Water Papers

183 items available

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16997

Water Papers are produced by the Water Global Practice, taking up the work of the predecessor Water Unit, Transport, Water and ICT Department, Sustainable Development Vice Presidency.

Items in this collection

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

Wastewater: From Waste to Resource - The Case of Santiago, Chile

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-09-26) World Bank Group

A set of case studies was prepared as part of the World Bank's Water Global Practice initiative "Wastewater: from waste to resource" to document existing experiences in the water sector on the topic. The case studies highlight innovative financing and contractual arrangements, innovative regulations and legislation and innovative project designs that promote integrated planning, resource recovery and that enhance the financial and environmental sustainability of wastewater treatment plants. This case study documents Santiago, Chile.
Vietnam: Toward a Safe, Clean, and Resilient Water System

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-05-01) World Bank Group

Prudent economic policies, combined with the enabling conditions created by a high endowment of water, have transformed Vietnam from a low income to a middle-income country within two decades. Though growth has produced vast benefits, it has also placed unrelenting pressures on water resources, which in turn lead to economic stresses. This report assesses how secure Vietnam’s water resources are and its economic implications and focuses on reducing the threats of “too little, too much, and too dirty.” Specifically, the report focuses on increasing water productivity in irrigated agriculture, water security and services for settlements, and on how Vietnam manages water quality and pollution issues, as well as climate change adaptation, disaster risks, and risks from infrastructure gaps and vulnerabilities. Recognizing that water governance is fundamental in addressing Vietnam’s water challenges, this report analyzes the current governance of the water sector to inform the development of strategies, provide an integrated view of challenges, and identify the most fundamental shifts needed to achieve national water security. Going forward, greater emphasis will have to be given to policy enforcement and to the incentives needed to assure greater compliance. The solutions suggested by this analysis are clustered around seven recommendations. This report was developed in close cooperation with the Government of Vietnam.
Assessment of Groundwater Challenges and Opportunities in Support of Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-08-01) World Bank Group

The report confirms that groundwater, if managed sustainably, can be an important development resource across the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. The report presents data related to groundwater resource characteristics and highlights the opportunities and challenges presented in promoting sustainable and resilient groundwater development in the region. Groundwater has significant potential to support human and economic development in SSA, as it has done in other global regions. The report recommends investment in expanding groundwater development as an integral component of national water resources strategy for countries in SSA. Investment in groundwater can be financially viable and a wise policy option to support socioeconomic development if safeguards specific to groundwater are incorporated into investmentprograms. The expansion should be designed within a sustainable framework responsive to thespecial social and cultural and economic features of groundwater resources, compounded bytheir special hydrological, environmental and engineering dimensions to guide sustainabledevelopment of this important component of water resources.
Rapid Review of Water Knowledge for Pacific Small Islands Developing States

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-06) World Bank Group

The rapid review confirms that Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are socially, culturally, and environmentally diverse, with some features in common, and which collectively make them unique to other regions of the world: Small island countries have uniquely fragile water resources due to their small size, lack of natural storage, competing land use, and vulnerability to natural and anthropogenic hazards, including drought, cyclones, and urban pollution (with between 0.5 percent to 6.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) being lost annually to disasters). Rurally dominated populations are widely dispersed geographically as many small communities, while most capital cities include significant informal settlement populations and are subject to rapid urbanization (a more than 3 percent yearly increase in urban population growth in most Melanesian countries is projected between 2015 and 2020) (Mycoo and Donovan 2017).
Timor-Leste Water Sector Assessment and Roadmap

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03-01) World Bank Group

Despite significant progress since gaining independence in 2002, Timor-Leste’s economy is still struggling with declining oil revenues and slowing economic growth, while access to improved basic services is still low and vulnerability to natural disasters remain high. In that context, strategic investments in the water sector and addressing water management is crucial to meet national and international development commitments and to stimulate economic growth. Potential for the development of the water resources exists in Timor-Leste, although it is constrained by limited data as well as by the institutional capacity to implement integrated water resources management (IWRM) solutions. Irrigation scheme rehabilitation has been driven by a target of self-sufficiency in food production but recent studies point to alternatives and more economically viable models for achieving this policy target. For water supply and sanitation, Timor-Leste met its millennium development goal (MDG) water and sanitation targets for urban areas, but missed its MDG target for rural areas. Progress has been made, although the sustainability of services remains a challenge. Investing in the water sector will have broad and significant benefits to the economy, community, and the environment in Timor-Leste.
Managing Urban Water Scarcity in Morocco

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-11) World Bank Group

Important challenges such as population growth, urbanization, economic expansion and climate changeare looming over urban water security in Morocco. While urban water demand is expected to rise by 60 percent to 100 percent in most large cities by 2050, climate projections suggest reduced precipitation and a sharp decline in water resources availability. Morocco is expected to enter a situation of extreme water stress in less than 25 years. The Water Law 36-15 recognizes these risks and provides the relevant policies, institutions, regulations, mechanisms and procedures for integrated water resources management and created the necessary tools for its implementation. The Law emphasizes the need for integrated, decentralized, participative management of water, and recognizes the importance of developing planning mechanisms to address water scarcity. Institutions have been set up at all levels of government and rules are in place to involve civil society and the private sector in water management.
Sustainability Assessment of Rural Water Service Delivery Models: Findings of a Multi-Country Review

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-08) World Bank Group

With 2.1 billion people – mostly in rural areas – lacking safely managed drinking water and reported low rural water supply functionality rates, the Sustainable Development Goals pose a triple challenge: to reach unserved mostly rural population groups, to raise service levels, and to sustain existing and future services. This assessment uses a multi-country case study approach to identify good practices and challenges toward building sector capacity and strengthening sustainable service delivery models for rural areas. Recognizing the limitations of the Demand Responsive Approach, the emergence of various management models, the identified need for ongoing support to rural service providers, and the critical role of enabling institutions and policies beyond the community-level, the added value of this assessment lies in: i)the development of a comprehensive analytical framework that can be used to analyze and operationalize a more sustainable service delivery approach for rural water supply; ii) the rich set of cases and good practices from the 16 countries informing the global body of "knowledge in implementation," and iii) the formulation of recommendations and policy directions to improve the sustainability of services depending on sector development stage. Policy recommendations are centered around five areas: institutional capacity, financing, asset management, water resources management, and monitoring and regulatory oversight.
Sanitation and Water for All: How Can the Financing Gap Be Filled?

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-03) World Bank Group ; UNICEF

For many countries still striving to provide their populations with basic access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, the initial years of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an appropriate time to reflect on and reassess current arrangements to finance the WASH sector. The 2017 High-Level Meeting of Finance Ministers will be the first held since the launch of the SDGs and will provide an opportunity for collective discussion on the roadmap for financing the water, sanitation and hygiene components of SDG 6, the so-called water SDG. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development introduced a new level of ambition for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, encouraging countries to aspire to even higher levels of service and thus greater health, economic, social, and environmental benefits. This discussion paper provides a framework for country-level discussion, setting out key considerations for countries as they undertake financial planning for efforts to meet the SDGs. This paper covers the following aspects:(i) Estimating the costs and benefits associated with the SDG targets for WASH; (ii) Using existing financial resources more effectively; (iii) Accessing new resources; and (iv) Taking action to close the SDG financing gap.
Toward Efficient and Sustainable River Basin Operational Services in Indonesia

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-08) World Bank Group

Since the introduction of the Water Law in 2004, national river basin management in Indonesia has been carried out by 30 public river basin management organizations (RBOs), called either Balai Besar Wilayah Sungai(s) (BBWSs) or Balai Wilayah Sungai(s) (BWSs); the two are referenced together here as B(B)WSs. These national government agencies fill both regulatory and management functions, as well as undertaking construction, operation, and maintenance of river infrastructure and irrigation systems larger than 3,000 hectares. Provincial water agencies also provide water resource and river basin management in provincial basins and basins of national river territories, in coordination with the national river basin agencies.