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GWSP: Publications and Knowledge

Knowledge Highlights from the Water Global Practice

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Sustainability

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See All World Bank Publications on Water

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UNCHARTED WATERS: THE NEW ECONOMICS OF WATER SCARCITY AND VARIABILITY
Author(s):  Damania, Desbureaux, Hyland, Islam, Moore, Rodella, Russ, Zaveri
This book presents new evidence to advance our understanding of how rainfall shocks, coupled with water scarcity, affect farms, firms, and families. A key message is that water has multiple economic attributes that entail distinct policy responses at each stage in its cycle of use. If water is not managed more prudently— from source, to tap, and back to source—the crises observed today will become the catastrophes of tomorrow.
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HIGH AND DRY: CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER, AND THE ECONOMY ALSO AVAILABLE IN FRENCH, SPANISH AND ARABIC Author(s): Water GP | Focus: Water, Poverty and the Economy

The impacts of climate change will be channeled primarily through the water cycle, with consequences that could be large and uneven across the globe. Water-related climate risks cascade through food, energy, urban, and environmental systems. Growing populations, rising incomes, and expanding cities will converge upon a world where the demand for water rises exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain. They will jeopardize growth prospects in the regions worst affected and in some of the poorest countries.

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WATER, WELL-BEING, AND THE PROSPERITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS Author(s): Chase, Damania |Focus: Water, Poverty and the Economy

This discussion paper provides an overview of the poverty-related impacts of inadequate water supply and sanitation and highlights the policy challenges that have emerged in a more populated, polluted, and urbanized world with finite water resources. It highlights the need for sustained changes in individual behavior, more equitable access to services, and incentives for improved water resource stewardship.

 See All Publications on WATER and the ECONOMY

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EASING THE TRANSITION TO COMMERCIAL FINANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER AND SANITATION
Author(s): Goksu, Trémolet, Kolker, Kingdom | Focus: Water Supply and
Sanitation
This report brings together the current state of knowledge on water sector finance and sets out the World Bank’s vision for how countries can finance their water and sanitation goals. It calls for countries to place a greater priority on leveraging commercial finance into the sector while at the same time bolstering public funds.

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AID FLOWS TO THE WATER SECTOR: OVERVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Author(s): Winpenny, Trémolet, Cardone, Kolker, Kingdom, Mountsford
Focus: Water Supply and Sanitation
This report, created for the High-Level Panel on Water, provides data and insights on the role of grant funding and concessional financing and recommendations on how to mobilize financing to achieve the water SDG. It includes an inventory of more than 225 institutions that contribute financing and/or technical assistance to the water sector in developing countries.

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INTRODUCING COMMERCIAL FINANCE INTO THE WATER SECTOR IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Author(s): Bender | Focus: Water Supply and Sanitation
This guidance note offers borrowers, lenders and government officials a holistic approach on how to build a market for commercial finance in the water sector. It takes readers through a step-by-step process for scoping, designing and building the market, and executing, monitoring, and evaluating the deal.
 See All Publications on FINANCING

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THE RISING TIDE: A NEW LOOK AT WATER AND GENDER
Author(s): Das | Focus: Social Inclusion
The relationship between water and gender is important to the overall progress on water security and gender equality more broadly. This report provides a framework that shows how gender relations in water reform can influence gender equality and examines the norms and practices related to water that often exacerbate ingrained gender and other hierarchies.
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PROVIDING WATER TO POOR PEOPLE IN AFRICAN CITIES EFFECTIVELY: LESSONS FROM UTILITY REFORMS
Author(s): Heymans, Eberhard, Ehrhardt, Riley | Country: Multi-Country
The cases studied show that it is possible for rapidly growing African cities to offer the poorest 40 percent of their residents near-universal access to reliable and affordable water. The technical, financial, and managerial techniques used by utilities in these cities are widely applicable. This study recognizes the achievements of cities that provide relatively good service to the poor.
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INCLUDING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN WATER SECTOR OPERATIONS: A GUIDANCE NOTE
Author(s): Mcclain-Nhlapo, Raja, Sivonen, Widyastuty | Focus: Social Inclusion
The ripple effects of the lack of access to water and sanitation services can have serious socioeconomic consequences for persons with disabilities and their families. This comprehensive note identifies entry points for disability-inclusive operations along with systematic and sustainable interventions in World Bank Group activities. It includes case studies, resources, examples of access barriers, and policy recommendations. 
 See All Publications on INCLUSION

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ALIGNING INSTITUTIONS AND INCENTIVES FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SERVICES
Author(s): Mumssen, Saltiel, Kingdom | Focus: Water Supply and Sanitation
An analysis of how integrated policy, institutional, and regulatory interventions can help align incentives for more sustainable water supply and sanitation service delivery.

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AUSTRALIAN URBAN WATER REFORM STORY WITH DETAILED CASE STUDY ON NEW SOUTH WALES
Author(s): Salisbury, Head, Brian, Groom | Focus: Water Supply and Sanitation |
Country: Australia
Urban water services in Australia are recognized as some of the most efficient utilities in the world, but this was not always the case. This study, carried out by the International Water Centre (IWC), looks at three decades of experience to draw out how national-level economic reforms in Australia helped transform the traditional state “build and supply” model into a modern service oriented and efficient sector. This work reveals insights around the interplay between state-level reform and regulation, and national framework agreements.

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DESIGN, BUILD, OPERATE STANDARD BIDDING DOCUMENTS
Author(s): Water GP | Focus: Water Supply and Sanitation
This package includes a suite of standard bidding documents for Design, Build and Operate (DBO) contracts for water and wastewater treatment plants to help simplify the contracting process. It includes the initial selection document, guidance note and a standard bidding document.
 See All Publications on INSTITUTIONS

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WATER SCARCE CITIES: THRIVING IN A FINITE WORLD — FULL REPORT
Author(s): World Bank | Focus: Water Security and Integrated Resource Management
The report provides describes principles and approaches that cities and water utility decision makers can adopt to improve their cities’ resilience to water scarcity challenges. It is based on 20 case studies describing how cities have effectively and innovatively addressed emerging threats to their water supply security.
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TURBULENT WATERS: PURSUING WATER SECURITY IN FRAGILE CONTEXTS
Author(s): Sadoff, Borgomeo, de Waal | Focus: Water Security and Integrated Resource Management
Water insecurity can cause severe disruptions and compound fragilities in social, economic, and environmental systems. This report explores the dynamics between water insecurity and fragility and suggests that water security is more difficult to achieve in fragile contexts because of a range of factors, including weak institutions and information systems, strained human and financial resources, and degraded infrastructure.
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BEYOND SCARCITY: WATER SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Author(s): World Bank | Focus: Water, Poverty and the Economy
Country: MENA
Achieving water security in the Middle East and North Africa requires a new way of looking at water management even beyond scarcity. This report provides a regional assessment of the challenges and opportunities in the region. It examines how the resources are currently being managed and the water-related risks that need to be recognized and mitigated. 
 See All Publications on RESILIENCE

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ATLAS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Author(s): World Bank
The Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals 2018 is a visual guide to the trends, challenges and measurement issues related to each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
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MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT: AN AGENDA FOR WATER ACTION
Author(s): High-Level Panel on Water
The United Nations and World Bank Group convened a High-Level Panel on Water to provide leadership in tackling one of the world’s most pressing challenges: an approaching global water crisis.
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PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT IN SHARED RIVER BASINS: TOOLS FOR ENHANCING TRANSBOUNDARY BASIN MANAGEMENT
Author(s): Leb, Henshaw, Iqbal, Rehberger Bescos | Focus: Water Security and Integrated Resource Management
This study identifies an array of tools derived from the international experience that can be used by countries and development partners in their efforts to develop more water secure economies and societies through harnessing the shared freshwater resources of transboundary basins, while also preventing or mitigating transboundary harm that may otherwise result.
 See All Publications on SUSTAINABILITY

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WASH POOR IN A WATER-RICH COUNTRY: A DIAGNOSTIC OF WATER, SANITATION, HYGIENE, AND POVERTY IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH
Author(s): World Bank | Country: Democratic Republic of Congo
This diagnostic analyses trends and links them to institutional weaknesses in the WASH sector, in particular institutional fragmentation, weak capacity, and a bias toward specific institutions and services. Opportunities for improvement are analyzed and condensed into six clear messages that provide guidance on the way forward for the WASH sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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MAINTAINING THE MOMENTUM WHILE ADDRESSING SERVICE QUALITY AND EQUITY: A DIAGNOSTIC OF WATER SUPPLY, SANITATION, HYGIENE, AND POVERTY IN ETHIOPIA
Upcoming Publication | Country: Ethiopia
The WASH Poverty Diagnostic Initiative captures and analyzes data from 18 countries to present evidence on inequalities in access to WASH services, examine the impact of unequal service on the poor, and explore why service delivery continues to be inadequate and inefficient in much of the world.
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HEALTH IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF DISTRIBUTION MODELS FOR PLASTIC LATRINE SLABS IN KENYA
Author(s): Water GP | Country: Kenya
Explains distribution and financing mechanisms for reaching households as well as the health impact and the effectiveness of plastic latrine slabs. 
 See All Publications on World Bank Water in AFRICA

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WATERSHED: A NEW ERA OF WATER GOVERNANCE IN CHINA
Upcoming Publication | Country: China
In China, 28,000 rivers have disappeared over the past 25 years. In some areas, groundwater has fallen by up to 1–3 meters a year and some 110 cities face severe water shortages. Gaps also remain in basic water services coverage while water pollution imposes serious economic, ecological, and health costs. To effectively address these complex water challenges, improved approaches to water management is needed.
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THIRSTY ENERGY: MODELING THE WATER-ENERGY NEXUS IN CHINA
Author(s): World Bank Group | Country: China
To better assess the water-energy nexus challenge in China, the Thirsty Energy initiative engaged the China Institute for Water Resources (IWHR) and Hydropower Research under the auspices of the Ministry of Water Resources and the Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy of Tsinghua University (TU) to establish a new multiregional, water-smart energy system planning model: TIMES-ChinaW.
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MATURITY MATRICES FOR INSTITUTIONAL BENCHMARKING OF DAM SAFETY IN INDONESIA
Author(s): World Bank Group | Country: Indonesia
The development of Maturity Matrices for Institutional Benchmarking of Dam Safety in Indonesia provides a method for assessing the effectiveness of the operation, maintenance, surveillance and emergency preparedness programs adopted by dam authorities.  
 See All Publications on World Bank Water in EAST ASIA and PACIFIC

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REVIEW OF ARMENIA’S EXPERIENCE WITH WATER PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Author(s): Marin, Muzenda, Andreasyan | Country: Armenia
Four water public private partnerships (PPPs) undertaken in Armenia between 2000 and 2016 and the start of a national water lease contract that began in January 2017 are studied here.
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SECURING POTABLE WATER SUPPLY UNDER EXTREME SCARCITY: LESSONS AND PERSPECTIVES FROM THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS
Upcoming Publication | Author(s): Marin, Charalambous, Davy | Country: Cyprus
Key achievements and lessons learned from the water management experience of the Republic of Cyprus for the benefit of other countries around the world facing increasing challenges in dealing with water scarcity, focusing on how potable water security was achieved.
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CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVING HOUSEHOLD SANITATION IN THE GER AREAS OF ULAANBAATAR
Author(s): Gambrill, Leblanc | Country: Mongolia
The report identifies practicable, affordable technical options for improving household sanitation in the Ger areas of Ulaanbaatar and is aimed at assisting decision makers and other stakeholders to select the most cost-effective, feasible options for improving sanitation in the short and medium term. 
 See All Publications on World Bank Water in EUROPE and CENTRAL ASIA

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INCENTIVES FOR IMPROVING WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SERVICE DELIVERY: A SOUTH AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE
Author(s): Uijtewaal, Goksu, Saltiel
Since 2016, the World Bank’s Water and Governance Global Practices have been implementing the Policy, Institutional and Regulatory (PIR) Incentives Initiative to gain deeper insight into the dynamics between water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector incentive mechanisms.
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CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN WATER SNAPSHOTS: TERESINA ENHANCING MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE PROJECT
Author(s): Water GP | Country: Brazil
Shows how community buy-in and involvement resulted new citizen engagement mechanisms to help expand access to sanitation, and improve water quality and access to green spaces.
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PIPE(D) DREAMS: WATER SUPPLY, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE PROGRESS AND REMAINING CHALLENGES IN ECUADOR
Author(s): World Bank | Country: Ecuador
An extensive body of research assessing the extent and quality of water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services geographically and over the income distribution. It explores the interaction between WASH outcomes and health, especially nutrition; and the institutional barriers as well as opportunities to reduce the gaps in improved access to WASH between rural and urban areas in Ecuador.
 See All Publications on World Bank Water in LATIN AMERICA and the CARIBBEAN

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THE WATER-ENERGY-FOOD NEXUS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA: SCENARIOS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Author(s): Borgomeo, Jagerskog, Talbi, Wijnen, Hejazi, Miralles-Wilhelm
Water, energy, and agriculture have been conventionally dealt with separately in investment planning. For each of these sectors, regulatory frameworks, organizations, and infrastructures have been put in place to address sector-specific challenges and demands. As the Middle East and North Africa works towards building a more sustainable future, a nexus approach that considers the risks and synergies among these sectors is needed.
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BEYOND SCARCITY: WATER SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Author(s): World Bank | Focus: Water, Poverty and the Economy
Country: MENA
Achieving water security in the Middle East and North Africa requires a new way of looking at water management even beyond scarcity. This report provides a regional assessment of the challenges and opportunities in the region. It examines how the resources are currently being managed and the water-related risks that need to be recognized and mitigated.
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WATER MANAGEMENT IN ISRAEL: KEY INNOVATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED FOR WATER SCARCE COUNTRIES
Author(s): Marin, Tal, Yeres, Ringskog | Country: Israel
Illustrates the nine important lessons learned which are of major importance for other countries facing increasing water scarcity. 
 See All Publications on World Bank Water in MIDDLE EAST and NORTH AFRICA

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PROMISING PROGRESS: A DIAGNOSTIC OF WATER SUPPLY, SANITATION, HYGIENE, AND POVERTY IN BANGLADESH
Country: Bangladesh
A snapshot of the quality and inequality of WASH access in Bangladesh, with statistics from numerous dataset. This report also attempts to show the implications of these numbers on human development and poverty reduction.
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MAINSTREAMING CITIZEN FEEDBACK ON SERVICE DELIVERY USING ICTS: FINDINGS AND LESSONS FROM ICT-BASED FEEDBACK SURVEYS ON WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SERVICES IN INDIAN CITIES
Author(s): Bhatnagar, Batra, Tiwari | Country: India
This report presents the results from implementation of Service Level Benchmarks (SLBs) to strengthen service delivery in India.
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RAJASTHAN WATER ASSESSMENT: POTENTIAL FOR PRIVATE SECTOR INTERVENTIONS
Author(s): Hooda | Country: India
Provides an in-depth and comprehensive overview of the challenges of drinking water supply, water quality, and agriculture-water in Rajasthan with a focus on potential private sector engagements.
 See All Publications on World Bank Water in SOUTH ASIA


See All World Bank Publications on Water