developed a key analytical tool in FY24, with support from 2.2 describes how such targeted support, paired with
GWSP: Water Sector Assessment Programs (Water- the Utility of the Future initiative, improved water utility
SAPs). These programs consider water operational and performance in Pakistan.
investment needs and funding gaps, propose reform and Furthermore, under its new Scaling up Finance for
financing options to close the gaps, and identify binding Water strategic framework, launched in September
constraints to scaling up finance for water investments 2023, the World Bank Group implemented various train-
and mobilizing private sector financing and expertise. ing programs to focus its operations on private sector
GWSP funded three pilot WaterSAPs, in Bangladesh, participation. GWSP provided support for several of
Jordan, and Uzbekistan, that started in FY24 and were these programs, including the Water Utility Creditwor-
being finalized as of the end of the fiscal year. Another thiness Course offered to clients in Ghana, Tanzania,
nine WaterSAPs were planned to start in FY25. and Zambia. GWSP also provided support for three
GWSP also supported technical assistance for events for World Bank staff: on the approaches and
11 Global Department for Water engagements in 10 tools available to attract private financiers to the water
countries—the Arab Republic of Egypt, Bangladesh, sector; on corporate definitions, methodologies, and
Cambodia, Indonesia, Mozambique, Nepal, the Phil- monitoring of private capital mobilization and private
ippines, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia—with the capital enabling; and on performance-based contracts
aim of enabling water service providers to tap private for reducing nonrevenue water.
42 GWSP Annual Report 2024
BOX 2.2
Improving Utility Performance and Creditworthiness in Karachi
Nearly 126 million people in Pakistan,
about one-half of the population, lack
safely managed water services, and
166 million, about three-quarters,
lack safely managed sanitation
services. Additionally, 36 million
people lack basic hygiene services.
In 2020, 61 percent of drinking water
samples tested nationwide failed
to meet national quality standards.
Karachi, with more than 20 million
inhabitants as of 2023, struggles to
meet its rapidly growing water sup-
ply needs. Sindh Province, where
Karachi is located, has the worst
drinking water quality in the country,
with 85 percent of samples failing to
meet standards.
Water and sanitation utilities are
crucial for providing safe drinking
water and sanitation. As cities expand, utilities need Improvement Assessment and training for KWSC
innovative management approaches to ensure ser- staff. The training covered tariffs, human resources,
vice quality, operational continuity, and sustainable institutional reforms, smart IT applications, enhanced
business models. A partnership between the Govern- revenue collections, reductions in nonrevenue water,
ment of Sindh, the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board and development of a manual with key performance
(KWSB), and the World Bank, launched the Karachi indicators. KWSC now operates semi-autonomously
Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project and is improving its operational efficiency.
(KWSSIP-1) to transform KWSB into a modern, efficient GWSP also supported efforts to mobilize private
utility. The project aims to provide safely managed capital. A carbon financing initiative for KWSC aims to
water and sanitation services, recover costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the Sec-
attract private finance. ond Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improve-
GWSP’s Utility of the Future initiative provided ment Project (KWSSIP-2), expected to be approved in
technical assistance to support the enabling environ- FY25. The project will develop rules and regulations
ment, including utility reforms, starting with approval to streamline operations, further strengthening the
of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation Act utility’s autonomy, transparency, and efficiency. The
on June 8, 2023. The act converted KWSB into the reduction in emissions would earn carbon credits
Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) under the Transformative Carbon Asset Facility. Fur-
and introduced core institutional reforms, including thermore, KWSSIP-2 has identified $269 million from
tariff-setting based on affordability and cost recovery. private financiers for wastewater and water treatment
It included reforms for service delivery and financial vi- plants, including service improvements in adjoining
ability, such as developing a private sector partnership informal settlements, to be mobilized during imple-
strategy. GWSP support included a Utility Performance mentation of the project.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 43
Key Themes
Sanitation
Despite progress over the last two decades, about 40 Progress in sanitation access is insufficient to meet
percent of the world’s population (3.5 billion people) the Sustainable Development Goal, and in fact, some
lack access to safely managed sanitation services, with regions are regressing. The situation is exacerbated
rural areas disproportionately affected. Furthermore, by climate change impacts. Improved sanitation sig-
despite 2.4 billion people gaining access to improved nificantly benefits human health, education, economic
toilets or latrines between 2000 and 2020, nearly 8 growth, social equity, and environmental sustainabil-
percent of the global population still practices open ity. It reduces disease, improves nutrition, increases
defecation. World Health Organization/UNICEF data school attendance for girls, and enhances living en-
show that two-thirds of those without basic sanitation vironments and economic opportunities. Therefore,
live in rural areas. As urbanization accelerates, cities GWSP places an extra emphasis on boosting access
and towns increasingly will face sanitation challenges. to sanitation, given that both significant investments
44 GWSP Annual Report 2024
and political prioritization are required for the sector. of GWSP support to increase access to sanitation in
In rural settings, the Partnership supports the rural and urban settings follow.
World Bank’s collaboration with UNICEF, WaterAid,
the Sanitation Learning Hub, and USAID that aims for
equitable, sustainable sanitation at scale and informs
Indonesia
rural program designs and implementation. This initia- Since FY23, GWSP has helped strengthen the capacity
tive emphasizes government leadership, stakeholder of government institutions to design a sanitation proj-
alignment, area-wide programming, and adaptive ect that was set to become the country’s first World
implementation. In urban settings, GWSP promotes Bank-financed investment with an exclusive focus on
the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) approach to urban sanitation. The $183.45 million Citywide Inclusive
ensure that everyone has access to safely managed Sanitation Services Project, scheduled to be approved
sanitation through tailored solutions. CWIS focuses on in FY25, would aim to provide wastewater treatment
service provision and enabling environments, rather services for 2.3 million people and access to safely man-
than on only providing infrastructure. Some examples aged sanitation services for 1.8 million people by 2030.
In FY24, GWSP’s support for this proposed project
included the preparation and delivery of a technical
deep-dive workshop for different levels of govern-
ment officials, plus city sanitation operators and local
consultants, on incorporating climate resilience and
greenhouse gas emission reduction into the design
and operation of wastewater and septage management.
The Bank coordinated these efforts with projects by
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and
the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Kenya
The World Bank’s $330 million Water and Sanitation
Development Project aims to improve water supply and
sanitation services in select coastal and northeastern
regions of the country and to improve the financial
performance of water service providers affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic, directly benefitting nearly 2 million
people. The sanitation component involves building
some of the country’s first publicly owned fecal waste
treatment plants. Additionally, the project supports the
exploration of market-based models and PPP options
for non-sewered sanitation systems, with a focus on
providing technical support to inform the design of
sanitation activities in Malindi County.
In FY22, GWSP’s support contributed to a report
about options for non-sewered sanitation and con-
sideration of PPPs for operating and maintaining
government-owned fecal waste treatment plants. Ad-
ditionally, GWSP provided technical assistance in FY24
on results-based contracting for household on-site
GWSP Annual Report 2024 45
Key Themes
The World Bank’s $700
million Nigeria SURWASH
Program aims to provide
more than 6 million people
with basic drinking water
and 1.4 million people
with access to improved
sanitation by 2030.
46 GWSP Annual Report 2024
On the private sector front, GWSP-funded technical
assistance in FY24 supported the use of contractors
to help selected municipalities sustainably provide
fecal sludge management services that cover the full
value chain of sanitation. GWSP’s assistance helped
the Department of Public Health Engineering finalize
the design of small-scale, simplified fecal sludge treat-
ment systems and prepare an engagement model for
the private contractors, including defining their scope
of service and contract conditions. Furthermore, GWSP
and the Gates Foundation jointly supported the eval-
uation of technical options, such as integrated waste
management facilities, to improve fecal sludge treat-
ment in selected municipalities.
Nigeria
The World Bank’s $700 million Nigeria Sustainable
Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene
(SURWASH) Program aims to provide more than 6 mil-
lion people (4 million in rural areas) with basic drink-
ing water and 1.4 million people (more than 1 million
in rural areas) with access to improved sanitation by
2030. Since FY21, GWSP has supported the design
and implementation of the program’s inclusive sanita-
tion approach for all local government areas, covering
urban and rural areas as well as small towns. In FY24,
GWSP supported the delivery of peer-to-peer learning
sanitation systems and on franchising for emptying events, technical advice to strengthen the monitoring
and transportation services. This assistance informed and evaluation systems under the program, the review
strategies to strengthen the institutional environment of water sector strategies, and revision of performance
for improved service delivery and sustainable infra- improvement action plans in seven states. GWSP sup-
structure management. port has informed policies, strategies, and regulatory
frameworks to strengthen the institutional environment
Bangladesh and enhance water institutions’ capacity to improve
their delivery of water and sanitation services.
The World Bank’s $194.5 million Bangladesh Municipal
Water Supply and Sanitation Project has provided im-
proved sanitation to more than 645,000 people (out of a Notes
target of 680,000 people by December 2024), including 1. Akito Kamei, “Who Walks for Water? Water Consumption and
67,221 people in 30 municipalities who have gained ac- Labor Supply Response to Rainfall Scarcity in Uganda,” Social
Science Research Network Electronic Journal, doi: 10.2139/
cess to safely managed sanitation. Since FY21, GWSP
ssrn.3396192.
support has helped build institutional capacity for ser-
2. While World Bank Group-supported projects are screened for
vice delivery, improved the financial viability of water gender-based violence risks and include actions to address
institutions, and enhanced water institutions’ ability to them, the two projects targeting gender-based violence go
leverage private finance. beyond a risk mitigation approach.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 47
3
Knowledge
Into Action
GWSP Annual Report 2024 49
Knowledge Into Action
Water Resources
Management
Water security is a major—and growing—challenge for many
countries today. The global population is quickly growing, and
estimates indicate that the world likely will face a 40 percent
shortfall between forecast demand and available supply of wa-
ter by 2030. Prolonged water scarcity, hydrological uncertainty,
and extreme weather events such as floods and droughts are
considered some of the biggest threats to global prosperity
and stability. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 indica-
tors show that countries have made important efforts to tackle
climate change and reduce disaster risk at basin levels, but crit-
ical additional work is needed. Only 14 percent of basins have
adopted a joint climate change adaptation strategy, 20 percent
have adopted a joint disaster risk reduction strategy, and 30
percent have developed alarm systems for droughts.
The World Bank Group’s water resources management
initiatives aim to sustainably develop and manage these re-
sources. These efforts focus on reducing hydroclimatic risks,
particularly from floods and droughts; increasing capacity to
manage more variable water flows; and improving sustainable
water management at local, national, and transboundary basin
levels. Key activities include supporting institutional frame-
works, information systems, and management measures to
ensure that water can be used to fuel development in the near
and long terms, rather than serving as a source of conflict and
a loss of livelihood or wealth. Specific areas of focus are dam
safety, sediment management, groundwater management,
nature-based solutions, and systems planning. GWSP sup-
ports these efforts by funding critical upstream analytical work
that informs these activities.
For example, in Europe and Central Asia, GWSP’s work in
FY24 included facilitating a new agile approach to water se-
curity diagnostics that resulted in a comprehensive and easily
digestible water security narrative that is useful for internal
and external audiences. Additionally, GWSP support allowed
the Bank to provide capacity building for teams and clients,
and to bring in outside technical expertise on topics such as
nature-based solutions, to ensure that these solutions are
part of water investment projects globally. To help improve
sedimentation management, GWSP supported Bank efforts to
promote assessment and mitigation of sediment in reservoirs
and dams in the Central Asia region.
50 GWSP Annual Report 2024
GWSP Annual Report 2024 51
Knowledge Into Action
An Agile Approach to
Assessing Water Security in Europe and
Europe and Central Asia Central Asia
RESULTS INDICATORS
Challenge
Europe and Central Asia face varying degrees of water
security and a diversity of water-related challenges. BLOCK A
Some similar challenges are of different magnitudes,
given the different geographical, cultural, economic,
Sustainability: Water-related
and political characteristics of each country.
institutions supported to sustain
World Bank client countries in the region needed an
water resources, built infrastruc-
agile diagnostic process to assess water security, both
ture assets, or both
in their countries and regionwide.
Resilience: Diagnostics con-
Approach ducted or implementation under-
To meet this need, the World Bank partnered with the taken to promote principles of
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis to freshwater-resilience building
develop a cost-effective and rapid water security diag-
Institutions: Policies/strategies/
nostic methodology, with funding from GWSP and the
regulatory frameworks informed
Danube Water Program. The resulting methodology
to strengthen the institutional
gathers and analyzes existing data and ensures that
environment for improved water
a single assessment captures the intersections of all
resources management, improved
water subsectors and climate change impacts.
water service delivery, or both
The output is a comprehensive and easily digestible
water security narrative that is useful for internal and
external decision-makers, practitioners, and stake-
holders. The narratives include recommendations
to strengthen water security, investments that could
be effective, and potential steps that could advance
a country’s water security agenda and influence the • A database hosted on the World Bank Water Data
next cycle of support and interventions. portal, containing all information collected through
Using this methodology, the World Bank completed, the initiative
with GWSP and Danube Water Program support, the
following deliverables in FY24: In the five countries that underwent a deep-dive anal-
ysis, the Bank consulted with government officials to
• Europe and Central Asia regional water security ensure that the data collected accurately reflected the
report and Danube Region report country’s water security status, and with stakeholders
from various subsectors to plan actions based on the
• Five deep-dive water security reports (for Albania, results of the analysis. The Europe and Central Asia
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and water team expected to use the country water security
Serbia) assessments for a variety of purposes: as the basis
for further analysis in specific areas, for instance in
• Eight general country water security assessments (for areas with severe and prolonged droughts in the con-
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz text of climate change; as a starting point for actions
Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) that could strengthen water security; and as a tool
52 GWSP Annual Report 2024
GWSP Annual Report 2024 53
Knowledge Into Action
for engagement with government officials and other develop an investment strategy for the Ishem River
stakeholders. Water security actions include enhanc- Basin Management Plan.
ing water sector monitoring and data management
for informed decision-making; investing in improved • Establish a partnership with Switzerland’s State
water services infrastructure to increase climate re- Secretariat for Economic Affairs, SECO, to develop
silience; and fostering transboundary cooperation in a sanitation roadmap for Tirana, the capital city.
shared river basins.
• Request and secure grants from the European Union
Additionality to work on dam safety (including dam sedimentation)
The effort to design and implement diagnostics for and to develop sanitation master plans for the entire
Europe and Central Asia provided a foundation for country, following the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation
the Water Security Diagnostic 2.0 work that the World approach.
Bank Group planned to undertake globally in FY25.
On a regional level, the rapid water security diagnos- In Montenegro, the assessment and stakeholder dis-
tic processes allowed for the Europe and Central Asia cussions uncovered significant challenges related to
water team to conduct dialogues at the country level, sustainable sediment management that were affecting
which raised awareness about the needs to sustainably coastal water supply. Additionally, the tourism sector, a
manage water resources and to expand infrastructure, key pillar of the country’s economy, was threatened by
particularly for wastewater, across several countries. these challenges. Follow-up technical assistance led
In Albania, the stakeholder discussions highlighted to creation of an action plan and identification of nec-
the following issues: (1) it was necessary to improve essary investments. These priorities were incorporated
dam safety and to manage dam sedimentation, (2) into the newly established Montenegro–World Bank
planning instruments had been prepared but not im- Group Country Partnership Framework.
plemented, and (3) a lack of access to safely managed In Serbia, national-level dialogue fostered local own-
sanitation had a significant impact on overall develop- ership of the assessment and concluded with stake-
ment. These realizations prompted the Government of holders prioritizing issues to improve water security in
Albania to take the following actions: the country. National stakeholders engaged the Gov-
ernment of Serbia in discussions, which led to planning
• Request technical assistance from the World Bank to for a future water supply and sanitation project.
54 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Integrating Nature-Based Approach
Solutions in Projects to The World Bank committed financing estimated at more
than $10 billion to NBS between 2013 and 2023 for in-
Improve Water Security and creasing climate resilience in its projects.
Climate Resilience Globally The Bank’s Global Program on Nature-Based Solu-
tions for Climate Resilience is a cross-sectoral effort to
increase investments in its portfolio of solutions that
Challenge integrate and strengthen natural systems. This effort
An estimated $200 billion to $600 billion in annual involves multiple Bank departments: Environment,
investment in water supply and sanitation services, Water, and Urban Resilience, and Land. The program
flood protection, and irrigation is needed to meet the aims to lead a shift away from conventional—often
Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Using only gray-infrastructure—approaches for addressing
“gray” systems would result in figures at the higher end climate resilience by providing operational support,
of this spectrum, whereas exploring natural “green” creating targeted knowledge and tools, and forging
solutions could increase efficiency by optimizing the strategic partnerships. The program assists with the
multiple co-benefits. Green infrastructure also could development and transfer of knowledge on NBS both
help improve water security, increase the availability within and outside the Bank. Financing comes from the
and quality of water, and reduce the risks of floods and Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, the
droughts. Global Environment Facility, and GWSP.
As climate change intensifies and water balances The emphasis on the climate co-benefits of NBS
change, countries face increasingly complex chal- creates an opportunity for the Global Department for
lenges related to water services. Nature-based solu- Water to actively integrate green and gray infrastructure
tions (NBS) for climate resilience, such as reforestation, in its projects to provide adaptation and mitigation. Es-
protection of mangroves, and creation of urban green timates suggest that NBS can provide 37 percent of the
spaces and inland wetlands, offer opportunities to mitigation needed through 2030 to achieve the targets
address these challenges in a more efficient manner, of the Paris Agreement. In FY24, the Water Department
while also sustaining biodiversity and reducing the net prepared guidelines for World Bank teams to assess
emission of carbon dioxide. the benefits and costs of NBS for climate resilience
GWSP Annual Report 2024 55
Knowledge Into Action
Global
RESULTS INDICATORS
BLOCK A
Sustainability: Water-related
institutions supported to sustain
water resources, built infrastruc-
ture assets, or both; sustainabili-
ty-focused knowledge products
generated
Resilience: Diagnostics
conducted or implementation
undertaken to promote principles
of freshwater-resilience building;
resilience-focused knowledge
products generated
Institutions: Policies/strategies/
regulatory frameworks informed
to strengthen the institutional
environment for improved water
resources management, improved when developing projects. The goal was to make these
water service delivery, or both guidelines available publicly in FY25.
In addition to environmental benefits, NBS can have
significant economic benefits. For example, an analy-
BLOCK B
sis of solutions for a deteriorated and clogged primary
stormwater drainage channel in San Salvador de Jujuy,
Resilience: Percent of projects Argentina, showed that NBS and hybrid gray/green op-
incorporating resilience in design tions could generate between $940,000 and $3.7 million
of water-related initiatives; percent in net benefits for residents, businesses, and the city. In
of new World Bank lending comparison, a gray-only solution would not result in a
commitments with climate change positive net benefit, according to the analysis conducted
co-benefits by the World Bank task team in collaboration with the
International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Water Security and Integrated
Water Resources Management:
Additionality
People in areas covered by
In FY24, GWSP supported country-level water institu-
water-risk mitigation measures
tions in using NBS to build resilience in water resources
(flooding/drought)
management or service delivery. These efforts included
preparing fact sheets and knowledge products about
NBS and providing training to integrate green infra-
structure in water projects.
56 GWSP Annual Report 2024
to representatives of the International Finance Corpo-
ration and several water companies.
Fiji Blue Prosperity Project. In Fiji, the NBS training
helped a Bank team design a proposed project to im-
prove water quality in selected watersheds through
riparian restoration, improved agricultural practices,
buffer vegetation, and built wetlands for wastewater
treatment. If approved, the upstream integrated wa-
tershed interventions would promote climate change
resilience and adaptation in coastal and marine eco-
systems. The interventions would be part of a project
financed by the International Development Association,
the Global Environment Facility, and the Climate Invest-
ment Funds’ Nature, People, and Climate Programme,
and they would be implemented in a collaboration with
the Asian Development Bank. Once approved, the pro-
posed project would aim to enhance the resilience to
climate risks of 80,000 people and would contribute to
the conservation and management of 400,000 hect-
ares of terrestrial and aquatic areas.
Linear Park in Argentina. In Argentina, the NBS training
provided an additional push for a green infrastructure
subcomponent in the $200 million Climate Resilient In-
On the training front, GWSP, along with the Global frastructure for Urban Flood Risk Management Project.
Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, supported This subcomponent includes the creation of a linear park
a four-day NBS technical deep dive in Austria for dele- alongside a stream to reduce flood risks in a town in Mi-
gations from six countries in Central Asia and the Cau- siones Province. At the end of FY24, the park was being
casus. Participants explored the disaster and climate designed with inputs from The Nature Conservancy. The
hazards facing their region, visited sites in Tirol to see project aims to reduce the exposure of 123,000 people
the implementation of protective forests and other to floods and to help 10 cities adopt, by 2029, improved
NBS, and shared their vision on plans to implement and integrated practices for managing flood risks.
NBS. The Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance and the
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation pro- Interministerial Capacity for NBS Implementation
vided guidance and financial support, and the Austrian in Chile. Government officials in Chile said the NBS
Research Centre for Forests and the Austrian Federal training helped advance the formation of an intermin-
Service for Torrent and Avalanche Control provided isterial working group on NBS. Three participants in the
technical contributions. training became part of the working group. Additionally,
In some instances, GWSP support led Bank teams as a follow-up to the training, The Nature Conservancy
to integrate NBS solutions in projects. Three of these helped review and fine-tune the terms of reference for a
solutions stemmed from a GWSP-supported three- consultant to identify regulatory, economic, and struc-
day virtual training course, in January–February 2024, tural gaps that hinder the integration of NBS into Chile’s
conducted by The Nature Conservancy and hosted hydraulic infrastructure portfolio and to propose private
by the World Bank. Participants included Bank task and public-private financing mechanisms to implement
teams and their clients from six countries, in addition NBS for water security.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 57
Knowledge Into Action
Focusing on Sedimentation bulk of water withdrawals occur in the irrigated plains of
in Central Asia’s Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and southern Kazakhstan.
Worsening the degree of water competition is the
Reservoirs and Dams accumulation of silt in canals and reservoirs that causes
loss of useful water storage capacity. Furthermore, sed-
Context imentation can cause dam breaches, which unleashes
With a growing economy and population, Central Asian flooding.
countries increasingly face competition for water. The five Central Asian countries collectively have
This competition is particularly evident in irrigation, more than 300 dams with associated reservoirs of dif-
which absorbs 90 percent of freshwater withdrawals. ferent sizes, mostly built 50–60 years ago, that have
The transboundary links are significant in the region’s lost storage capacity due to sedimentation. Best in-
south, where most river runoff originates in the high- ternational practice is to conduct bathymetric surveys
lands of Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, while the of reservoirs every 5–10 years, but these high-cost
58 GWSP Annual Report 2024
surveys haven’t been done for most Central Asia res-
ervoirs for almost 30 years. As a result, the true capacity
of water storage is unknown, making it difficult to plan
Central Asia
withdrawals. RESULTS INDICATORS
The integrity of the dams also is affected by sedimen-
tation. If the dams broke, 15 million to 20 million people
BLOCK A
could be affected in a region of about 70 million people.
Approach Sustainability: Water-related
To address these interrelated issues in Central Asia, institutions supported to sustain
the World Bank promotes measuring and mitigating water resources, built infrastruc-
sedimentation in reservoirs and dams and moderniz- ture assets, or both; tools and
ing dams by installing early warning systems. With an monitoring systems supported to
accurate measurement of water stored, countries can strengthen sustainable manage-
calculate factors such as how many hectares they can ment of water resources at the
irrigate, how much water they use for hydropower, and national, basin, and aquifer levels;
how much water they can dedicate to lucrative recre- built infrastructure assets; or both
ation purposes.
Resilience: Water-related institu-
The World Bank’s model, RESCON (REServoir CON-
tions supported to build resilience
servation), presents the most advanced economic and
in water resources management
engineering evaluation of alternative sediment man-
or service delivery
agement strategies. The Bank recommends a variety
of methods, from planting trees upstream to decrease
erosion, to dredging, to using robots that place pipes
underwater to suck out mud.
These strategies were the subject of a two-day tech-
nical workshop on integrated sediment management dialogue on cleaning up existing reservoirs and con-
and dam safety for 40 water experts from the five Cen- structing new small reservoirs with daily controllable
tral Asian countries. The World Bank and the Ministry water storage. This discussion was ongoing at the end
of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan or- of FY24, highlighting the region’s need for further sup-
ganized the workshop in Tashkent in April 2024, with port for water storage solutions and climate resilience.
support from GWSP and the Austrian Government. Building on this work, the World Bank was using re-
mote sensing to create a database on dams in the Aral
Additionality Sea basin and to estimate the number of people who
In preparation for the workshop, GWSP supported tech- would be affected by a dam failure. Additionally, a study
nical assistance for use of the RESCON model. During was deploying the RESCON model to assess economic
the training, the World Bank emphasized that dam impacts due to sedimentation in Central Asia’s reser-
safety is an important aspect of sedimentation man- voirs. At the GWSP-funded sedimentation workshop,
agement. Most attendees were government employees government attendees verified the data from each of their
specializing in dam safety and reservoir management own countries for the economic impacts study, further
at ministries of water, emergency management, and increasing a shared understanding of basin challenges.
hydrometeorology. The training resulted in five water- An earlier sedimentation study funded by GWSP would
related institutions being supported to build resilience provide inputs. These follow-up studies were funded
in water resources management. by the Central Asia Water & Energy Program, which is
Following the workshop, the Government of Kyr- a partnership of the World Bank, the European Union,
gyz Republic engaged the World Bank in a technical Switzerland (through SECO), and the United Kingdom.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 59
Knowledge Into Action
Climate-Resilient Irrigation
With a business-as-usual scenario, food demand is GWSP-funded knowledge and technical assistance
expected to increase as much as 56 percent by 2050 supported various World Bank Group CRI projects in
when compared with 2010. Currently, about 80 percent FY24. In Nigeria, a water management and irrigation
of food consumed in the developing world is produced infrastructure project will help increase food produc-
by 500 million small farms worldwide, most of which tion. In India, GWSP funds supported training for India’s
are rainfed croplands. Notably, irrigation covers only water resources ministry and state government staff to
22.7 percent of the arable land, and irrigated agriculture use two analytical remote sensing tools: one to assess
is three times more productive, with a gross value of which irrigation schemes are functioning and one to
55 percent of global agricultural output. Meanwhile, assess irrigation performance. In Indonesia, where
rainfed agricultural production is threatened by the in- GWSP funded research for a Bank project that improved
tensifying effects of climate change, which create both irrigation service and promoted climate-smart agricul-
droughts and floods. Around 66 percent of the global ture practices, farmers’ incomes have increased by 25
population lives in a water basin that experiences water percent.
stress for at least part of the year.
In this context, climate-resilient irrigation (CRI) is a
fundamental component of managing water for agricul- Boosting Food Security
ture. About 35 percent of water-stressed rainfed crop-
lands are suitable for sustainable irrigation, and about
Through Improved Irrigation
1.4 billion more people could be fed if rainfed croplands and Sediment Management
were converted to sustainable irrigation, under both
current and 3° Celsius warmer climate conditions—
in Nigeria
provided that adequate water resources management
policies are in place. Sustainable irrigation that in- Challenge
creases agricultural productivity is a prime source of Agriculture contributes an estimated 25.58 percent to
economic growth, rising incomes and employment, Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs
and poverty reduction. more than 60 percent of the workforce. Despite the ur-
The World Bank Group’s Global Department for Wa- gent need to increase food production for the growing
ter has a range of strategies to support climate change population of Africa’s most populous country, only 20
adaptation: improved management of water stored in percent of suitable land is farmed. The effects of climate
the soil (known as green water), irrigation innovation change have reduced the reliability of rainfall, making
and modernization, farmer-led irrigation development, agriculture more dependent on irrigation.
water accounting, and irrigation governance and ser- Of Nigeria’s 38 million hectares under cultivation,
vice delivery. Beyond adaption, the Water Department only 0.2 million hectares are irrigated. To increase food
also supports climate change mitigation through its security, raise farmer incomes, and reduce poverty, the
work on water-saving and low-methane rice cultiva- government aims to have 0.5 million hectares of land
tion. At the World Water Forum in Indonesia, the Water under irrigation by 2030. However, dams, reservoirs,
Department highlighted successful low-methane rice and irrigation canals in Nigeria require rehabilitation
initiatives in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, the and upgrades. Of the country’s 400 dams, many are
Philippines, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. either incomplete or require rehabilitation. Because
These initiatives have led to increased farmer profits, of sedimentation, reservoirs have lost capacity. Irriga-
optimized yields, and better returns through carbon tion canals are not adequately maintained, leading to
credits, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and inefficient water distribution for irrigation. This situa-
water use. tion is due, in part, to dam management institutions’
60 GWSP Annual Report 2024
GWSP Annual Report 2024 61
Knowledge Into Action
inadequate budgets, human resources, and capacity public irrigation, boosting food production, and driving
to ensure adequate water infrastructure, management, economic growth in rural areas. As of the end of FY24,
operations, and maintenance. 33,005 hectares had been fully rehabilitated (exceeding
the target), and the vast majority of the hectares had
Approach been turned over to farmers to operate and manage.
The Federal Government of Nigeria, with financing from The project’s new or improved irrigation and drainage
the World Bank, launched the Transforming Irrigation services have more than 1.12 million direct beneficia-
Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project in northern ries, of whom 47 percent are women.
Nigeria in 2014—the Bank’s first intervention in the For one TRIMING effort aimed at ensuring long-term
water management and irrigation sector in that coun- food security through improved water management
try. The project’s comprehensive approach includes at the Ruwan Kanya Reservoir in Kano State, GWSP
investment in both institutional capacity building and funding supported training for water sector managers
infrastructure rehabilitation. in sediment management and dam safety. In FY24,
The project aims to repair five existing irrigation and the trainees included senior officials responsible for
drainage systems on 30,000 hectares and to bring Nigeria’s water policy in river basins. Tailored courses
new irrigation to an additional 7,600 hectares while helped these officials understand, prioritize, and
attracting private sector investment. This project has plan for dam safety and maintenance. The training,
made tremendous progress in improving large-scale organized by the Universitat Fur Bodenkultur Wien,
62 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Nigeria
RESULTS INDICATORS
BLOCK A BLOCK B
Inclusion: Policies/strategies generated or Sustainability: Percent of new projects that
refined to enhance social inclusion of women promote sustainable and efficient water use
in accessing jobs, markets, services, or
Resilience: Percent of projects incorporating
decision-making roles in water resources/
resilience in design of water-related initiatives
water supply and sanitation or other water-
related service delivery Climate-Resilient Irrigation: Area with
new/improved irrigation services (million
Sustainability: Water-related institutions
hectares)
supported to sustain water resources, built
infrastructure assets, or both; tools and Water Security and Integrated Water
monitoring systems supported to strengthen Resources Management: Water user
sustainable management of water resources associations created/strengthened
at the national, basin, and aquifer levels; built
infrastructure assets; or both
Resilience: Water-related institutions sup-
ported to build resilience in water resources
management or service delivery
covered basic principles for setting up sediment mon- finalized by the end of 2024. More generally, GWSP
itoring plans. support strengthened the professionalism of the staff of
Nigeria’s Ministry of Water Resources, which handles all
Additionality irrigation and dam safety issues. Consequently, these
The training inspired participants to work toward estab- officials can provide better training to water industry
lishing a national program for sediment management managers, including dam managers at the national and
in Nigeria, with the goal of rehabilitating infrastructure. regional levels.
To advance this goal, GWSP supported a World Bank Regarding agricultural productivity, TRIMING has
mission in January–February 2024 to the National Water increased agricultural production by a substantial
Resources Institute (NWRI), which trains Nigerian gov- 300,000 tons annually—enough food to feed ap-
ernment water professionals, to discuss sedimentation proximately 700,000 people—in project areas. This
issues in reservoirs and to develop a roadmap for ad- achievement underscores the project’s significant con-
dressing challenges. Additionally, GWSP supported a tribution to enhancing rural livelihoods and improving
preliminary assessment of NWRI’s capacity to become food security.
a center of excellence for hydraulic engineering and TRIMING activities contributed to the design of
sediment management in West Africa. the World Bank’s Sustainable Power and Irrigation in
Regarding infrastructure, GWSP helped the Min- Nigeria project, which will provide future support for
istry of Water Resources identify which dams should sediment management activities. The TRIMING Project
be upgraded first. The analysis was expected to be was scheduled to end in January 2025.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 63
Knowledge Into Action
Employing Remote Sensing Furthermore, an estimated 68 percent of India is
to Assess Irrigation drought-prone and 12 percent is affected by floods—
problems that climate change will exacerbate. Drought
Performance in India preparedness is weakened by a lack of information that
integrates both meteorological forecasts and assess-
Challenge ments of water availability.
Water demand in India is projected to double by 2050 Addressing India’s water resources challenges re-
because of population and economic growth. This quires an integrated approach that considers all water
increased demand will place pressure on agriculture, uses and all water sources on the level of hydrologic/
which accounts for 90 percent of water use. The sector river basins. This information must be coupled with
employs 50 percent of the labor force and is critical to appropriate tools for analysis and decision-making.
the socioeconomic fabric of the country.
Despite an abundance of water resources at the Approach
national level, less than half of India’s cropland of 140 In the dry western section of India’s West Bengal state,
million hectares has access to irrigation. National pro- farmers in five districts face challenges in accessing
grams such as the Prime Minister’s Irrigation Scheme, both surface water and groundwater. Only 37 percent of
which aims to ensure irrigation water supply to every the cropland in the five districts has access to irrigation.
field, are constrained by overexploitation of ground- To assess the situation, the World Bank, with support
water, limited water availability in surface storage, and from GWSP, worked with India’s water resources min-
growing demand for reallocation of agricultural water istry (Ministry of Jal Shakti) to develop two tailored
to other priority sectors. analytical tools that use high-resolution optical and
64 GWSP Annual Report 2024
cloud-penetrating active microwave remote sensing.
One tool assesses which irrigation schemes are
functioning. It can determine the types of crops grown
India
and number of harvests per season on individual fields, RESULTS INDICATORS
and it can monitor the construction of new ponds to
hold water. Farmers can use the tool to track their
BLOCK A
production and compare it with past production, and
the government can use it to design new irrigation
schemes. The technology can be employed by any- Sustainability: Water-related
body with a smartphone and is scalable. institutions supported to sustain
The other tool assesses irrigation performance— water resources, built infrastruc-
specifically, reliability (whether water arrives when ture assets, or both; tools and
needed), equity (whether everyone has access to wa- monitoring systems supported to
ter), and uniformity (whether water arrives at different strengthen sustainable manage-
endpoints at the same pace). ment of water resources at the
The World Bank made the state-of-the-art tools avail- national, basin, and aquifer levels;
able to various users and institutions through Google built infrastructure assets; or both
Earth Engine applications and on state and national
Resilience: Water-related institu-
platforms’ online geographic information systems.
tions supported to build resilience
in water resources management
Additionality
or service delivery
A complementary World Bank effort in India, the
National Hydrology Project, aims to improve the
extent, quality, and accessibility of water resources BLOCK B
information and to strengthen the capacity of targeted
water resources management institutions. This project
Sustainability: Percent of new
serves as a platform to introduce the remote sensing
projects that promote sustainable
initiative.
and efficient water use
In FY24, GWSP funds supported training by experts
in the new Google Earth Engine apps for 60 officials Resilience: Percent of projects
from the Ministry of Jal Shakti and for 40 water user incorporating resilience in design
association field workers who visit farmers. The training of water-related initiatives
varied from virtual workshops offered by international
consultants, to informal in-person sessions with small
numbers of high-level officials, to in-the-field sessions
with water user associations. This training was expected
to persuade farmers to adopt improved technology and
to strengthen water user associations. were expected to result in new and improved irrigation
Additionally, GWSP funding helped the World Bank services in the selected command areas.
develop a preliminary remote sensing-based scorecard The World Bank used these analytical tools to inform
to assess irrigation system efficiency and to inform water implementation of other World Bank-funded projects
resources management at the scale of selected “com- in India, including the National Hydrology Project, the
mand” areas (areas served by each irrigation scheme) Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient
across India. GWSP supported Bank consultations Agriculture, the West Bengal Accelerated Development
with relevant national and state agencies regarding the of Minor Irrigation Project—Phase II, and state-run
scorecard. The scorecard and related consultations operations/schemes.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 65
Knowledge Into Action
Advancing Irrigation Service
Delivery and Climate-Smart
Agriculture in Indonesia
Challenge
Indonesia is highly vulnerable to climate change, with
potential GDP losses of 1.24 percent by 2030, escalat-
ing to 6.97 percent by the 2060s, under a scenario of
a 3°C temperature rise. The poorest populations often
reside in areas prone to water-related disasters. Agri-
culture, which uses 80 percent of the country’s water
resources, is critical to the economy. The country is
the fourth-largest rice producer globally; however,
35 percent of rice production occurs in river basins
with severe water stress, and nearly half of the irrigation
systems are in poor condition. Without intervention,
climate change could reduce agricultural productivity
by almost 18 percent by the 2080s. Additionally, Indo-
nesia is among the top emitters of methane from rice
cultivation. In Southeast Asia, rice farming contributes
25 percent to 33 percent of the region’s methane emis-
sions. In Indonesia, the agriculture sector accounts
for 59 percent of national emissions, with rice fields
contributing 19 percent of global methane emissions.
Major contributors include irrigation and fertilizer use.
Therefore, modernizing irrigation services is essential
to adapt to climate risks and enhance farmers’ income.
Approach government-owned entities that manage the provi-
To address this need, the Government of Indonesia and sion of irrigation services: river basin organizations
the World Bank launched, in 2018, the Strategic Irriga- and enterprises that operate dams. The goal was to
tion Modernization and Urgent Rehabilitation Project improve the quality, accountability, and dependability
(SIMURP), which aims to improve irrigation services, of irrigation services. In addition, the new requirement
enhance water use efficiency, modernize infrastruc- strengthens the financial sustainability of Indonesia’s
ture, and boost agricultural productivity and farmers’ irrigation service providers and makes them more
incomes. As of the end of FY24, it had rehabilitated climate-resilient.
more than 250,000 hectares of irrigation and drainage In FY24, GWSP supported efforts by the Ministry of
systems, benefiting nearly 860,000 farmers across 10 Public Works and Housing to promote irrigation service
provinces. agreements and monitor their implementation in the
In support of this project, GWSP funded research, field. As of the end of FY24, 13 agreements had been
in FY23, for Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works and signed and were being implemented.
Housing that analyzed global experiences with service
agreements between irrigation service providers and Additionality
water user associations. Based on this research, the The combined effect of GWSP’s support for the Min-
ministry began requiring these agreements for the istry of Public Works and Housing was to strengthen
66 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Indonesia
RESULTS INDICATORS
BLOCK A
Inclusion: Policies/strategies
generated or refined to enhance
social inclusion of women in
accessing jobs, markets, services,
or decision-making roles in water
resources/water supply and
sanitation or other water-related
service delivery
Sustainability: Water-related
institutions supported to sustain
water resources, built infrastruc-
ture assets, or both
Resilience: Water-related institu-
tions supported to build resilience
in water resources management
or service delivery
BLOCK B
its capacity to manage water resources and irrigation Sustainability: Percent of new
service delivery. projects that promote sustainable
Meanwhile, SIMURP has led to increased productivity, and efficient water use
with climate-smart agriculture practices scaled up across
Resilience: Percent of projects
10 Indonesian provinces, resulting in an average yield
incorporating resilience in design
increase of 6.02 tons to 7.44 tons per hectare. Farmers
of water-related initiatives
using alternate wetting and drying methods reported wa-
ter savings of 12 percent, and climate-smart agriculture Climate-Resilient Irrigation:
practices reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 35 per- Area with new/improved irrigation
cent. Farmers’ incomes increased by 25 percent, enabling services (million hectares)
investments in education and other opportunities.
Water Security and Integrated
Furthermore, the project promoted gender inclusion,
Water Resources Management:
with 80 percent female participation in water user as-
Water user associations created/
sociations and successful agribusiness development
strengthened
by women farmers’ groups in the 10 provinces. These
efforts have improved gender equity and strengthened
the resilience of farming communities.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 67
Knowledge Into Action
Water Supply and Sanitation
Water is a critical source of prosperity, yet the world is worked with partners to improve understanding of the
not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal magnitude and complexity of pollution of marine and
6 by 2030. Investment in clean water and sanitation can freshwater environments from inadequate sanitation.
prevent deaths and transform lives. In the early stages In the Lake Victoria Basin in Eastern Africa, GWSP
of life, access to water resources and water services can supported consensus-building on a regional sanitation
have long-lasting positive effects. Healthier children strategy and provided rapid sanitation assessments
become healthier adults who tend to grow more pros- that informed the development of plans to improve
perous, as demonstrated in the World Bank Group’s the delivery of sanitation and related urban services in
Water for Shared Prosperity report. Utilities are one key sanitation “hot spots.”
to achieving universal access to water and sanitation
services, and resilience and adaptation measures are
necessary given that 9 of 10 climate change events are Guiding Utilities on
related to water.
The global priority for the World Bank Group’s water
the Journey to Water
supply and sanitation (WSS) activities is universal ac- Digitalization
cess to safe, resilient, and sustainable services. In FY24,
efforts focused on improving policies, institutions, and Digitalization of the water cycle is a reality, and the
regulations in urban and rural contexts; developing Digital Water team of the Bank’s Global Department
effective policies for pricing and subsidies; building for Water worked on several fronts in FY24 to advance
utilities that provide inclusive, resilient, and sustain- that process for water supply and sanitation utilities
able services; and fostering innovation and reuse (to worldwide. In addition, the Water Department orga-
improve efficiency and address water scarcity). Some of nized “Digital Water Training Weeks” to build client
the diagnostic tools, approaches, and initiatives include capacity in adopting digital solutions and collaborated
Policy, Institutional, and Regulatory (PIR); Utility of the with the Bank’s Digital Transformation vice presidency
Future (UoF); Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS); to develop guidance on cybersecurity for the Bank’s
Water in Circular Economy and Resilience (WICER); task teams and their clients in the water sector.
Digital Water; New Water Community of Practice; and The Water Department’s support for digitalization,
work on financing and innovation. GWSP facilitates all with funding from GWSP, the Quality Infrastructure
these mechanisms. Investment Fund, and the Cybersecurity Trust Fund,
In FY24, GWSP support for World Bank Group WSS has taken three forms:
initiatives extended around the world. Globally, the
Partnership helped build the capacity of utilities to Operational Support
adopt digital solutions for greater efficiency. In Zam- As of the end of FY24, GWSP had supported the as-
bia, GWSP funded technical assistance activities that sessment of the digital maturity of 20 water supply and
complemented implementation of the Bank’s Lusaka sanitation utilities and two regulators worldwide. In ad-
Sanitation Project and that will inform future projects dition, the Water Department worked with those clients
to improve sanitation across the country by strength- to develop tailored digital roadmaps and strategies,
ening utilities. In the Pacific Islands, where GWSP has incorporating considerations of cost-benefit analysis,
long helped some of the most vulnerable countries return on investment, or both. The utilities included 10 in
adapt to climate change, the Partnership supported Latin America and the Caribbean, 4 in Africa, 3 in Europe
strengthening water security and increasing low levels and Central Asia, 2 in the Middle East and North Africa,
of access to water and sanitation services. In Mexico, and 1 in South Asia. In certain countries, these discus-
through GWSP funding of the CWIS program, the Bank sions were elevated to national-level engagements
68 GWSP Annual Report 2024
GWSP Annual Report 2024 69
Knowledge Into Action
in partnership with a national technical regulator (for Idrica and Valencia’s water utility, Aguas de Valencia.
example, Organismo Técnico de la Administración de All participants, eight utilities and one regulator from
los Servicios de Saneamiento in Peru) to scale digital Africa (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
transformation efforts across the country. Two utilities in Guinea, and Zambia) and Latin America and the Carib-
Peru—SEDAPAR and Aguas de Lima Norte—benefited bean (Argentina, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
from the support and identified areas to improve using and Peru) were either applying digital solutions in their
digital solutions. day-to-day operations or considering steps to do so.
These solutions include smart metering, e-billing,
Global Knowledge Sharing predictive maintenance, and digitally enhanced leak
and Capacity Building detection. Nevertheless, many of the participants re-
GWSP supported the development of “Digital Recipes” quired a structured way to transition from operating in
to provide utilities with practical guidance on applying a planned and reactive mode to adopting a data-driven
digital solutions to their turnaround efforts, including and proactive vision. Manual interventions were still
management of nonrevenue water, customer engage- numerous, with personnel frequently resorting to pa-
ment, and cybersecurity. At the end of FY24, two utilities per-based records or merging multiple spreadsheets
had volunteered to pilot the application of the first Digi- for analysis and reporting.
tal Recipe, focusing on reduction of nonrevenue water. Half of the participating utilities identified nonreve-
Capacity-building work included organizing nu- nue water reduction as the key challenge for which they
merous global webinars and sessions on digital wa- wished to mobilize digital expertise. Among the mech-
ter topics, in collaboration with knowledge partners anisms and strategies discussed were real-time mon-
such as the American Water Works Association and itoring and leak detection, including with the support
the Stockholm International Water Institute. The first of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, and
Digital Water Training Week , in Valencia, Spain, in predictive maintenance and asset management, also
May 2024, was held in partnership with digital expert using strategies based on data analysis and algorithms.
70 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Supporting the Sanitation
Water Digitalization Sector in Zambia
RESULTS INDICATORS
Challenge
Improving sanitation countrywide will help Zambia
BLOCK A
achieve its goal of becoming a middle-income country
by 2030. The water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector
Institutions: Water-related plays a critical role in Zambia’s economy: according
institutions supported to to a conservative World Bank estimate (2012), the
strengthen capacity for managing country loses 1.3 percent of its GDP every year due to
water resources or service poor sanitation. The Government of Zambia has made
delivery improvement of sanitation a focal point of two national
flagship programs, but it has struggled to improve ac-
Financing: Institutions supported
cess to sanitation.
to improve their financial viability
Access to improved drinking water and sanitation
and creditworthiness
varies across the country’s rural and urban areas, but
Resilience: Water-related institu- insufficient access to sanitation facilities has long
tions supported to build resilience been an issue in the capital, Lusaka, where the Lusaka
in water resources management Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC) serves
or service delivery more than 2.3 million people. The access gap leads to
waterborne diseases, environmental degradation, and
negative impacts on the economy.
Approach
A second training week, planned for Daejeon, South In 2015, the Government of Zambia and the World Bank
Korea, in December 2024, will be offered in partnership embarked on an ambitious initiative, the $68.5 million
with the Korea Water Resources Corporation. Lusaka Sanitation Project, to improve sanitation ser-
vices, increase the overall access rate, and strengthen
Cybersecurity Integration/ the capacity of the LWSC to manage sanitation services.
Internal Partnership Building GWSP supported technical assistance that comple-
In collaboration with the World Bank’s Digital Trans- mented the project’s implementation. It funded a sector
formation vice presidency, the Water Department diagnostic that produced recommendations about how
worked on developing the Sectoral Cybersecurity Ma- the design and implementation of the government’s
turity Model, which is tailored for the water sector at the flagship WSS programs could be improved to enhance
national level, to enable comprehensive assessments their effectiveness and outcomes. The diagnostic was
of cybersecurity and identification of vulnerabilities. prepared through a systematic review of relevant docu-
With funding from GWSP, the Quality Infrastructure ments and interviews with national and local government
Investment Fund, and the Cybersecurity Trust Fund, agencies, water utilities, development partners, and
the Digital Water Team plans to continue this effort private sector actors.
in FY25 and to provide direct support to utilities that In addition, GWSP funded an analysis of the risk of
wish to incorporate cybersecurity measures. Using cholera in Lusaka, using geospatial data from a recent
cybersecurity as a foundational step, the Water De- outbreak to develop investment options for water and
partment aimed to expand its collaboration with the sanitation interventions to reduce the risk, and to de-
Digital Transformation vice presidency to encompass termine the potential impact of each option. The anal-
broader digitalization efforts within the water sector. ysis compared financial cost with health benefits for
GWSP Annual Report 2024 71
Knowledge Into Action
individual and combined investments across a range contributed to greater sanitation access in peri-urban
of water and sanitation interventions. The analysis drew areas, where most of the city’s poor reside. In addi-
attention to where the greatest health benefits could be tion, the project improved fecal sludge management
achieved for the lowest cost. in Lusaka and increased the sewerage network and
Furthermore, GWSP supported technical assistance connections to it. One result was lower rates of water-
to LWSC’s information technology (IT) department for borne diseases.
the utility’s mobile payment system. Prior data collec- The GWSP-funded Water Supply and Sanitation
tion established that only 60 percent of households had Sector Diagnostic highlighted inefficiencies hindering
a resident with a smartphone, but more than 80 percent the government’s goal of achieving universal access to
had residents with more basic phones. Guided by this water and sanitation by 2030. The findings indicated
research, an expert worked with the IT department to the need for a shift from investing in infrastructure
develop a short message system-based mobile pay- to improving efficiency, reducing nonrevenue water,
ment system that could motivate households to con- and enhancing financial viability through operational
nect to sewer services, while at the same time improve improvements and technological innovations. The di-
monthly billing and increase payment rates. agnostic’s findings and recommendations have been
instrumental in developing a new project in Zambia
Additionality to strengthen commercial utilities by improving their
The Lusaka Sanitation Project ended in FY24 after operational and financial efficiencies.
improving sanitation for approximately 345,000 The GWSP-funded analysis of cholera risk informed
people (50 percent of them women), exceeding the WSS sector programming in the context of limited WSS
targeted number of beneficiaries. Notably, the project funding and nearly annual cholera outbreaks. The
72 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Building Climate-Resilient
Zambia Water Security in Pacific
RESULTS INDICATORS Island Countries
Pacific Island countries are highly vulnerable to climate
BLOCK A
change effects, which destabilize the countries’ eco-
nomic growth and human development. These effects,
Sustainability: Policies/strate- coupled with population growth, rapid urbanization, and
gies/regulatory frameworks a reliance on climate-vulnerable water sources such as
informed to strengthen sustain- rainwater, are slowing achievement of Sustainable Devel-
able management of water re- opment Goals (SDGs), including SDG 6 (Clean Water and
sources, built infrastructure Sanitation), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 14 (Life
assets, or both below Water). GWSP has funded activities in the Pacific
Islands region since 2017 to deliver analytical work, build
Financing: Institutions supported
institutional capacity, and support policy reforms.
to improve their financial viability
In Kiribati, which is especially susceptible to climate
and creditworthiness
change, the World Bank is working with the government
on the $58.12 million South Tarawa Water Supply Project
BLOCK B and the $68.5 million South Tawara Sanitation Project,
both of which were built on GWSP-funded analytical
groundwork. In FY24, the Bank conducted a detailed
Water Supply and Sanitation:
People with access to improved
water sources; people with access
to improved sanitation
Pacific Island
Countries
RESULTS INDICATORS
analysis evaluated the capacity of various investment
options to reduce outbreaks. Its recommendations re- BLOCK A
sulted in a restructuring of the Lusaka Sanitation Project
to ensure that investments were targeted to the most
Sustainability: Policies/strate-
effective and efficient initiatives. Recommendations
gies/regulatory frameworks
that the project only partially addressed remain avail-
informed to strengthen sustain-
able for other investors to implement.
able management of water re-
Seed funding from GWSP for technical assistance
sources, built infrastructure
to LWSC’s IT department provided the design basis
assets, or both
for a mobile payment system, strengthened LWSC’s
capacity to collect revenue from sewer connections, Resilience: Diagnostics con-
and improved the user experience. This technical as- ducted or implementation under-
sistance led German development agency Deutsche taken to promote principles of
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH freshwater-resilience building
(GIZ) to support expansion of the mobile payment sys-
tem service for non-network sanitation payments.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 73
Knowledge Into Action
review of the policies, institutions, and regulations improving the natural environment. The World Bank
in the water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector. The convened stakeholder workshops to bring together
Bank review found that the sector was affected by a government representatives, private sector actors, and
weak regulatory framework and limited capacity in key development partners to create and agree on the plan.
organizations. The Bank began collaborating with the Regionwide, GWSP supported an ongoing assess-
Government of Kiribati to strengthen the policy envi- ment of water security based in part on Household
ronment, including through training of the regulator, Water Insecurity Experiences Surveys in selected
as well as to act on specific opportunities identified countries. The assessment captures the many ways
by the review to integrate water and natural resources in which lack of water access can be problematic—for
management with WSS policies. example, for people’s health and dignity. Given that the
In Fiji, GWSP supported the country’s water authority Pacific Islands region has the world’s lowest levels of
in developing the country’s first national long-term WSS access to basic WSS, the assessment will be essential
strategy in FY24. Water Sector Strategy 2050, which to inform future investments. The recommendations
was approved by the Government of Fiji, identifies will align with Pasifika strengths and traditional ways
priority projects and programs through 2050 that are of managing water. Early survey results in Papua New
focused on transforming service delivery, increasing Guinea and Fiji indicated that 67 percent of households
resiliency, retrofitting aging water and wastewater in- with disruptions in water service are water insecure.
frastructure, contributing to the circular economy, and Final study results were expected in FY25.
74 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Modeling the Intersection of
Ocean Health, Sanitation, Mexico
and Investment in Mexico RESULTS INDICATORS
Challenge
BLOCK A
Gaps in wastewater collection and treatment, as well as
inappropriate on-site sanitation, add to contamination
on Mexican coastlines. This discharge creates serious Sustainability: Policies/strate-
problems for freshwater and marine ecosystems. gies/regulatory frameworks
Mexico seeks to improve the overall management informed to strengthen sustain-
of marine ecosystems along its nearly 6,000 miles able management of water re-
of coastline. One aspect of improved management sources, built infrastructure
is a comprehensive assessment of ocean health to assets, or both
strengthen sanitation-related decision-making. An-
Resilience: Diagnostics con-
other is robust planning or prioritization mechanisms
ducted or implementation under-
for investments in wastewater or sanitation-related in-
taken to promote principles of
vestments that are critical to securing funding. Mexico’s
freshwater-resilience building
National Water Commission (CONAGUA) requested
World Bank support in expanding its sanitation plan- Institutions: Water-related insti-
ning options, including options for protecting ocean tutions supported to strengthen
health and improving water quality. capacity for managing water
GWSP funding enabled the Bank to work with part- resources or service delivery
ners, through the project Support to Advance Citywide
Inclusive Sanitation in Mexico, to improve the coun-
try’s understanding of the magnitude and complexity
of marine and freshwater pollution due to inadequate
sanitation. This effort brought together environmental
sector and sanitation sector perspectives, and it iden- investment model that uses the results of the ocean
tified helpful tools and approaches. health model to prioritize areas for investment. Using
the model, the project team simulated different invest-
Approach ment scenarios that can prioritize investments in areas
A research team from the University of California, where discharges are highest or critical habitats are at
Santa Barbara (UCSB) developed a model based on greatest risk. The scenarios allow decision-makers to
major sources of nitrogen pollution (sanitation, crop pinpoint where investments such as wastewater treat-
production, and livestock production) to measure ment plants can have the greatest impact.
inputs and impacts from watersheds on the health The National Public Works Bank of Mexico plans
of oceans. The Bank partnered with UCSB, Montana to fund monitoring and evaluation activities in the
State University, Mexico Autonomous National Uni- Gulf of California. The GWSP-funded sanitation
versity (UNAM), and the National Public Works Bank investment model will use real-time data collected
of Mexico to assess Gulf of California coastlines. With through the ocean health model, providing for dy-
GWSP support, UCSB transferred technical knowl- namic information sharing and resulting in the most
edge about the ocean health model to UNAM, which current information regarding the health of the coast.
adapted the approach for the Gulf of California and That information will allow CONAGUA to monitor im-
used it to assess ocean water. provements in water quality and ocean health due to
In addition, GWSP supported creation of a sanitation investments.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 75
Knowledge Into Action
Additionality California, with the potential for the applications to scale
Successful implementation of the ocean health and up nationally to the entire Mexican coastline. The proj-
sanitation nexus approach, and the partnership be- ect supported and advanced the World Bank’s agenda
tween the World Bank and academic and public in- for applying the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation initiative
stitutions, prompted UNAM to develop a network of in Mexico to an assessment of sanitation’s impact on
stakeholders with a shared interest in the Gulf of Cali- ocean health, an emerging area of work.
fornia’s ecosystems and water quality. The network is GWSP support strengthened the capacity of institu-
open to nongovernmental organizations and private tions to monitor the impact of investments and provided
sector and public sector institutions. The Bank aimed to tools to support this effort. The ocean health and san-
be part of this network, contributing technical expertise itation investment models may become the basis for
for the continued application of the ocean health and innovative financing mechanisms such as blue bonds,
sanitation investment simulations. allowing private sector financing to complement public
This pilot project demonstrated the power of part- financing. The Bank team in Mexico shared the collabo-
nership at the convergence of human health and ocean rative approach for sanitation investment based on ocean
health. CONAGUA planned to build on successful appli- health with other country teams, and as of the end of FY24,
cations of the sanitation investment model in the Gulf of there was potential for its replication in other countries.
76 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Promoting Lakewide to protect the vital water resource. Consequently, the
Integrated Sanitation Bank began to work with the five Lake Victoria Basin
countries to apply principles of the GWSP-supported
Services in the Lake Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) initiative to the ba-
Victoria Basin sin. CWIS focuses on service provision and its enabling
environment, rather than on building infrastructure.
Challenge Approach
Lake Victoria is the second-largest body of freshwater The World Bank helped lay the foundation for address-
on Earth and the primary source for drinking water, ing sanitation as a driver of pollution of Lake Victoria
irrigation, food, and transport for roughly 40 million using a proposed multiphase, multisectoral approach.
people in a basin that covers parts of Kenya, Tanzania, The approach required two key activities: (1) convene
and Uganda and extends to Burundi and Rwanda. The representatives from each of the five basin countries
Lake Victoria Basin faces rapid population growth and and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission to understand
urbanization, both of which negatively affect the lake’s the key sanitation and related issues and to agree to
critical environmental, social, and economic services collaborate to better manage them, and (2) develop a
for the region. plan for improving sanitation and related urban services
A 2020 World Bank study found that the water quality in the basin.
of Lake Victoria was deteriorating. The study, funded by To start, key stakeholders from the five basin coun-
Cooperation in International Waters in Africa, identified tries conferred about the sanitation problems. With the
three key sources of pollution: unsustainable land man- GWSP-funded support of the not-for-profit Water & San-
agement, untreated industrial effluent, and untreated itation for the Urban Poor, the stakeholders developed
human waste from urban settlements. Given rapid ur- the “Lakewide Inclusive Sanitation” strategy, drawing
banization within the basin, addressing the sanitation on CWIS principles that were adjusted to the realities
challenge on a regional basis emerged as a priority of the basin. The 22nd Sectoral Council of Ministers for
GWSP Annual Report 2024 77
Knowledge Into Action
Lake Victoria Basin endorsed and adopted the strategy Tanzania, and Rwanda. Those locations represent the
in February 2024, allowing the five countries to jointly different typologies of cities within the basin. The ac-
seek financing to implement the plan. tion plans, which were jointly prepared by the countries
The next step was a series of assessments of the and Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor, provided
region’s sanitation landscape. GWSP funded an expert environmental insights about the different settings
consultant to conduct rapid sanitation situation anal- and identified interventions to improve the delivery of
yses in 57 urban settlements across the five countries sanitation and related urban services. The plans also
to understand the issues in different “hot spots.” The identified the costs involved and made suggestions for
findings became the foundation for strategic sanitation the types of investments needed. An assessment for a
action plans for four selected cities in Kenya, Uganda, city in Burundi was scheduled to be completed in FY25.
78 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Additionality
Developing a robust regional strategy for the multi-
faceted challenges posed by lack of access to safely
Lake Victoria
managed sanitation required collaboration with multi- RESULTS INDICATORS
ple stakeholders within the World Bank. To strengthen
the integrated sanitation approach, the Bank team
BLOCK A
identified Bank-funded, national-level projects in the
basin countries that could accommodate the sanitation
interventions. Sustainability: Policies/strategies/
As a result of GWSP’s support, a roadmap for ad- regulatory frameworks informed to
vancing the Lakewide Inclusive Sanitation strategy strengthen sustainable manage-
was developed and, at the end of FY24, the five basin ment of water resources, built
countries and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission infrastructure assets, or both
were using it to advocate for corresponding sanitation
Resilience: Policies/strategies/
investment programs.
regulatory frameworks developed
GWSP’s support extended to knowledge-sharing
or implemented to strengthen the
and capacity-building activities for the initiative. The
resilience of freshwater basins, the
Bank produced two GWSP-funded papers. Framing
delivery of services for communi-
Lakewide Inclusive Sanitation Engagement in the Lake
ties dependent on these basins,
Victoria Basin examines integrated environmental
or both; water-related institutions
sanitation responses and outlines a results-based ap-
supported to build resilience in
proach for contracting support for the basin countries
water resources management or
to prepare and implement integrated sanitation inter-
service delivery
ventions. Reviving Lake Victoria: A Regional Approach
to Inclusive Sanitation outlines the overall strategy Financing: Institutions supported
and specific activities for providing safely managed to improve their financial viability
integrated sanitation services in the basin, thereby and creditworthiness
reducing the impact of poorly managed human and
Inclusion: Water-related institu-
solid waste on the lake.
tions trained in gender issues or HR
GWSP’s support served to strengthen the capacity
practices related to diversity and
of basin-wide, national, regional, and local institutions
inclusion
within Lake Victoria Basin to plan and design integrated
and inclusive sanitation interventions. The activities
have provided robust foundations for a proposed long- BLOCK B
term World Bank multiphase programmatic approach
(MPA)—a Bank financing approach that allows for
Institutions: Percentage of projects
large, complex engagements to be broken down into
that support reforms/actions that
manageable, interconnected phases. If approved by
strengthen institutional capacity
basin countries and the Lake Victoria Basin Commis-
sion, the Bank engagement would continue to provide Water Supply and Sanitation:
CWIS services to improve Lake Victoria’s water quality People with access to improved
and the well-being of basin communities. The Lake water sources; people with access
Victoria Basin Commission, in coordination with the to improved sanitation
basin countries, prepared a pre-concept note for the
sanitation engagement, which they were refining in the
context of the proposed MPA at the end of FY24.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 79
4
Advancing
Results
GWSP Annual Report 2024 81
Advancing Results
The Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership is The GWSP Results
dedicated to advancing a water-secure world for all by
sustaining water resources, delivering water services,
Framework
and building resilience. In pursuit of this mission, GWSP The GWSP Results Framework streamlines the tracking
supports client governments in achieving water-related and reporting of results using standardized indicators
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by leveraging across five priority themes: inclusion, resilience, fi-
global knowledge, providing on-the-ground assis- nancing, institutions, and sustainability. Indicators are
tance, influencing World Bank financing mechanisms, grouped into three blocks. Block A looks at the multiyear
and fostering global dialogue and advocacy with key knowledge and technical assistance activities supported
partners and clients to enhance its reach and impact. by GWSP. Block B considers how GWSP-supported
This chapter provides an overview of the accomplish- knowledge and technical assistance has influenced
ments in fiscal year 2024 (FY24). A comprehensive set newly approved and active World Bank lending opera-
of tables in Appendix B details the indicators, targets, tions in terms of design and outcomes. Block C includes
and results performance for both Block A and Block qualitative and quantitative assessments of the influence
B of the GWSP Results Framework. GWSP’s theory of and impact of knowledge and technical assistance on
change is illustrated in figure 4.1. lending operations of the Global Department for Water
in nine priority countries, based on agreed-upon indica-
tors, at intervals over the life of GWSP (box 4.1).
BOX 4.1
GWSP Results Framework’s Three Components
Knowledge, Analytics, and
BLOCK A BLOCK C Combined Results
Technical Assistance
• Institutions, policies, or both strengthened in sup- • Results from technical assistance, knowledge
port of the five priority themes work, and lending operations in priority countries
and country groupings. Phase 1 included the fol-
• Amount (in US dollars) of World Bank lending lowing countries: Arab Republic of Egypt, Bangla-
influenced by GWSP-supported knowledge and desh, Benin, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Pakistan, the
technical assistance Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, and Uganda. Phase
2 (to be launched in FY25) includes the following
Influence on World Bank countries/country groupings: Bangladesh, Ethio-
BLOCK B
Lending pia, Haiti, Jordan, Mozambique, Nigeria, Central
Asia (Amu Darya River Basin covering Tajikistan,
• Design features of the World Bank’s Water Depart-
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), Senegal and Niger
ment lending that address GWSP’s five priority
River basins, and Pacific Islands.
themes (sustainability, inclusion, finance, institu-
tions, and resilience)
• Baseline data reported in FY18 (phase 1) and FY25
(phase 2) and results reported at midterm (FY20
• Access/availability of services and number of
and FY22 for phase 1; annual learning exercises
strengthened institutions across all water subsec-
for phase 2) and end of term
tors, as reported by the active World Bank lending
portfolio in the water sector
82 GWSP Annual Report 2024
GWSP Annual Report 2024 83
Advancing Results
FIGURE 4.1
PROBLEM ANALYSIS INTERVENTIONS
GWSP’s Theory
of Change KEY PROBLEMS & EFFECTS GWSP
ENTRY POINTS
GWSP’s “Knowledge LACK OF ACCESS
Into Implementation”
Lack of access to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene
Brings About Results underlies public health, economic, and environmental
Across All Water challenges across the developing world.
Subsectors
WATER SHOCKS LONG TERM
The GWSP Results Framework Increasing demand, variable supply, widespread COUNTRY
tracks how the Partnership pollution, and water-related disasters are ENGAGEMENT
helps client countries resulting in water stress and scarcity.
improve and deliver water
services by working to FOOD INSECURITY
enhance the impact of the Growing demand for food and fiber, unsustainable
World Bank’s water portfolio resource use, and vulnerability of smallholder farmers
and to achieve measurable are affecting agricultural productivity.
results on the ground. KNOWLEDGE
MOBILIZATION
In particular, the Results UNDERLYING CHALLENGES
Framework demonstrates POLICY, INSTITUTIONAL, & REGULATORY DRIVERS
the additionality of GWSP • Weak planning processes and water sector
support—the added value that management
could not be achieved with • Conflicting policies and misaligned incentives
World Bank lending alone. • Weak institutional capacity and collaboration on
sector goals
• Low participation and inclusion of stakeholders and JUST IN TIME
land users SUPPORT
TECHNICAL DRIVERS
• Lack of knowledge and data
• Insufficient sharing of best practices
• Knowledge gaps in sustainable water supply
and resource management
CROSS CUTTING
• Fragmented and poorly targeted financing
• Poorly planned infrastructure/resilience/sustainability THEMES
Inclusion, Sustainability,
Financing, Institutions,
and Resilience
CONTEXTUAL FACTORS
Climate change; fragility, conflict, and violence;
weak governance; biodiversity loss; etc.
84 GWSP Annual Report 2024
RESULTS GOALS & IMPACTS
KEY OUTPUTS INTERMEDIATE LONG TERM OBJECTIVE
OUTCOMES OUTCOMES
To achieve a water-secure
• Water sector Institutions
Influenced world for all by sustaining
stakeholders engaged strengthened and
development finance water resources, delivering
(including platforms) country policy, legal, and
investments in the
• Water-related
water sector regulatory frameworks services, and building
institutions supported in place, contributing resilience
• Policy, strategies, and Strengthened to sustainable, resilient,
regulatory frameworks in-country water and inclusive water
developed, informed sector dialogue management and service GOAL 1
• Proof-of-concept delivery SDG 6
Enhanced capacity
pilots undertaken and other
of service delivery Infrastructure
institutions to design water-related
investment programs
and implement SDGs
• Plans, strategies, pol- implemented,
sustainable, inclusive, contributing to
icy notes, handbooks, and resilient water
manuals, and sustainable, resilient,
sector reforms and and inclusive water
approaches dra ed investment programs GOAL 2
and disseminated management and service
delivery World Bank
• Tools and monitoring Enhanced capacity
Group Twin
systems developed of service delivery Water sector investment Goals
and supported institutions to raise programs implemented
• Global knowledge and commercial finance End extreme
through a broad range of
advocacy campaigns poverty and
financing options
delivered boost shared
prosperity
on a livable
ENHANCING planet
• Capacity building and ACTIVITIES
training delivered
• Policy and technical INTERNAL
Training, project quality BUSINESS
advice provided
• Diagnostics and assurance, fit-for-purpose LINES
analytics conducted lending instruments, etc. • Climate-Resilient Irrigation
• Innovative approaches • Water Resources Management
piloted EXTERNAL • Water Supply and Sanitation
Advocacy, knowledge
dissemination, dialogue and
communication, etc.
BLOCK A BLOCK B1 BLOCK A BLOCK B1 BLOCK B2
BLOCK C validates the
knowledge-into-implementation
BLOCK C model across the results chain in
select priority countries.
Supported by our clients, partners, and World Bank staff
GWSP Annual Report 2024 85
Advancing Results
Knowledge and Technical In FY24, the GWSP portfolio contributed results across
Assistance Supported all five priority themes. Each GWSP activity was assigned
a primary theme to which it was expected to contribute
by GWSP results. Given the cross-cutting nature of the themes,
most activities contribute results to the primary theme
Block A comprises intermediate out- and to other themes, which are recorded as secondary
BLOCK A comes that are directly achieved by themes. Activities are expected to deliver results under
GWSP’s analytical and advisory activi- all applicable themes (primary and secondary).
ties. As seen in the various stories presented in chap- Regarding primary themes (figure 4.2, panel A), the
ter 3, these activities include engaging stakeholders portfolio’s contribution in FY24 was heavily focused
(e.g., Promoting Lakewide Integrated Sanitation on sustainability, resilience, and institutions. For sec-
Services in the Lake Victoria Basin), informing sector ondary themes, the portfolio’s overall contribution to
policies and strategies (e.g., An Agile Approach to As- the five priority themes was more balanced across
sessing Water Security in Europe and Central Asia), sustainability, institutions, and resilience. Additionally,
providing technical assistance (e.g., Improving Utility the extent to which the active grant portfolio addresses
Performance and Creditworthiness in Karachi), climate adaptation, climate mitigation, or both can now
publishing and disseminating knowledge products and be identified. In FY24, 83 percent of grants reported ad-
developing tools (e.g., Employing Remote Sensing to dressing climate adaptation, climate mitigation, or both.
Assess Irrigation Performance in India), and pilot- The secondary theme analysis also showed a larger
ing innovative approaches (e.g., Guiding Utilities on share of grants contributing to inclusion and financing
the Journey to Water Digitalization). Through these (figure 4.2, panel B) when compared with the priority
activities, GWSP influences investments in the water theme breakdown.
sector, both within and outside the World Bank. Block A includes 23 indicators that measure
FIGURE 4.2
The Cross-Cutting Nature of Financing and Inclusion, as Percentage
of Portfolio, FY24
a. Primary themes b. Secondary themes
Financing 1% Resilience 3% Financing 13%
Sustainability 42% Sustainability 26%
Resilience 13%
Institutions 26%
Inclusion 28% Inclusion 23% Institutions 25%
86 GWSP Annual Report 2024
expected results at the intermediate outcome level 19 percent were expected to start achieving results by
across the five priority themes. Of the 204 active the end of the grant period (FY25–26).
grants this year, 81 percent were reported to have Box 4.2 summarizes some grants results. A detailed
achieved one or more intermediate outcomes accord- breakdown of Block A-related results is included in
ing to Block A indicators (figure 4.3). The remaining appendix B, table B.1.
BOX 4.2
Example of Results, FY24
31 countries 13 countries
(compared with 26 countries (compared with 8 in FY23) were
in FY23) were supported to supported to develop policies/
develop policies and strategies strategies to enhance social
that strengthen the sustainable inclusion of women, persons with institutions for managing water
management of water resources disabilities, or other excluded resources or service delivery.
and built infrastructure assets. groups in the management of wa-
ter resources or service delivery. 31 countries
13 countries (compared with 12 in FY23)
(compared with 11 in FY23) were 34 countries were supported to develop
supported to improve the finan- (compared with 28 in FY23) were policies, strategies, or regulatory
cial viability and creditworthiness supported to strengthen the frameworks to improve financial
of their water sector institutions. capacity of their water-related viability.
FIGURE 4.3
Intermediate Outcomes Achieved Through Active Grants, FY24
Resilience
Financing
In FY24, 83 percent
Institutions
of grants reported
Inclusion addressing climate
adaptation, climate
Sustainability
mitigation, or both.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Results achieved in FY24
Results expected to be achieved by end of grant
GWSP Annual Report 2024 87
Advancing Results
GWSP’s Direct Influence on the Central African Republic, Comoros, Ethiopia, Nige-
World Bank Water Lending ria, and Timor Leste) and one regional project (Eastern
and Southern Africa) in fragile and conflict-affected
GWSP’s unique value proposition enables GWSP to in- situations. Map 4.1 shows that more than half of the
fluence, through knowledge and technical assistance, newly influenced lending projects were for projects
the design and implementation of water sector reforms in Africa (54 percent), followed by South Asia (23
and infrastructure projects financed by the World Bank. percent).
In FY24, GWSP informed lending projects totaling GWSP’s influence extended beyond the Global De-
$44.8 billion; of this amount, $9.3 billion was for newly partment for Water. In FY24, more than a third (35 per-
reported projects, reflecting the multiyear nature of cent) of the lending projects influenced by GWSP were
GWSP activities, which may influence any one project led by departments other than the Water Department.
at different points in the project’s lifetime.1 This finding is consistent with the role that water plays
Among the newly influenced lending projects, in all facets of the World Bank’s work, including in en-
which represent commitments of more than $2.8 bil- suring that clients are prepared to adapt to and mitigate
lion, eight were linked to six countries (Burkina Faso, climate change impacts. For example, and as displayed
MAP 4.1
GWSP-Influenced Global Water-Related World Bank Lending
by Region, FY24
Europe and
Central Asia
$0.42B in lending
7 projects
4% of total
Middle East and
North Africa
$0.24B in lending East Asia and
1 project Pacific
3% of total $0.27B in lending
2 projects
3% of total
South Asia
$2.14B in lending
7 projects
Latin America Sub-Saharan 23% of total
and the Caribbean Africa
$1.18B in lending $5.08B in lending
6 projects 23 projects
13% of total 54% of total
Source: GWSP portfolio monitoring data.
88 GWSP Annual Report 2024
in figure 4.4, GWSP informed approximately $1.2 bil- sources of financing for GWSP-influenced World Bank
lion in the Urban, Resilience, and Land Department’s lending. Of this lending, 61 percent ($5.7 billion) was in
FY24 lending portfolio, and more than $750 million in countries eligible to be financed by the International
the portfolio of the Environment, Natural Resources, Development Association (IDA), the part of the World
and the Blue Economy Department. Figure 4.5 shows Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries.
FIGURE 4.4
GWSP-Influenced World Bank Lending by Department
US$ billions/percentage of total
Urban, Resilience, and Land $1.2/13%
Water $6.1/65% Environment, Natural Resources, and the Blue Economy $0.8/8%
Energy and Extractives $0.5/5%
Agriculture and Food $0.3/4%
Education $0.2/2%
Health, Nutrition, and Population $0.2/2%
Macroeconomics, Trade, and Investment $0.1/1%
FIGURE 4.5
GWSP-Influenced World Bank Lending by Financing Source
Eligibility, FY24
US$ billions
Blend $0.57
In FY24, 61 percent
of GWSP influence
IDA $5.10 IBRD $3.64 was in IDA-eligible
countries.
Grant Financing $0.01
GWSP Annual Report 2024 89
Advancing Results
Reporting on Portfolio Shifts GWSP or its predecessors—the Water Sanitation Pro-
and Project Results gram and the Water Partnership Program (appendix
B, table B.3).
As illustrated in the GWSP theory of
BLOCK B change, GWSP’s knowledge, analytics, Newly Approved Water Global
and technical assistance influence how Department Lending Projects
policies and projects are designed and implemented In FY24, total approved financing for water, led by the
so that they are positioned to deliver better outcomes. Water Department, was $3.64 billion, almost a billion
Progress along this results chain is reported through less than in FY23. This financing corresponded to 22
Block B indicators. projects spanning GWSP’s three main business lines:
One set of indicators (Block B1) is used to document water supply and sanitation (11 projects), water re-
both the performance of new Water Department lend- sources management (7 projects), and climate-resilient
ing across GWSP’s five priority themes and the ways irrigation (4 projects).
that thematic priorities are reflected in projects’ design In FY24, projects improved or maintained their per-
and monitoring (appendix B, table B.2). A second set of formance against 11 of 14 Block B1 indicators tracking
indicators (Block B2) is used to document the results of GWSP’s influence in the design of new water lending
all active World Bank water-related lending operations, (table 4.1). Under the theme of sustainability, all 22
most of which were influenced by activities funded by projects approved in FY24 scored positively against
TABLE 4.1
BLOCK B
Block B1 Indicators: Progress and Targets Summary
Baseline Progress Progress
Indicator FY22 FY23 FY24 Target
Number of new projects 24 26 22 —
Sustainability % of projects that promote sustainable 100 100 100 95
and efficient water use
% of rural WSS lending projects that 100 100 100 90
measure functionality of water points
Inclusion % of projects that are gender tagged* 100 100 100 85
% of projects with other social inclusion 88 73 74 75
aspects†
% of IDA-financed infrastructure — 89 93 65
operations in water, including actions
to create employment opportunities for
women in medium- and high-skilled jobs
in this sector ‡
% of water projects with disability- — 54 58 60
inclusive approaches in WASH‡
90 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Baseline Progress Progress
Indicator FY22 FY23 FY24 Target
Institutions % of projects that support reforms/ 100 96 100 100
actions that strengthen institutional
capacity
Finance % of projects that support reforms/ 89 81 77 85
actions for improving financial viability
% of projects with explicit focus on 22 8 41 20
leveraging private finance
Resilience % of projects incorporating resilience in 100 100 100 100
design of water-related initiatives
Number of fragile and conflict-affected 7¶ 9** 5†† 20
states supported with a resilience lens§
% of new World Bank lending 58 65 68 60
commitments with climate change
co-benefits
% of projects that have at least one — 100 100 100
climate-related indicator in their results
framework‡
Net GHG emissions (tCO2eq/year)‡ — -732,508 -540,959 -900,000
Source: GWSP portfolio monitoring data.
Note: GHG = greenhouse gas; WASH = water supply, sanitation, and hygiene; WSS = water supply and sanitation; — = not available.
* Measures the percentage of projects that demonstrate a results chain by linking gender gaps identified in the analysis to specific actions
tracked in the results framework.
† Projects that target poor, vulnerable, or underserved communities or areas. Excludes citizen engagement, which is included under
corporate monitoring.
‡ Indicator added in FY23.
§ In FY24, 38 countries and 1 economy were classified as having fragile and conflict-affected situations, per corporate guidelines. Target is
cumulative for the period FY23–30.
¶ 20 cumulative FY18–22.
** 8 countries and the economy of West Bank and Gaza.
†† 14 cumulative FY23–24.
the indicator documenting the inclusion of measures aims to strengthen the management of water resources
that promote sustainable and efficient water use, and and to increase access to safely managed water and
all four water and sanitation projects in rural areas in- sanitation services in selected regions of Côte d’Ivoire.
cluded activities to measure the functionality of water The program’s first phase ($250 million) will support
points. One of these projects is the Côte d’Ivoire Water sustainable and efficient water use by helping the
Security and Sanitation Support Program. This $825 Government of Côte d’Ivoire improve the knowledge
million multiphase programmatic approach program and management of water resources and implement
GWSP Annual Report 2024 91
Advancing Results
integrated water resources management for the first projects supported reforms/actions to improve finan-
time in the country’s Bandama Basin, which traverses cial viability, falling short of the 85 percent target. This
the entire country from north to south and is shared shortfall is primarily due to portfolio variability, with a
with eight other riparian countries. It will also support focus on water resources management projects, which
the transformation of the national water utility into an are less likely to support financial viability reforms or
asset-holding firm, strengthen the regulation of private actions for water management institutions. Under
sector service delivery, and develop institutional mech- the inclusion theme, 58 percent of newly approved
anisms for the management of rehabilitated dams. projects included disability-inclusive approaches in
Projects have not yet met the FY30 targets for 4 of water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), against
11 indicators under the themes of inclusion, financing, a target of 60 percent. Despite not meeting the target,
and resilience, but they are showing progress. Under FY24 performance improved from 54 percent in FY23,
the financing theme, 77 percent of newly approved indicating progress.
92 GWSP Annual Report 2024
FY24 included disability-inclusive approaches in WASH
(compared with a target of 60 percent by FY30).
Resilience: All new projects incorporated resilience
in the design of water-related activities, in line with the
FY30 target. Furthermore, the percentage of projects
with climate change co-benefits increased from 65
percent in FY23 to 68 percent in FY24. However, the
total net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions expected
to be reduced by the projects was lower this year than
in FY23. The reason: official GHG calculations did not
include four projects funded through the Program for
Results instrument. This financing instrument was not
part of the methodology used by the third party that
verified the World Bank’s GHG emissions data for the
corporate scorecard in FY24. Inclusion of unofficial
GHG figures from these excluded projects would raise
the annual net GHG emission reductions in FY24 by
573,472 tCO2eq/year. Additionally, newly approved proj-
ects incorporating a resilience lens in their design were
supporting five countries affected by fragility and con-
flict (Burkina Faso, Comoros, Ethiopia, Mozambique,
and the Solomon Islands).
Financing: The percentage of projects supporting re-
forms/actions to improve financial viability decreased
from 81 percent in FY23 to 77 percent in FY24, but the
percentage of projects focusing on leveraging private
finance increased from 8 percent to 41 percent. One
such project is the $150 million Burkina Faso Water
Security Project, which aims to improve dam safety, ac-
cess to irrigation and watershed services, and climate
resilience. Despite the challenge of making dam safety
projects privately profitable, the project seeks to attract
In FY24, GWSP supported the following achieve- private sector participation by assisting the govern-
ments: ment in promoting financial sustainability through the
establishment of a water fund to implement the National
Inclusion: In FY24, 100 percent of projects were Strategy for Maintenance and Safety of Dams.
gender-tagged, meaning that during implementation,
they demonstrated a results chain by linking gender Institutions: All projects approved in FY24 supported
gaps identified in the design phase analysis to specific reforms/actions that strengthen institutional capacity
actions tracked in the GWSP Results Framework. In ad- (compared with 96 percent in FY23). One of these proj-
dition, 93 percent of IDA-financed operations in water ects is the $350 million Morocco Water Security and
included actions to create employment opportunities Resilience Program, which aims to strengthen water
for women in medium- and high-skilled water sector sector institutions and increase water availability in
jobs. More than half (58 percent) of the projects in selected areas of Morocco. The program will support
GWSP Annual Report 2024 93
Advancing Results
the government in enhancing the sector’s governance
for sustained water resources management. This goal
will be achieved by preparing and adopting the National
In FY24, 16.37 million
Water Plan, which is based on a long-term strategy that people benefited from
addresses increasing uncertainties due to climate
change. The plan will also define principles of water
water risk mitigation
valuation. Additionally, the program will support the de- methods, including
velopment, adoption, and implementation of regulatory
instruments and consultative processes to improve the
measures against
implementation of participative aquifer management floods and droughts.
contracts, among other initiatives.
Sustainability: In FY24, all 22 approved water projects
promoted sustainable and efficient water use, in line
with performance in FY23. Furthermore, the indicator GWSP and its predecessors, the Water Sanitation
for rural water supply and sanitation that measures the Program and the Water Partnership Program. Figure
functionality of water points held steady at 100 percent 4.6 highlights some of the results achieved in FY24.
in FY24. In terms of performance, three of five indicator tar-
Of the 11 WSS projects approved in FY24, all included gets for water supply and sanitation met or exceeded
activities, results indicators, or both covering different the yearly target range. The number of people provided
dimensions of the safely managed level of service in with access to improved water in FY24 was 17.24 million,
the water or sanitation service ladders. Eight projects 16 percent above the upper bound of the yearly target
(in Brazil, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Mozam- range. This over-performance was mainly due to results
bique, Senegal, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam) reported by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Services
included results indicators aligned with SDG 6.1, SDG Improvement Project in Pakistan, which provided ac-
6.2, or both. One project in Kenya included results cess to 7.26 million additional people in FY24, exceeding
indicators compliant with SDG objectives on WASH its own target. Twenty-two percent of the people pro-
in schools and healthcare facilities. The $458 million vided with access to sanitation in FY24 through World
Kenya Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program aims Bank projects were in IDA-eligible countries.2 Thirteen
to increase sustainable access to improved water and percent of total results were in countries affected by
sanitation services, eliminate open defecation, and fragility and conflict (Burkina Faso, the Democratic Re-
improve the financial performance of water services public of Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq,
in selected counties, including two refugee-hosting Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, the
counties: Turkana and Garissa. The program aims to Solomon Islands, Somalia, and Yemen).
provide 900 rural public early-childhood development On the other hand, the number of people provided
centers and primary schools and 900 rural healthcare with access to improved sanitation in FY24 was 4.13
facilities with adequate WASH facilities by 2029. million, which is 51 percent below the lower bound of
the yearly target. This shortfall is due to variability in the
Active World Bank Lending Projects maturity of the portfolio, causing results to materialize
in the Water Sector unequally from year to year. However, when consid-
Better-designed projects and enhanced technical ering the average yearly performance for FY23–24,
assistance during implementation were expected to an average of 10 million people have been provided
result in better project outcomes. A total of 207 ongoing with access to improved sanitation, which is 3 percent
lending operations in the World Bank’s water-related above the upper target range. More than half of the
portfolio reported their results in FY24. Most of these people who gained access to improved sanitation (54
operations were influenced by activities funded by percent) in FY24 did so in IDA-eligible countries, while
94 GWSP Annual Report 2024
FIGURE 4.6
Results Reported by World Bank Lending Operations, FY24
= Yearly indicative target
Millions of people with Millions of people with
access to an improved access to improved sanitation
water source
5 10 15 5 10
17.24 4.13
Female: Female:
8.53 12.9–14.9 2.06 8.42–9.7
Schools and health centers with Millions of people covered
access to improved water and by risk mitigation measure
sanitation services (flood/drought)
2,000 4,000 6,000 5 10 15
5,404 16.37
1,377–1,875 4.1–5
Millions of hectares under Institutions with water
sustainable land/water resources management
management practices monitoring systems
1.0 2.0 3.0 5 10 15 20
2.9 24
1.0–1.2 22–24
GWSP Annual Report 2024 95
Advancing Results
34 percent of total results were in countries affected by Project. Among the total beneficiaries reported under
fragility, conflict, and violence (Ethiopia, Iraq, Lebanon, this indicator, 29 percent were in IDA-eligible coun-
Mozambique, and Yemen). tries, and 17 percent were from countries affected by
Of the indicator targets focused on water in agricul- fragility, conflict, and violence (Chad, Ethiopia, Haiti,
ture and on water resources management, six of eight Mozambique, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, and
performed within or above the target range. In FY24, Yemen).
2.48 million farmers adopted improved agricultural Countries have expressed their commitment to ac-
technology; of these farmers, 80 percent were in IDA-el- celerating progress toward achieving the Sustainable
igible countries and 21 percent of total results were in Development Goals, including those related to water.
countries affected by fragility and conflict (Burundi, Given the essential nature of water for people, food
Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, security, planetary sustainability, and the economy,
the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mozambique, GWSP’s role is now more crucial than ever. Countries
Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan). will require increased technical assistance, conven-
In FY24, 16.37 million people benefited from water ing, innovation scale-up, capacity building, and the
risk mitigation methods, including measures against strengthening of water institutions. Ensuring that all
floods and droughts. Notably, 9.5 million of these peo- voices are heard and that everyone can benefit from
ple benefited from Poland’s Vistula Flood Management advancements in the water sector is vital.
96 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Reporting on the Combined In FY25, GWSP will conduct a baseline assessment
Results of GWSP Technical to identify key sustainability and resilience challenges
in the water sector for each country/grouping. This
Assistance and World Bank assessment will create theories of change to describe
Lending in Nine Countries how GWSP-funded technical assistance will achieve
sustainability and resilience results; design a results
In FY24, GWSP conducted the final framework with indicators, baselines, and targets for
BLOCK C monitoring round for the first group of FY30; and develop context-specific learning questions
Block C countries: the Arab Republic of for the new Block C engagement period.
Egypt, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Paki-
stan, Uganda, and Viet Nam. This monitoring followed Notes
midterm assessments in FY20 and FY22. A separate 1. Influenced lending is calculated on the basis of (1) approved
compendium summarizing the results achieved as of and pipeline lending projects that were informed in a given fiscal
the end of FY24 in these nine Block C countries will be year by active grants for the first time and (2) all active lending
available by December 2024. projects in a given fiscal year that were informed by active grants
(including those previously reported). This figure is based on
In FY24, the GWSP Council endorsed a new Block C
information collected through the annual monitoring process and
approach, focusing on six countries and three regional
on the dollar value of World Bank projects that were influenced.
groupings: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti, Jordan, Mo- If GWSP-supported knowledge was used in the design or imple-
zambique, Nigeria, Central Asia (Amu Darya River Basin mentation of a World Bank operation, the value of that operation
covering Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), the is counted in its totality.
Senegal and Niger River basins, and the Pacific Islands. 2. To access IDA resources, a country must lack creditworthiness
for borrowing from the International Bank for Reconstruction and
This approach emphasizes learning, sustainability, resil-
Development, have a per capita income below the IDA opera-
ience, fragility, reaching the poor, and the interlinkages
tional cutoff ($1,315 in FY24), or both. IDA funds are allocated to
between GWSP-supported work and the Fast-Track the recipient countries on the basis of their income levels and re-
Water Security and Climate Adaptation Global Challenge cord of success in managing their economies and their ongoing
Program. It also aims to leverage partnerships. IDA projects. IDA credits carry no- or low-interest charges.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 97
5
From
Knowledge
Sharing to
Engagement
GWSP Annual Report 2024 99
From Knowledge Sharing to Engagement
GWSP’s established knowledge-into-implementation
approach positions the World Bank Group to help coun-
tries accelerate action on water issues by disseminating
and building capacity for the latest diagnostics, tools,
and sector approaches and by drawing expertise from
around the world to troubleshoot complex challenges.
Knowledge Management
and Learning
GWSP’s global knowledge activities have supported
engagements with strategic value and global reach. Key
among these activities in FY24 was training for World
Bank Group staff and client countries.
Building on a learning needs assessment conducted The training areas included Urban NEWater Security,
in 2022, the Global Department for Water’s staff and desalination, financing of water security, creditwor-
participants from client institutions engaged in more thiness, transboundary water management, and na-
than 60 knowledge exchange programs and training ture-based solutions, among others.
sessions in technical areas, with the objective of im- One notable effort in client capacity building was a
proving project design and achieving better outcomes. foundational course aimed at improving water utilities’
access to private capital. The Water Utility Credit-
worthiness Course explores water utility financing
and actions needed for water utilities and governments
to enhance their performance and efficiency in order
The World Bank Group to attract private capital. In fiscal year (FY) 2024, the
Academy: A New Approach World Bank Group piloted this 8-to-10-week course,
with local facilitators, in Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia.
to Engagement The completion rate for the course was 95 percent.
The World Bank Group Academy aims to ele-
vate capacity development as a core service, Co-Creating Solutions to Water Issues
alongside analytics and solutions that are The World Bank Group partnered to advance work on
localized and grounded in best practice. This transboundary water cooperation, to engage youth in
Bank initiative will provide new avenues for water solutions, and to implement circular economy
disseminating GWSP-funded analytical work principles in the water sector.
and encouraging uptake of GWSP-supported Several events addressed the vital issue of trans-
approaches and tools. In FY24, the academy boundary cooperation on shared bodies of water. At
advanced from a traditional model of instructor- the UN 2023 Water Conference, stakeholders ranging
led, presentation-based training to explicitly from regional economic communities to river basin
recognize the importance of developing peer- agencies and civil society organizations committed
to-peer exchanges, creating content with top to advance this cooperation. The Bank’s Water De-
industry experts and clients and establishing partment held the Global Forum on Transboundary
communities of practice. With two cohorts of Water Cooperation for Climate and Development,
utility leaders from 18 countries, the academy in Washington, DC, July 11–12, 2023. The first biannual
built a curriculum to respond to specific capacity forum was followed by two roundtables with river
needs in client countries. basin organizations: Achieving Drought Resilience
100 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Through Transboundary Water Cooperation on hosted the Implementing Circular Economy Prin-
November 29, 2023, and Instruments for Managing ciples in the Water Sector event September 18–21,
Climate Variability in Transboundary Basins on 2023. The delegates were introduced to the new WICER
March 30, 2024. online quick assessment tool, which can help users
To unlock the potential of the next generation of evaluate a project’s circularity and resilience.
youth “aquapreneurs,” the Bank held the Youth Innova-
tion Challenge: Water Solutions for a New Climate Data for Development
Reality competition. A joint initiative of GWSP, the High-quality data are the foundation of good decision-
Bank’s Solutions for Youth Employment, and more than making. The World Bank Group’s Water Department is
30 private sector companies, the competition attracted moving rapidly to help clients put data to work in day-
more than 300 applications from more than 90 coun- to-day planning and decision-making processes. The
tries. CEO mentors helped 20 finalist teams improve overall aim of this growing area of work is to develop
their business cases in preparation for a demonstration platforms that support these processes, as illustrated
day for potential investors in October 2024. in box 5.1.
A workshop to help countries integrate circular As a first step, the Water Department is working to
economy principles into their water management mobilize data previously disseminated through Bank
strategies—particularly wastewater reuse strategies— reports. The data will be presented in different ways
attracted delegates from Angola, Barbados, Belize, and be made available in formats that support manip-
Botswana, India, Jamaica, Senegal, and Türkiye. The ulation, download, and localization. The second step
Bank’s Water in Circular Economy and Resilience is to allow integration of the data with other data sets
(WICER) team, in collaboration with Aguas de Portugal, to unlock relationships among variables. The Water
GWSP Annual Report 2024 101
From Knowledge Sharing to Engagement
BOX 5.1
Redesigning IBNET to Support Utility Performance Improvement
The gap in annual investment for water utilities to
meet global needs is estimated at $1 trillion annually,
with one of five utilities unable to cover its operational
costs. To optimize scarce resources to improve ser- NewIBNET
vices, utility operators must make decisions based
RESULTS INDICATORS
on reliable data.
To address the need for data, GWSP supported the
World Bank’s design and launch of NewIBNET, a web- BLOCK A
based platform for utilities to track their performance
and learn from other utilities around the world using
Sustainability: Tools and moni-
15 key performance indicators and 7 categories of
toring systems supported to
management practice indicators. Notably, the indi-
strengthen sustainable manage-
cators allow for international comparisons of climate
ment of water resources at the
adaptation and mitigation efforts.
national, basin, and aquifer levels;
NewIBNET offers a friendlier data collection and
built infrastructure assets; or both
usability experience than the original IBNET. The new
platform’s analytical tools and visualization features Institutions: Water-related insi-
allow utilities to compare their performance against tutions supported to strengthen
sector standards and best practices. The platform’s capacity for managing water
communications mechanisms enable users to learn resources or service delivery
from peers and engage in learning groups organized
around specific topics. The benchmarking tool is free
of charge for water and sanitation operators; academ-
ics, regulators, and development workers can explore
the publicly available data visualizations.
Since its launch more than two decades ago, IB- Association, the Ethiopian Urban Water Federation,
NET has collected data from more than 5,000 water the Malaysia Water Association, and the Pakistan
and sanitation service providers in more than 150 Water Utility Association. As its data points increase,
countries. the platform will generate more valuable insights and
In FY24, GWSP support allowed the platform to be- correlations for utilities.
come more functional as well as available in multiple Using NewIBNET’s knowledge products, the
languages. A World Bank campaign backed by the World Bank prepared a portfolio benchmarking
GWSP communications team encouraged utilities report for the Ethiopian Urban Water Federation.
around the globe to register their data and become In addition, the Bank facilitated three webinars on
members of the IBNET community. Since the relaunch NewIBNET’s open social platform to connect utili-
of the platform at the UN Water Conference in March ties on topics such as data-driven decision-making
2023, an additional 250 service providers from 89 and creditworthiness. Moreover, the Bank helped
countries have registered their data. New utilities that water sector agencies enhance or develop their own
joined the platform included the Caribbean Water benchmarking systems.
102 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Department is supporting the Bank’s Data360 Initiative,
which aimed to provide, in early FY25, a global view
of key indicators. The initiative would bring together
all the Water Department’s major data sets, including
Climate and Economic Analysis of Resilience data and
a comprehensive database of Bank-financed dam-
related investments. These data mobilization efforts are
critical to maximize development outcomes and ensure
compliance with operational policies, while managing
associated risks and optimizing resource allocation.
The Water Department continued to expand efforts to
support client dialogue about and investments in water
accounting and hydroinformatics through technical sup-
port to operations teams for data-driven approaches to
water management challenges. This push is illustrated in
the chapter 3 story about how India used remote sensing
technologies to assess irrigation system efficiency and
inform water resources management.
Global and Regional Events
GWSP informed several global and regional events with
its latest knowledge and research on topics including
water sector financing, water security, and climate
resilience. These events raised awareness, promoted
dialogue, and encouraged more ambitious commit- from 21 countries. Development partners and private
ments among sector leaders. sector leaders also participated.
During Stockholm World Water Week 2023, GWSP During COP28 —the 28th Conference of the Parties
supported the Water Department in convening and for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
participating in more than 30 in-person and online Change—in Dubai, GWSP played a key role in framing
sessions on issues including the water-climate nexus, the climate crisis as fundamentally a water crisis, with
digital solutions, climate-resilient sanitation, water stor- 8 of 10 climate-related events tied to water. The con-
age, and resilience to floods and droughts. ference’s Fast-Tracking Water Security for Climate
The High-Level Panel Campaign on Water Invest- Adaptation and Climate Mitigation event provided
ments for Africa, Mind the Gap – Invest in Water event an opportunity to introduce the World Bank Group’s
at the United Nations General Assembly highlighted new Global Challenge Program on water security and
that the world is not on track to meet the Sustainable climate adaptation. The event featured a discussion
Development Goals in Africa and stressed the urgency of senior government officials from India, Nigeria, and
for systems change. Participants discussed the need Senegal and private sector leaders.
for investment programs to address institutional and At the 2024 World Bank-International Monetary
financial capacities, intergovernmental coordination, Fund Spring Meetings, a side event, Addressing
and oversight and reporting. the Investment Gap to Foster Water Security and
The Eastern and Southern Africa Leadership Climate Resilience, featured a keynote presentation
Summit on WASH focused on enabling and mobilizing by Nobel Prize-winning economist Michael Kremer,
private capital. The World Bank and Ethiopia’s Ministry who underscored the link between access to water and
of Finance, with support from GWSP, co-hosted the child mortality and presented cost-effective solutions
summit in Addis Ababa for water and finance ministers to address this critical issue.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 103
From Knowledge Sharing to Engagement
At the 2024 World Water Forum, co-organized
by Indonesia and the World Water Council, the Water
Department and GWSP highlighted the need for col- The Water Expertise
laborative water-security action. They launched the
Water for Shared Prosperity report, which emphasizes
Facility (WEF) provides
pro-poor interventions to improve water security just-in-time support to
and climate resilience. The report was disseminated
through a flagship publication page and was publi-
Bank water operations by
cized with a press release, a short video (which drew enabling teams to draw on
nearly 100,000 views on YouTube), data visualizations,
and a social media package.
external experts for timely,
often urgent, advice.
Connecting Teams and Clients with
Expertise
The AskWater Help Desk, which connects operational
staff with a global network of subject matter experts
and resources, is a cornerstone of the Water Depart-
ment’s Knowledge Management and Learning support percent), and curriculum vitae (18 percent).
for operational staff. In FY24, demand for this resource The Water Expertise Facility (WEF) provides just-
grew by 10 percent. Of a total of 126 queries, 28 percent in-time support to Bank water operations by enabling
came from Africa, 16 percent from Latin America and teams to draw on external experts for timely, often ur-
the Caribbean, 12 percent from East Asia and the Pa- gent, advice to overcome project bottlenecks, address
cific, and 10 percent from South Asia. Queries consis- complex challenges, and support client governments.
tently reflected users’ need to access good practice/ In FY24, WEF made 16 grants (table 5.1), spanning all
contextual advice (37 percent), terms of reference (25 geographic regions.
104 GWSP Annual Report 2024
TABLE 5.1
Examples of Just-in-Time Support, FY24
Country/ Supported Project/
Region Initiative Expertise Provided
Africa, Eastern and Southern
Zimbabwe Online open-source Support to develop the Dam Rehabilitation Prioritization Tool and
management information a management information system to enhance dam safety, data
system for dams and collection, and disaster risk assessment.
irrigation infrastructure in a
fragile and conflict-affected
context
Burundi Farmer-led irrigation (FLID) Funds to evaluate existing FLID practices, assess FLID
diagnostics opportunities and constraints, and make recommendations
for interventions to be included in a project proposed to scale
up integrated landscape management and enhance livelihood
resilience in fragile rural communities.
Burundi, Technical support for water Support for consulting services to ensure inclusion in project
Democratic supply, sanitation, and design of (1) WASH services; (2) strengthening of the enabling
Republic of hygiene (WASH) in schools environment and of operation and maintenance, management, and
Congo and health care facilities measurement and evaluation systems; and (3) climate resilience,
accessibility, and other cross-cutting measures.
Zambia Diagnostic to ensure long- Funds for a diagnostic to identify potential barriers to and
term sustainability of urban opportunities for the long-term sustainability of the Lusaka
sanitation investments Sanitation Project and to identify ways the utility can improve (1)
sewer network management and maintenance, (2) fecal sludge
emptying, and (3) customer treatment of the sewer network and
onsite sanitation facilities. See chapter 3 for more details.
Malawi Biodiversity assessment Funds for a biodiversity expert to support the canal design for
expert in canal design the Shire Valley Transformation Project in Malawi by reviewing
biodiversity assessments and ensuring compliance with the
Environmental and Social Management Plan. The government chose
a more expensive canal alignment to protect critical habitats.
Africa, Western and Central
Togo Performance-based Provision of a NRW expert to fast-track the launch of a new bidding
contract to manage process for a NRW performance-based contract by offering
nonrevenue water (NRW) technical and strategic advice for the revision of the bidding
documents and advice during the bid evaluation stage.
Ghana Characterization of water Support of data provision to identify areas in northern Ghana
security and integrated rural for water storage and flood control, prioritizing flood-sensitive
development program sites areas and enhancing the region’s resilience and sustainable
in Northern Ghana development.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 105
From Knowledge Sharing to Engagement
Country/ Supported Project/
Region Initiative Expertise Provided
East Asia and Pacific
Lao PDR Quality assurance and Mobilization of an international firm to conduct quality assurance
best practice review of the for an irrigation dam safety assessment providing critical technical
irrigation dam safety and inputs, best practices, and recommendations for rehabilitating Nam
management assessment Houm and Nam Suang dams in Vientiane Province.
Island Groundwater management Support for an in-depth review of groundwater governance for
Countries and governance in island small and medium-size island countries, aiding policy dialogue
of the countries on groundwater management and evaluating conditions for
Caribbean technological options such as desalination.
Middle East and North Africa
Morocco Gender inclusion analysis Funds for consultants who analyzed a completed project on gender
in water in agriculture activities, reviewing documents and conducting focus groups
operations to understand barriers to and opportunities for women’s access
to irrigation and advisory services in rural Morocco as well as
providing guidance for future training and leadership in water user
associations.
South Asia
India Risk-informed dam safety Facilitation of global dam safety experts’ participation in a three-day
management conference organized by India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti, using the
unique gathering to motivate officials to implement risk assessment
activities.
India Enhancing WSS service Support for development of a water supply and sanitation service
delivery in secondary cities delivery framework for secondary cities in India, combining
in India institutional performance and user-level improvements, applied at
scale, with consulting services for the Tamil Nadu Climate Resilient
Urban Development Program.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Mexico Support to study saline Support for a study on the hydrological feasibility of reusing saline
agricultural return flow agricultural return flows in northern Mexico—a study forming the
reuse technical basis for potential desalination investments to redirect
freshwater for human consumption and to modernize institutions.
Colombia WASH implementation in Provision of best practices in WASH implementation for schools
schools and health centers and health centers, reviewing national standards and developing
a strategy to pilot institutional WASH facilities in participating
municipalities.
Honduras Support to policies, Support for a rapid assessment of water sector policies, institutions,
institutions and regulations and regulations, identifying technical assistance needed to improve
in the Honduras water water supply, sanitation, and resource management.
sector
106 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Communications Affecting Change Through Storytelling
GWSP’s country-level activities contribute to outcomes
GWSP Communications consistent with the countries’ development goals. To
Development initiatives can realize their full potential demonstrate how the Partnership is well-placed to help
only when information, knowledge, and technology are countries accelerate action on water, its communica-
shared effectively. Communication is fundamental to tions team produced a suite of videos, interactive tools,
the task of involving people in these initiatives, which blog posts, and stories in FY24.
helps ensure lasting impact. The immersive story “Transforming Lives Through
In FY24, GWSP’s communications focused on the Climate-Resilient Irrigation” illustrates how, through
importance of water security in achieving the World GWSP’s support, the World Bank Group is advancing
Bank Group’s mission of ending extreme poverty and sustainable and climate-resilient irrigation globally. In
boosting shared prosperity on a livable planet. These Senegal, Ami Ndiaye shares how she is now able to
communications showcased the ways in which GWSP’s farm even in the dry season. In the Socialist Republic
global knowledge mobilization, long-term country en- of Viet Nam, Duong Van Tuan is using a smartphone
gagements, just-in-time support, and implementation to precisely monitor water levels. In Indonesia, Sukeni,
and scale-up of reforms and investments are enabling who owns a paddy farm with her husband, has ample
people to live better lives through access to water. Some water access thanks to the GWSP-supported Strate-
of these impact communications include blog posts gic Irrigation Modernization and Urgent Rehabilitation
on Viet Nam’s water security transformation, Ni- Project. This story was published as part of the Game
gerian women’s economic empowerment through Changers for a Livable Planet series and, at the end of
irrigation farming, and the Democratic Republic of FY24, was being promoted on GWSP, World Bank Wa-
Congo’s efforts to improve water access. ter, and World Bank corporate and regional channels.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 107
From Knowledge Sharing to Engagement
The website story “In Southern Angola, a Race to Department’s global director and the World Bank coun-
Manage Scarce Water While Promoting Economic try director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone; and a
Growth” details the challenges facing households, video featuring Ghana’s chief director of sanitation and
agriculture, and tourism because of inadequate wa- water resources.
ter access in Lubango Province. Through support
provided by GWSP, Elementary School Number 98 Campaigning for a Cause
will not have to close its toilets due to lack of water. Cause marketing is one of the most effective ways to in-
Furthermore, the support will improve the knowledge crease awareness of GWSP’s key development issues,
base for decision-making, help reduce water losses enhance its brand reputation as a trusted partner, and
and increase water storage, and improve monitoring secure credible partners to accelerate action on water.
and management of groundwater resources. On the 10th anniversary of Menstrual Hygiene Day,
The interactive story “Droughts and Deficits” high- the World Bank reflected on its menstrual health and
lights the impact of drought on economic growth, with hygiene strategy, adopted with support from GWSP
a deep dive on desertification hot spots and a timeline and including infrastructure development, informa-
of rainfall shocks and their economic effects. The story tion dissemination, stigma reduction, and provision
highlights the GWSP-supported publication Droughts of menstrual products. GWSP marked the day with a
and Deficits: Summary Evidence of the Global Impact on blog post co-authored by World Bank Group Global
Economic Growth, which uses state-of-the-art empiri- Water Director Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank Global
cal research to present new estimates of the effects of Director for Gender Hana Brixi, Founder and CEO of
rainfall shocks and droughts on GDP growth. WASH United Thorsten Kiefer, and author and televi-
To coincide with the Annual GWSP Council Meeting sion personality Janet Mbugua. In addition, a feature
in February 2024, the communications team produced story and video demonstrating the impact of GWSP’s
content showcasing GWSP’s support in the meeting’s support of Ethiopia’s One WASH program were pub-
host country, Ghana. This content included a social lished. The campaign generated 293,000 social media
media campaign; a blog post authored by the Water contributions and 23,400 pieces of media coverage,
108 GWSP Annual Report 2024
attracted 1,157 partner organizations, and reached 966 Featured Publications
million people globally. The countries generating the
GWSP’s support has allowed the Water Department to
most conversation on the topic included India, Nigeria,
develop an extensive body of knowledge for policy-
and Peru.
makers, development specialists, and other partners
Nearly 250 years after the invention of the flush toilet,
working at the global, regional, national, and subna-
3.5 billion people still lack access to safe sanitation fa-
tional levels. GWSP continued to reach new audiences
cilities. To draw attention to this crisis, GWSP supported
by translating its flagship reports into Arabic, French,
the production of a feature story and two blog posts for
and Spanish.
World Toilet Day. “Cleaner Cities, Brighter Futures:
Highlighted here are a few GWSP-supported, global
Ethiopia’s Journey in Urban Sanitation” highlights
publications released in FY24. Like all GWSP’s analytical
an International Development Association-supported
work, these publications were expected to help trans-
water and sanitation project that is transforming cities
form government policy and implementation and to
in Ethiopia. “Getting Sanitation Back on the (Global)
influence World Bank Group engagements to achieve
Agenda,” by the Climate Resilient Sanitation Coalition,
results that could be sustained over multiple years.
calls for sustainable sanitation solutions to tackle climate
change. “Transforming Sanitation in Benin: A Tale of
Resilience and Renewal” describes a new treatment 4. THE ROLE
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nts • Hous holds ncin :
a broad portfol crosses national border for water- EOLFDQGSULY rci l d
io of engag s. Figures ES4
related
investments DWH¿QDQFLQJ utiliti s with bt for corpor ti N w Solutio
cr d ns:
ements rangin to ES6. are outline U nd ; Indon ditworthin ss ( • Public-
priv t p
GWSP marked 2024’s World Water Day with a
g d in si ) . ., rtn rships N w Solutio
• Equit fin for w t r n:
nc r us , p rticul
utiliti s throu for hi h-p rformin to industr rl
• Microfi
n nc for
h IPOs nd i l us rs ( cc ss b micros xt nsion of
div stitur R W t r . ., WBG
• Lo n fin ( . ., SABES p rti l initi tiv ) m dium-s , sm ll,
ncin for sm P)
• H brid
nnuit mod i d nt rpris nd
s st ms ( ll-pip d w w st w t l for ( . ., donor s
. ., K n ) nd
• PPPs for
t r
r us ( .
r tr tm
nt nd contributions phil nthropic
d s ., G n ) in Sub-S
conc ssions lin tion nd • R volvin Afric nd
Asi )
h r n
in citi s with funds for
t riffs ( . nd-us solutions rur l
., Br il) r
website showcasing the World Bank Group’s various
• Compon • Off- rid
nt-b s d (non-utilit
n r fin ncin s rvic s )
ffici nc improv for nd d liv r
m nts micro nt b
rpris s
FIGURE ES4:
Fin ncin
Solutions
for W t r
R sourc s
M n m nt, Stor
water-related activities. The site included blog posts
WATER RESOU , Floods,
nd Drou ht
MANAGEMEN RCES R sili nc
T STORAGE,
DROUGHT FLOOD AND
RESILIENCE
DISASTER
MANAGEMENRISK
T
authored by the Bank’s senior leadership and stories • Public-priv
h dropow
nd multipu
• Bl nd d
n r proj
t p rtn
r, d s lin
rpos proj
fin nc (
. ., P mir
ct in T jikist
rships for
tion, r us
cts
,
• Public-priv
for r
m n
nd
t p rtn rships
inv stm nts r n c pit l
in flood risk
• C t stroph
• P r m
bonds
(some in video form) on climate-resilient irrigation
IFC quit m nt tric insur
st k ) n, with nc
• Blu ss • Pool d risk
• C tchm ts for r
nt inv stm n bond m f cilit (
nts b • Fin ncin rk t C ribb n . .,
downstr b s d on r C t strophi
m comm Insur nc c
industri l
w t r us
rci l or str ms
nd l nd v
v nu F cilit ) for Risk
rs ( . ., lu c ptur xc ss r inf hurric n
food nd b • Ass t-b ll, rthqu ,
v r comp ni s d instrum insur nc k
fin nc nd s, nts
insur nc • Flood risk
priv t w comp ni insur nc • R ion
t r utiliti s, f ciliti s for l risk f ciliti
s, nd n flood dis
in the Sahel , transboundary cooperation , and
n r tion firms) r st r risk pool countri s s for
with simil
• P m nt • Pool d inv r risks
for cos st stm nt f
nd n tur m s rvic ciliti s
-b s
B nt n, Indon s d solutions ( . .,
si )
xx
financing for water, as well as highlighted an event
organized in partnership with UNESCO. The accompa- xxi
nying social media campaign drew more than 80,000
impressions, 400 retweets, and more than 100 likes.
This effort also attracted 300-plus new visitors to the
Scaling Up Finance for Water
website’s landing page.
A WBG Strategic Framework
On International Women’s Day, the GWSP com-
and Roadmap for Action
munications team supported the production of a blog
post about the need to diversify the water sector The framework presented in this report arose from the
and a feature story, accompanied by a video, about first concerted effort across the World Bank Group
economic empowerment for women in Nigeria (including the International Bank for Reconstruction
through irrigated farming. and Development, the International Development As-
sociation, the International Finance Corporation, and
Transparency Through Digital the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency) to jointly
Transformation engage on programmatic- and project-level opportuni-
To highlight the projects it supports as well as the ac- ties to unlock private sector expertise, innovation, and
tive Water Department portfolio, GWSP created and capital for the water sector. The framework provides a
began hosting on its website an online interactive set of strategic directions and a customizable roadmap
dashboard . The dashboard provides information for the public sector, private sector, international orga-
about grant objectives, allocations, and supported nizations, intermediaries, and others to collaborate on
countries and regions. catalyzing financing and innovation.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 109
From Knowledge Sharing to Engagement
44 FUNDING
A WATE
R-SEC URE FUTUR
E: AN ASSES
SMENT OF
GLOBAL PUB
LIC SPEND
BOX 2.1.1 Q ING
uick Summ
ary of the
Four Datas
FIGURE B2.1.1. ets (Contin
ued)
to water-related risks and the least able to adapt.
1 Estimatio
n Methodolog
ies: Numb The capital MORE IS
BETTER
er of Count expenditure
ries, by Regio ture, at $563 in LICs and 45
n .7 billion MICs const
billion estim in 2017 const ituted a large
ated by Fay ant prices portion of
Asia and et al. (2019 . This estim this expen
Paci ), though ate is lower di-
while Europ c (EAP) is still the the than the $820
e and Centr highest spend regional patterns are
Realizing the benefits of water requires sustainable
the lowes al Asia (ECA ing region similar. East
t, at about ) and Midd , at 2.19 perce
1.37 perce le East and nt of GDP,
nt of their North Africa
GDP each. (MENA) are
FIGURE 2.1.2
LICs and MICs,Method 1: $588.8 Billion
management and development of water resources,
(2017 consta Including China, was Spent
Annually
nt prices) Spent at Least on
$563.7 Billion Infrastructure Capita
on Infrastructu l Alone;
re Capital
along with equitable and inclusive delivery of water
services. These are the main findings of the Water De-
partment’s analysis of the connections among water,
Source: Authors
Note: GFCF_G ’ elaboration.
G = Gross
Formation Fixed Capital
on Civil Enginee Formation
ring Works; of General
PPI = Private Government;
Participation GFCF_CE
in Infrastru = Gross Fixed
cture. Capital
economic growth, and shared prosperity. This flagship
FOUR ESTIM
ATES OF
GLOBAL
The estim INFRASTR
ate of total UCTURE
a range of global infras SPENDING
estimates tructure spend
by method following ing using
one four differ this meth
capital expen ( gure 2.1.2), $588 ent appro
aches. At odology provi
report highlights global inequalities in water access
diture on .8 billion the minim des
all infras in 2017 const um, as show
tructure, ant prices n
of which was spent
China spent on
nearly half. Source: Authors
Note: These ’ estimation
values are using BOOST
excluding based on method and other relevant
China only. 1 of IMF fitted databases.
PPI = private values and
participation actual BOOST
and recommends pro-poor and inclusive interven-
in infrastru + PPI. Estimat
cture; LIC
= low-inco es by Fay
me country et
; MIC = middle- al. (2019)
income country
.
tions to improve water security and strengthen climate
resilience while reducing poverty and boosting shared
prosperity.
Funding a Water-Secure Future
An Assessment of Global Public Spending
This groundbreaking new report quantifies for the first
for lakes and
groundwate
on the di
erence betwe rs, the e ect of the
indicate the en abstraction activity would
impac quality and need to be
receiving water t on the water resou return water assessed
based
body can be rce but may quality—on
modeled. provide data e that does
In cases in for which the not
time how much governments spend on water and the
which guide quality of the Figure 4.3.
the guideline lines exist, Sample Visua
or target values the values Values at lization of
rather than for monitored Monitorin Di erenc
loads (for , bearing in parameters Values and g Stati e in Wate
each locatio example, figure mind that they are usuall can be comp an Upstream ons throughout r
n are comp ared with a River Basin Quality Parameter
panel b). ared with an 4.3, panel a). In the y given as
concentratio
Station as
Comparat , Using Guid
Ideally, the upstream or absence of ns b. Compar ors (Continue eline
by a nonte presentatio background guidelines, ed with the
chnical audie n of the monit loads at d)
background
nce. For examp data should be simpleoring location (figure
water quality
background at initial station,
size of the financing and funding gaps that must close
or guideline le, graphs and easily 4.3, station A (percen
with a map, values rather can provid interpreted 25 t difference)
the than actua e percent A
be visualized relative impact of di l loads, as
in
change from 20
erent and the
(figure 4.3). multiple activit figure 4.3. When comb
15
60
ies in the catchm ined 10
C
Figure 4.3.
50
ent can also
Sample Visua
5 40
Values at lization of 30
Monitorin
0
Values and g Stati Di erenc ity N s 20
e in Wate
an Upstream ons throughout
tiv e– rm D n
to meet people’s needs. The report finds that, despite
uc rat BO Iro
r
lifo
a River Basin Quality Parameter
nd Nit 10
Co l co
Station as
ca
Fe 0
Comparat , Using Guid ity N s
900
ors eline
tiv e– rm D n 800
uc rat lifo BO Iro
nd Nit 700
l co
900 a. Compar F Co
Fe
ca 600
ed with guidelin 500
e values 400
E
300
200
800 100
A B 0
considerable spending gaps, the water sector does not
ity N s D
Legend uc
tiv e– rm n
G
rat lifo BO Iro
nd Nit
700 C Monitoring
Co
Fe
ca
l co
station
Potential sources D
e value
water quality of
impacts: 250
Effluent flow H
600 200
Industrial operation J
ce from guidelin
150
Mining operation
F
100
Arable farming
500
fully spend the funds allocated to it; 28 percent of water
50
Pastoral farming
E 0
Forest plantation ity N s D
tiv
B
e– rm n
uc rat lifo BO Iro
Percent differen Urban dwelling nd
400 Co
Nit l co
Note: BOD ca
G
Fe
= biochemical
oxygen deman
D d; N = nitroge
n.
300 H If a water qualit
J at defined y index is used
locations, to assess the
funds, on average, go unspent each year. In addition,
200 bad to very the resulting impact of comb
good—can categ ined activit
can be furthe be color coded ories of water qualit ies on water
quality
r simplified and added y—for examp
paths that to a schem to a map as le, ranging
100 have been atic repres in figure 4.4, from
included in entation of panel a. This
the assessmen the index categ
t (figure 4.4, ories for the
0 panel b). flow
inefficiencies among water service providers lead to
A
B
C
D
E
F
Monitoring G
Conductivity station H
Nitrate–N J
Fecal coliform
s BOD Iron
ACCOUN
TING FOR
WATER QUALITY
substantial hidden losses. The report offers practical
: INSIGHTS
FOR OPERATI
ONAL TASK (Continued)
TEAMS
24
ACCOUN
TING FOR
WATER QUALITY
: INSIGHTS
FOR OPERATI
ONAL TASK
TEAMS
steps that countries can take to spend better so that
25
they can spend more on water. It also provides key in-
sights on how to catalyze increased long-term financing
for the sector.
Accounting for Water Quality
Insights for Operational Task Teams
CHAP TER
KEY MESS
AGES
For centuries, management of freshwater resources
has focused on monitoring and managing water quan-
AND FINDIN
GS
FIGURE 2.1
Why water
matters for
shared prospe
rity
• Water is
fundamental
tity to ensure supplies for domestic, agricultural, and
to promoting
of access equality of ter supply
to safe water opportunity nkin
g wa tation
and sanita for health Dri and s
ani
negative impac tion contrib and educa
t on optima utes to malnu tion. Lack Human capital
2019, poor l cognitive trition and Climate change Water Agriculture Health and Jobs and
development stunting and resources Water services economic and other education
WASH condit and learnin has a delivery sectors
income
ions were g and skills
and up to found to have acquisition.
4.2 million contributed In Ec
deaths global to a minim os
yst
Natural capital
intervention ly, as well um of 1.4
industrial use and to mitigate the potential effects of
em Environmen Social capital
s
to improve as 74 million million t
Peace and
water acces to 204 million
social
reduce gende
cohesion
s and safety DALYs. Public
Improve resilienc
r and human among disadv to extreme e Improve resource
capital dispar antaged groups hydro-climatic developm s
ities. can help
risks ent and Improve equitable
• Investment allocation and inclusive
in water securi service delivery
productivity ty supports
and emplo job creatio Equitable
n. Ensuring and inclusive
yment in water- reliable water water security
disproportio intensive and supply can Source:;SVPH&
nately rely
floods and droughts. However, water quantity is inex-
on water-intens related sector boost Note:;EXIVW ERO
Shared prosperi
ty
ive sectors s. Developing IGYVMX]MWHIƼRIH
GSYTPIH [MXLER
on a livable
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MVVMKEXMSR[EXIVWEGGITXEFPIPIZIPS SJEREGGITXEFPIU
in water . YTTP]ERHWERMXEX J[EXIVVIPEXIHVM
availability, MSR
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degradation, exacerbated ZMVSRQIRXWERH ]SJ[EXIVJSVLIE
can reduce by climat IGSRSQMIW +VI] PXLPMZIPMLSSHWIG
social cohes e change ERH7EHSJJ SW]WXIQWERHTV
policies to ion, and height and enviro 8LMWGLETXIVMR SHYGXMSR
;EXIV WIVZMGIW
improve climat en tension nmental XVSHYG MRGPYHI
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EZSMHGSRƽMG and transb nces. Preven SWTIVMX] *MKY EPJVEQI[SVO
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tricably linked to water quality. This report presents
cooperation GLETXIVHIWGV VI
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• Water sustai d to TVSWTIVMX]SYX VWIGYVMX]GSR GITXYEPHMWGYW IIR[EXIV
ns life, foster PMRIHMR'LETX XVMFYXIWXSIE WMSRERHIQTM
s biodiversity, WSGMEP GSLIWM IVƂLIEPXLE GLSJXLIJSYV VMGEPIZMHIRGI
resources and makes SR WSGMEPGE RHIHYGEXMSR JYRHEQIRXEPF XLI
produced our unique LS[ [EXIV TMXEP
ERHXLI LYQERGETMX YMPHMRKFPSGOW
by water-depen ly blue planet MRWIGYVMX] IRZMVSRQIRX EP
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and liveliho dent ecosys livable. Natura 1SVISZIVMXT GER FIGSQ REXYVEPGETM RGSQITIEGI
od support tems play l I E ZYPRIVE XEP
8LMWGLET ERH
to billions a vital role VIWIRXWIZMHIR FMPMX] QYPXMTP XIVEPWSHMWGYW
communities of individuals, in delivering HIPMZIV]JSWXI GISJLS[MRZ MIV ERH TSWI
. especially services VMRGPYWMZIERH IWXMRKMR[EXI E XLVIEX XS WIW
those in rural IUYMXEFPIKVS VMRJVEWXVYGXYV WLEVIH TVSWTI
a framework to help water accounting teams incor-
and impov [XL IERHMQTVSZ VMX]
erished MRK[EXIVWIV
WATE ZMGIW
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;EXIVMWIWWI
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JSSHWIGYVMX] YQERPMJIGER ;EXIV EJJIGXW
4VSHYGMRKE RSXI\MWX[MXL LIEPXL ERH
JSSHRYXVMXMSR WMRKPI SYXGPI [EXIV EJJIGXW IHYGEXMSR
OMPSKVEQSJ[ ERHVMROMRK[ MRGSQI [LMGL XLVSYKL QYPXMTP
ERHGPIER[ LIEXVIUYMVIW EXIV;EXIVEPW JSV I\EQT I TEXL[E]W
[SQIRERHXL EXIVEJJIGXWE
PPWXEKIWSJLY EXPIEWX SYRHIVTMRW PI WTYVW MRZIWXQ WIVZIW EW E TVMQEV] %WMHI JVSQ
porate water quality monitoring into their operations.
IMQTEGXSJMR PMXIVWSJ[EXIV IRX MR LIEPXL XVERWMXMSR TL]WMSPSKMGEP
IXEP %R EHIUYEXIEGGI QERHIZIPST %GGIWWXS /PMROIRFIVK QSHI ;IEPXL MQTEGXW
HVIWIXEP WWVMTTPIWEGV QIRXIWTIGME IX EP
GEVI ERH MRGVIEW KIRIVEXIH
SWWKIRIVEXMS PP]MRGLMPHVIR VIHYGI XLIMV 'SRZIVWIP] IW JSSH I\TIRH F] MVVMKEXMS
RW +SYPHIXE ERH WTIRHMRK HVSYKLX ERH MXYVIW ERH R
%FYRHERX P (EQE ;EXIVWIGYVMX SR JSSH ERH ƽSSHMRHYGIH RYXVMXMSR PIZIPW
[EXIV MW EPWS RME ]GEREPWSPIE IHYGEXMSR TSZIVX] GSQTI
WIGXSVWTPE]MR MQTSVXERX HXSGSRƽMGXW PIEHMRK XS PW LSYWIL
JSV JSVIWXV EHZIVWI LIEPXL SPHW XS
KETMZSXEPVS ] ƼWLIVMIW [LMGLGERXL ERH IHYGEX
QSVI PMOIP] PIMRWLETMRKE IRIVK] QERYJ HEALTH VIEXIRTL]WMG MSR SYXGSQ
XS GVIEXI HIGIRX REXMSRƅW[IEP EGXYVMRK ERH EPWEJIX]ERH IW
[LIVIXLIWLE NSFW XS PMJX XLERHTVSWT XVERWTSVXEXMSR QIRXEPLIEPXL
VISJXLIIGSR XLI TSSV SYX IVMX]%ƽSYVMW
SJ TSZIVX] LMRKIGSRSQ]
The framework introduces a step-by-step approach to
SQ]XLEXVIPMI IWTIGMEPP] ;EXIV WIGYVMX
WHMVIGXP]SR[ MR MW ] LEW PSRK
EXIVMWLMKL HIZIPS TMRK GSYRXV
14 MIW WYWXEMRMRK FIIR YRHIVW
WATER FOR JSSH ERH XSSH EW IWWIRX
SHARED PROSPE EPWSVIWYPXMR RYXVMXMSR )QIVK MEP JSV TVIZIR
RITY MRXIVTIVWSREP MRK IZMHIR XMRK [EXIVF
ZMSPIRGI 8EPPQ GI WYKKIW SVRI HMWIEW
%MLEVEIXEP XW XLEX TVSFPIQ I ERH
'SSTIV: ERIXEP W [MXL [EXIV
MRGIIXEP
WXVIWW =SYR EGGIWW GER
8LMWWIGXMS KIXEP
RFVMIƽ]VIZMI[ ERHHITVIWW
WIZMHIRGIMR MSR
defining work scope and objectives and to identifying
XLIWIEVIEW
WHY WATER
MATTER S
FOR SHARED
PROSPE RITY
15
data needs and monitoring approaches. Data analy-
sis and presentation options are also explored. Three
water accounting scenarios illustrate implementation
Water for Shared Prosperity of the framework.
Water security supports job creation, livelihoods, and
economic growth. The poor are the most exposed
110 GWSP Annual Report 2024
GWSP Annual Report 2024 111
A
APPENDIX
Financial
Update
GWSP Annual Report 2024 113
FINANCIAL UPDATE
GWSP Donor Contributions Melinda Gates Foundation, Denmark’s Royal Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Netherland’s Minister for Foreign Trade
From inception through June 30, 2024, total signed and Development Cooperation, Spain’s Ministry of Eco-
contributions to GWSP were $362.2 million (table A.1), nomic Affairs and Digital Transformation, the Swedish
of which $354.3 million is new funding, complementing International Development Cooperation Agency, the
$7.9 million rolled over from the Water and Sanitation Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the
Program and the Water Partnership Program.1 Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, the United
Through the end of FY24, 11 active GWSP donors Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
contributed to GWSP. The United Kingdom rejoined Office, and the United States Agency for International
the GWSP family in December 2023. The 11 active do- Development.
nors are Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and The last 12 months saw increasing interest in GWSP
Trade, Austria’s Federal Ministry of Finance, the Bill and from development partners in terms of fundraising. In
TABLE A.1
GWSP Donor Contributions as of June 30, 2024
Donor Name US$ millions Share (%)
Netherlands—Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation* 128.6 35.5
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) 75.9 21.0
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 41.0 11.3
Australia—Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 25.9 7.1
Denmark—Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22.3 6.1
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) 18.4 5.1
Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)† 16.7 4.6
Spain—Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation 8.5 2.3
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 8.3 2.3
Austria—Federal Ministry of Finance 6.8 1.9
United Kingdom—Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 6.1 1.7
Norway—Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2.4 0.7
Rockefeller Foundation 1.6 0.4
Ireland—Minister for Foreign Affairs/Irish Aid 0.02 0.01
Total Commitments 362.2 100.0%
* The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation falls under the Netherland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
† The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs also provided an additional Sw F 10 million (about US$ 11.2 million) to support the Utility
of the Future Center of Excellence trust fund. Although this trust fund is currently mapped to the Europe and Central Asia region, it will also
support global coordination for GWSP’s Utility of the Future initiative.
114 GWSP Annual Report 2024
FIGURE A.1
GWSP Funding Status, FY25–30
(US$ millions)
43.3 28.5 149.9 98.3 320
Available Signed Contributions Funds to be Target
resources as of contributions to signed since raised
June 30, 2022 be received July 1, 2022
FIGURE A.2
GWSP Disbursements by Activity, FY24
Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination 9%
Knowledge and
Analytics 84% Program Management and Administration 5%
Communications 2%
FY24, GWSP signed new contributions totaling $94.5
million. New contributions included $80.3 million from
FY24 Disbursements
Netherland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Develop- In FY24, GWSP disbursed $30.2 million to support its
ment Cooperation, $11.7 million from Denmark’s Royal work program activities and had an active portfolio of
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and $2.5 million from the 243 activities in 70 countries and regions—22 in set-
United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and De- tings of fragility, conflict, and violence.2 Of the total 243
velopment Office. activities, 82 were newly activated in FY24, and 161 were
The GWSP Council–endorsed 2022 GWSP Strategy from previous fiscal years.
Update includes a target budget of $320 million for the GWSP continues to support innovative technical
FY23–30 period. Fundraising efforts were stepped up assistance and analytical work for sustainable delivery
following endorsement of the strategy with existing of water services. In F24, 84 percent of disbursements
and new partners. At the end of FY22, GWSP had $48.3 went to knowledge and analytics that are global, re-
million available for allocation. In addition, $28.5 million gional, or country based (see figure A.2). Of this amount,
in signed contributions were scheduled for payment 60 percent of the disbursements for knowledge and
in FY23 and beyond. An additional $149.9 million in analytics were in regional units, while the remaining
contributions was signed in FY23 and FY24. A gap in disbursements (40 percent) were global. Much of that
funding of $98.3 million is to be raised in the FY25–30 global work was rooted in country-based analysis
period (see figure A.1). that was then translated into overarching summaries,
GWSP Annual Report 2024 115
FINANCIAL UPDATE
findings, and recommendations. GWSP’s global an- accounting for 11 percent of the total, was disbursed for
alytical work provides direct expertise and advice to communications and knowledge dissemination activities.
regional teams in addressing complex design and Communications, partnerships, learning, and knowl-
implementation issues. edge dissemination activities all drive the knowledge-
More than $15.1 million was disbursed by regional units into-implementation agenda and are what makes the
in FY24. The funds supported both lending activities and GWSP model unique. These critical inputs into the
advisory services and analytics. These activities include program help get cutting-edge research and analytics
country-level knowledge and technical assistance that into the hands of staff, clients, and partners to influence
influence policy dialogue and project design. The Africa policy, improve implementation, and build capacity.
region accounted for the largest percentage of regional In addition, these inputs enhance GWSP’s critical in-
disbursements in FY24 (see figure A.3). GWSP disbursed terventions through lending from the World Bank and
$10.1 million to knowledge and analytics categorized as other international finance institutions. The inputs also
global. These activities include developing and refining include services delivered through the AskWater Advi-
tools for use by country teams as well as curating and sory Service (Help Desk) and Water Expertise Facility,
expanding cutting-edge research, such as the World which connects task teams with technical experts on
Bank flagship publication Water for Shared Prosperity, a just-in-time basis. Chapter 5 highlights some of the
that is directly applicable to the current challenges our activities delivered through these entities.
clients are facing. The disbursements to activities were The program management and administration
managed globally and again drew heavily on expertise (PM&A) functions ensure the Partnership’s smooth,
at the regional and country levels. efficient, and effective management. These functions
To maximize the use of the analytical work by clients include day-to-day program management and adminis-
and other key development partners, $3.5 million, tration, program monitoring and evaluation, and council
FIGURE A.3
GWSP Disbursements by Activity and by Region, FY24
Global Knowledge and Analytics 34%
Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination 9%
Program Management and Administration 5%
Communications 2%
South Asia 11%
Middle East and North Africa 5%
Regional Knowledge
and Analytics 50% Latin America and the Caribbean 5%
Europe and Central Asia 4%
East Asia and Pacific 6%
Sub-Saharan Africa 19%
116 GWSP Annual Report 2024
engagement. GWSP’s lean program management Although disbursements in FY24 contracted slightly due
team plays an important role in administering trust to geopolitical instability and various operational and
fund operations and in monitoring and reporting re- political challenges, future disbursements and demand
sults. Approximately $1.5 million, about 5 percent of the from regional teams for GWSP resources, both analyti-
total program disbursements in FY24, corresponded to cal work and lending, are expected to grow. At the coun-
PM&A activities. try level, additional resources are needed to sustain
upstream analytical support for diagnostics, capacity
Financial Trends building, and convening to help countries plan invest-
ments and take actions needed to mobilize financing
Disbursements over the past seven fiscal years have and position them for operations under the Fast-Track
shown an overall upward trend, though with a slight Water Security and Climate Adaptation Global Chal-
decrease in FY22 to FY24 (see figures A.4 and A.5). lenge Program. The Global Water Department is also
FIGURE A.4
GWSP Annual Disbursements, FY18–24
40 35.6
32.9 31.6
28.0 30.2
30
24.4 24.6
US$ millions
20
10
0
FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
FIGURE A.5
GWSP Disbursements by Activity and by Region, FY18–24
FY2018 Sub-Saharan South Asia
Africa
FY2019
East Asia Global
FY2020 and Pacific
FY2021 Europe and Communications
Central Asia
FY2022
Latin America and Knowledge Sharing
FY2023 the Caribbean and Dissemination
Middle East and Program Management
FY2024
North Africa and Administration
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
US$ millions
GWSP Annual Report 2024 117
FINANCIAL UPDATE
committed to expanding its collaboration with other
global departments to expand delivery of water with
and through partners. At the global level, recognition
Collaboration with other
of the centrality of water to climate change adaptation trust fund programs
and mitigation is increasing.
outside the Water Global
Collaboration with Other Department offers an
Trust Fund Programs avenue for expanding the
GWSP coordinates closely with the following water-
Water Global Department’s
focused trust funds: the Cooperation in International reach and influence
Waters in Africa, the 2030 Water Resources Group,
the Danube Region Water Security, and Utilities of the
in other sectors.
Future-Center of Excellence. These funds are managed
by Water Department staff, and the overall approaches
and strategies are coordinated globally.
Collaboration with other trust fund programs out-
side the Water Global Department offers an avenue for
expanding the Water Global Department’s reach and
118 GWSP Annual Report 2024
TABLE A.2
Top 10 Trust Fund Programs Disbursing Through the Water Units,
FY18–24
No. Program
1 Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR)
2 Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF)
3 Quality Infrastructure Investment Partnership (QII)
4 South Asia Water Initiative (SAWI)*
5 Korea Green Growth Trust Fund (KGGTF)
6 International Finance Corporation-Hungary Partnership
7 Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches (GPRBA)
8 Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP)
9 Western Balkans Investment Framework Program
10 Australian Trust Fund for Indonesia Infrastructure Support
* The SAWI multidonor trust fund closed in June 2021, after more than a decade of work to increase regional cooperation in managing major
Himalayan river systems and building climate resilience.
influence in other sectors. From FY18 to FY24, $10.9 pre-paid meters, blended finance, and private sector
million was disbursed by water units from the Global service contracts. Building on this program, the Energy
Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery; Sector Management Assistance Program is providing
$9.6 million was disbursed by water units from the grant resources to lower the transaction costs for en-
Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility; and ergy sector projects. The aim is to set up a PPP contract
$9.6 million was disbursed by water units from the Qual- for at least 206 water schemes countrywide. Table A.2
ity Infrastructure Investment Partnership. In Angola, the lists the largest collaborating trust funds based on dis-
Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility is provid- bursements between FY18 and FY24.
ing support to the Second Water Sector Institutional
Development Project to strengthen the institutional
capacity of selected water sector agencies and to in- Notes
crease water service coverage in target cities. Another 1. Funding from Norway, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Ireland
example of collaboration is in Tanzania. A public-private was rolled over from the two preceding programs. These donors
partnership (PPP) project drew on from the Tanzania have since exited the GWSP trust fund.
2. Of 243 activities, 204 were monitored for results using the GWSP
Accelerating Solar Water Pumping via Innovative Fi-
results monitoring and evaluation system. The remaining 35 ac-
nancing Project and the Sustainable Rural Water Supply
tivities were not monitored because they were too new (approved
and Sanitation PforR Program. GWSP supported tech- in the last quarter of the fiscal year); focused on knowledge
nical assistance to develop the concept for the PPP, sharing, dissemination, or communications; or involved program
drawing on experience with mobile money-enabled management and administration.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 119
B
APPENDIX
Results
Progress
GWSP Annual Report 2024 121
RESULTS PROGRESS
BLOCK A GWSP-Funded Knowledge and Analytics Activities
TABLE B.1
Summary of Results Achieved as of June 30, 2024
Reported by 204 Active GWSP-Funded Activities Reporting Results in FY24
% of Projects with Indicator
Results to be FY24
achieved by results
Indicator end of grant achieved
Sustainability Policies/strategies/regulatory frameworks informed to 51 31
strengthen sustainable management of water resources, built
infrastructure assets, or both
Tools and monitoring systems supported to strengthen the 35 26
sustainable management of water resources at the national,
basin, and aquifer levels; built infrastructure assets, or both
Water-related institutions supported to sustain water 50 38
resources, built infrastructure assets, or both
Knowledge products generated on sustainability 37 24
Inclusion Policies/strategies generated or refined to enhance SOCIAL 19 10
INCLUSION OF WOMEN in accessing jobs, markets, services,
or decision-making roles in water resources/water supply and
sanitation or other water-related service delivery*
Policies/strategies generated or refined to enhance SOCIAL 3 1
INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES in accessing
jobs, markets, services, or decision-making roles in the
management of water resources or in water supply and
sanitation or other water-related service delivery
Policies/strategies generated or refined to enhance SOCIAL 4 3
INCLUSION OF OTHER EXCLUDED GROUPS† in accessing
jobs, markets, services, or decision-making roles in the
management of water resources or in water supply and
sanitation or other water-related service delivery (beyond
gender and disability inclusion)
Initiatives that develop approaches, including integrated 16 11
cross-sectoral approaches where relevant to address water,
sanitation, and nutrition issues
122 GWSP Annual Report 2024
% of Projects with Indicator
Results to be FY24
achieved by results
Indicator end of grant achieved
Inclusion Water-related institutions trained in GENDER ISSUES, HR 8 6
(continued) practices related to diversity and inclusion, or both
Water-related institutions trained in issues and practices 1 0
related to PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Water-related institutions trained in issues related to 2 1
OTHER EXCLUDED GROUPS† (beyond gender and
disability inclusion)
Knowledge products generated on inclusion 13 9
Institutions Policies/strategies/regulatory frameworks informed to 46 31
strengthen the institutional environment for improved water
resource management, water services delivery, or both
Fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV)–affected states 8 5
supported to develop and implement a water sector transition
strategy
Water-related institutions supported to strengthen capacity 29 37
for managing water resources or service delivery
Institution-focused knowledge products generated 54 14
Financing Policies/strategies/regulatory frameworks developed to 19 12
improve financial viability
Institutions supported to improve their financial viability and 16 11
creditworthiness
Knowledge products generated on financing 16 10
Resilience Policies/strategies/regulatory frameworks developed or 31 21
implemented to strengthen resilience of freshwater basins,
delivery of services for communities dependent on them,
or both
Diagnostics conducted or implementation undertaken to 26 19
promote principles of freshwater-resilience building
Water-related institutions supported to build resilience in 36 33
water resource management or service delivery
Resilience-focused knowledge products generated 47 21
* Of 243 activities in the FY24 GWSP active portfolio, 204 activities were monitored for results using the GWSP results monitoring and
evaluation system. The remaining 35 activities were not monitored because they were too new (approved in the last quarter of the fiscal
year); focused on knowledge sharing, dissemination, or communications; or involved program management and administration.
† These groups refer to people excluded on bases other than gender and disability.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 123
RESULTS PROGRESS
BLOCK B Water Global Department Outcomes
TABLE B.2
Portfolio Influence Indicators
Baseline Progress Progress
Indicator FY22 FY23 FY24 Target
Number of new projects 24 26 22 —
Sustainability % of projects that promote sustainable 100 100 100 95
and efficient water use
% of rural WSS lending projects that 100 100 100 90
measure functionality of water points
Inclusion % of projects that are gender tagged 100 100 100 85
% of projects with other social inclusion 88 73 74 75
aspects†
% of IDA-financed infrastructure — 89 93 65
operations in water, including actions
to create employment opportunities for
women in medium- and high-skilled jobs
in this sector*
% of water projects with disability- — 54 58 60
inclusive approaches in WASH‡
Institutions % of projects that support reforms/ 100 96 100 100
actions that strengthen institutional
capacity
Finance % of projects that support reforms/ 89 81 77 85
actions for improving financial viability
% of projects with explicit focus on 22 8 41 20
leveraging private finance
Resilience % of projects incorporating resilience in 100 100 100 100
design of water-related initiatives
Number of fragile and conflict-affected 7¶ 9** 5†† 20
states supported with a resilience lens§
% of new World Bank lending 58 65 68 60
commitments with climate change
co-benefits
124 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Baseline Progress Progress
Indicator FY22 FY23 FY24 Target
Resilience % of projects that have at least one — 100 100 100
(continued) climate-related indicator in their results
framework‡
Net GHG emissions (tCO2eq/year)‡ — -732,508 -540,959 -900,000
Source: Analysis of the FY24 Global Department for Water portfolio approved by the GWSP Monitoring and Evaluation team.
Note: GHG = greenhouse gas; WASH = water supply, sanitation, and hygiene; WSS = water supply and sanitation; — = not available.
* Measures the percentage of projects that demonstrate a results chain by linking gender gaps identified in the analysis to specific actions
tracked in the results framework.
† Projects that target poor, vulnerable, or underserved communities or areas. Excludes citizen engagement, which is included under
corporate monitoring.
‡ Indicator added in FY23.
§ In FY24, 38 countries and 1 economy were classified as having fragile and conflict-affected situations, per corporate guidelines. Target is
cumulative for the period FY23–30.
¶ 20 cumulative FY18–22.
** 8 countries and the economy of West Bank and Gaza.
†† 14 cumulative FY23–24.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 125
RESULTS PROGRESS
TABLE B.3
Sector Results Indicators
Baseline Progress Indicative Targets
FY Yearly FY FY Yearly FY Yearly
18–22 avg 23 24 avg 23–30 avg
Water Supply and Sanitation
1.1 People with access to 64.3 12.86 11.34 17.24 14.29 103.2– 12.9–
improved water sources of which of which 119.1 14.9
(million) female: female:
5.65 8.53
1.2 People with access to 201.11 40.22 15.87 4.13 10 67.38– 8.42–
improved sanitation of which of which 77.6 9.7
(million) female: female:
7.96 2.06
1.3 Biochemical oxygen 86,891 17,378 8,136 18,562 13,349 139,000– 17,400–
demand pollution loads 164,000 20,500
removed by treatment
plants (tons/year)
1.4 Number of schools 2,559 5,404 3,982 11,000– 1,375–
and health centers with 15,000 1,875
access to improved water
and sanitation services
1.5 Utilities with improved 118 23.6 25 23 24 192– 24–
working ratio 240 30
Water for Agriculture
2.1 Area with new/improved 3.66 0.73 0.53 2.16 1.345 5.84– 0.73–
irrigation services 7.62 0.95
(million hectares)
2.2 Farmers adopting 11.84 2.37 2.79 2.48 2.635 19.2– 2.37–
improved agricultural of which of which 19.94 2.4
technology (million) female: female:
1.13 0.68
2.3 Water user associations 15,854 3,170 5,158 4,962 5,060 25,368– 3,171–
created/strengthened 56,000 7,000
126 GWSP Annual Report 2024
Baseline Progress Indicative Targets
FY Yearly FY FY Yearly FY Yearly
18–22 avg 23 24 avg 23–30 avg
Water Security and Integrated Water Resources Management
3.1 People in areas covered 21.77 4.35 2.15 16.37 9 33.1– 4.1–
by water-risk mitigation 40 5
measures (flooding/
drought) (million)
3.2 Basins with management 91 18 35 17 26 144– 18–
plans/stakeholder 160 20
engagement
mechanisms
3.3 Institutions with WRM 109 21.8 23 24 24 176– 22–
monitoring systems 192 24
3.4 Area under sustainable 4.82 0.96 2.9 2.9 3 8– 1–
land/water management 9.4 1.2
practices (million
hectares)
3.5 Hydropower generation 2,100 420 375 50 213 11,088– 1,386–
capacity constructed/ 13,600 1,700
rehabilitated (megawatts)
Note: WRM = water resources management.
GWSP Annual Report 2024 127
Photo Credits
Front cover Quang Nguyen Vinh / Alamy Stock Photo 61 Arne Hoel / World Bank
2 Jason Florio / World Bank 62 Smart Edge / World Bank
7 Sarah Farhat / World Bank 64 Sheikh Basharat / Pexels
9 USAID Zambia 66–67 World Bank
12–13 Vincent Tremeau / World Bank 69 Leandro Hernández / World Bank
15 Ying Yu / World Bank 70 Sarah Anne Daggett / World Bank
16 World Bank 72 Arne Hoel / World Bank Group
19 Andrea Borgarello / World Bank 74 World Bank
20 TOZE Canaveira Fotografia 76 Jessica Belmont / World Bank
22–23 World Bank 77 Peter Kapuscinski / World Bank Group
24–25 Eelco Böhtlingk / Unsplash 78 Sarah Farhat / World Bank
26 Rachel Skeates / World Bank 80–81 Jason Florio / World Bank Group
28 World Bank 83 World Bank
29 Yafet Geberezi Gebremeskel 92–93 Vincent Tremeau / World Bank
30 Claudine Kayembe Ndaya / World Bank 96 Wikimedia Commons
32–33 Chris Terry / World Bank 97 World Bank
35 Vincent Tremeau / World Bank 98–99 World Bank
36 Anton Tabarin / World Bank 100 Water Services Regulatory Board of Kenya
38 Jason Florio / World Bank 101 Ayse Boybeyi /World Bank; TOZE Canaveira
39 Thomas Cole / USAID Fotografia; Jaeden Ng (clockwise from top left)
40–41 Beawiharta / World Bank 103 Sarah Farhat / World Bank
42 Arne Hoel / World Bank 104 Sarah Farhat / World Bank
43 Lalima Maskey / World Bank 107 Muhammad Fadli / World Bank
44–45 Muhammad Fadli / World Bank 108 Midas Touch / World Bank
46–47 Elohor Egbane / World Bank 111 Voda Bashnya / World Bank
46 Elohor Egbane / World Bank 112–113 André Anchecta / USAID
48–49 World Bank 118 Alessandra Argenti / World Bank
50–51 Vigen Sargsyan / World Bank 120–121 Sarah Farhat / World Bank
53 Nozim Kalandarov / World Bank 125 World Bank
54 Gent Shkullaku / World Bank 127 Justin Kernoghan / Photopress Belfast / USAID
55 Hoàng So’n Hông / Pixabay 129 World Bank
56–57 Alana Holmberg / World Bank Back cover Alana Holmberg / World Bank
58 Vigen Sargsyan / World Bank
128 GWSP Annual Report 2024