Michael “Mike” Webster is the Program Manager of the 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG). Appointed in August 2023, Mike leads WRG's mission to help governments, companies, and civil society address water risks impacting food, cities, and ecosystems. His role supports the World Bank’s growing emphasis on partnering with the private sector to advance water security, sanitation, and the achievement of water-related SDGs.
Under Mike’s leadership, WRG is building on its decade of success in public-private collaboration to further scale its impact globally. These efforts are geared towards developing a pipeline of innovative water security projects that can be scaled and replicated through World Bank financing and other funding mechanisms, unlocking substantial resources for sustainable, long-term impact in water security.
Before joining WRG, Mike served as the Executive Director of the Water and Sanitation Directorate for the City of Cape Town, South Africa, where he led the City’s response to the 2015-17 drought by implementing a comprehensive water security strategy. Under Mike’s leadership, the Directorate became the first utility in Africa to join the Leading Utilities of the World.
Prior to his role in Cape Town, Mike worked for the World Bank for 16 years as a water and sanitation specialist, based in Washington, DC, New Delhi, and Harare. He joined the World Bank through the Young Professionals Program and holds a degree in civil engineering from the University of Cape Town, an MSc in engineering from Loughborough University, and a master’s in public policy from Princeton University.
