ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Water is undoubtedly the lifeblood of our environment, food security, biodiversity, and economic development. Yet, according to the World Bank Group, around 1.81 billion people around the world still face significant flood risk, 2.3 billion lack access to safe water, and 3.5 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation. 

Rapid population growth and climate change are among factors exacerbating these challenges where a 40 percent shortfall between demand and available supply of water is expected by 2030. 

In its annual 2024 report, the Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP) states that developing countries and conflict regions are more exposed to risks caused by lack of access to safe drinking water and that 1.4 million people die every year due to lack of access to safely managed water and sanitation.

According to the report, “around 66 percent of the global population live in a water basin that encounters water stress for at least part of the year, and the world’s poorest and driest regions face the most severe scarcity and water-related challenges.”

Launched in 2017, the GWSP is a partnership to support countries to meet their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets related to water and sanitation under the Paris Agreement. 

The report stresses the importance of sustainable management and development of water resources, as summarized below.

- Sustainable water management is essential for both economic development and the planet. 

- Nature-based solutions can replenish water resources, benefit poor communities and sequester carbon. 

- Helping communities withstand drought, preventing waterborne diseases, and promoting better education and health need improved water and sanitation infrastructure.

- Methane emission from agriculture and enhanced agricultural productivity can be done through climate-smart irrigation. 

- Water security investments can support job creation and economic growth. 

- Productivity in water-intensive sectors such as agriculture, energy, transportation, and manufacturing can be boosted through ensuring a reliable water supply.

In low-income countries, water-intensive sectors account for 55 percent of employment, in comparison to high-income countries which is less than 20 percent. “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.”

Despite some progress made towards the SDG goals and billions spent on water infrastructure since the 2015 Paris Agreement, there are still significant disparities in access to water and sanitation across the globe.

In the last 24 years in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, “the number of people without basic water supply has risen by 37 million, while 247 million more lack basic sanitation.”

The global water and sanitation partnership indicates a strong link between climate change and water resources, where nine out of ten climate-related events are water-related. 

The group’s projections predict that climate impacts could push 132 million people into poverty. To combat these threats, GWSP supports tools such as the Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs) as well as World Bank projects to align investments in the water sector with climate adaptation goals. 

In 2024, “68 percent of new World Bank lending commitments had climate change co-benefits, and 100 percent of projects had at least one climate-related indicator in their results framework.”

One major element of projects to combat water problems is taking into account social inclusion which is “equitable access to water resources and services, particularly for marginalized groups such as women, youth, indigenous peoples, and individuals with disabilities.”

The GWSP suggests that many of these water-related risks and challenges can be solved through policy reforms, institutional strengthening, and investments in inclusive and resilient systems. For instance, the annual report indicates, “About 35 percent of water-stressed rainfed croplands are suitable for sustainable irrigation, and about 1.4 billion more people could be fed if rainfed croplands were converted to sustainable irrigation.”