2030 WRG: Collective Action on Water Security
for People, Environment, and Economy
The 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) is a public, private, civil society multi-donor trust fund hosted by the World Bank Group. We support stakeholders in collective decision-making, and in co-designing out-of-the-box solutions that promote strong socio-economic development across all sectors connected to water.
Who we are
The 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) is a unique public, private, civil society partnership. It is hosted by the World Bank Group. With more than 1,000 partners around the world, our platforms help to drive systemic change and advance transformative leadership of institutions.
Where we work
Mexico
Mexico faces important water resources management, water supply and sanitation, and water security challenges. A “gap analysis” conducted recently estimates that in 2030, the water gap could exceed 23 million m³/year.
Peru
Programs in Peru
The first certificates for sustainable corporate water footprints in Peru
Innovation Story
In 2016, the National Water Authority, with the collaboration of 2030 WRG and other members of the Peru multi-stakeholder platform, launched the Blue Certificate—a national award recognizing companies’ efforts to reduce their water footprint—to increase water-use efficiency and treated wastewater reuse among private sector companies. The Peruvian Government Procurement Entity also joined the initiative by granting additional points in all public bids to companies that have been awarded the Blue Certificate.
The Blue Certificate is granted to water-responsible private companies that assess their water footprint based on the ISO 14046 standard, commit to engaging in a concrete activity to accomplish water footprint reductions, and implement shared-value strategies and projects with communities in the watersheds where they work. The Blue Certificate has helped the government recognize and encourage companies to implement water-saving measures, and has strengthened the relationship between the public and private sectors.
São Paulo, Brazil
Mongolia
Programs in Mongolia
The first voluntary code of practice for sustainable mine water management in Mongolia
Innovation Story
In Mongolia, 2030 WRG supported IFC’s Mining and Water Management Roundtable, which was established in 2013 to engage mining companies in the South Gobi region to improve their water management and stakeholder engagement practices.
The roundtable led to the development of a voluntary code of practice for sustainable mine water management, based on leading international best practices. Eleven mining companies signed and adopted the code as “a powerful display of corporate accountability,” as the first signatories said. The code has been a critical step toward building trust among local stakeholders working to manage common water resources.
Development of a new water pollution fee law incorporating the polluter pays principle in Mongolia
Innovation Story
To support water pollution management, 2030 WRG developed a new water pollution fee law in Mongolia, approved by the country’s Parliament and Cabinet, which promotes wastewater reuse and incentivizes large businesses to treat wastewater onsite.
Involving large water users such as power plants, beverage companies, public commercial utilities, and mining companies in proposing changes to the law has helped to reduce water use and wastewater discharge, and increased pre-treatment of industrial pollutants by companies before discharge to central sewers. A total of 22 companies in eight sectors are implementing pre-treatment, with an overall impact of 60 million m3 or reduced wastewater discharge into the Tuul River.
Bangladesh
Programs in Bangladesh
Water pollution management
Accelerator
- Mobilizing $300 million in public finance for wastewater management by 2025.
- Mobilizing $100 million in private finance for wastewater management by 2025.
- Reaching about 20 million people (directly and indirectly) with wastewater management services.
- Treating more than 65 million m3 of wastewater by establishing central effluent treatments plants and sewage treatment plants in economic zones and city corporations.
Introducing water-efficient technologies
Other Activity
- The project has reached an estimated 190,000 beneficiaries directly and indirectly—with benefits to not only the farmers but also their communities and the clients of the farmer hubs who provide the services.
- The groundwater abstraction avoided—saving through scaling high efficiency irrigation such as alternate wet and dry irrigation and drip irrigation—is 16.7 million cubic meters of water.
- The project has increased rice production by about 400 kilograms per hectare of land. Cumulatively, from 2018 to 2023, almost 380 hectares of land have been covered through direct alternate wet and dry irrigation interventions with farmers.
The first PPP for industrial wastewater treatment in economic zones in Bangladesh
Innovation Story
2030 WRG supported a taskforce led by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) to develop a concept on mobilizing private sector participation and innovative financing mechanisms for centralized effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in economic zones. This initiative led to the development of the country’s first PPP-based CETP for industrial wastewater management.
2030 WRG played a catalyzing role by conducting a feasibility study, developing viable business models, and supervising the procurement process for the CETP. To support the process, a CETP facilitation and monitoring unit was established within BEZA to ensure it achieves its goal to establish more than 100 green economic zones by 2030.
India
Programs in India
Climate-smart agriculture in the state of Uttar Pradesh
Accelerator
- Promotes the adoption of climate-smart technologies and innovative low-carbon agricultural practices.
- Helps farmers access these climate-smart solutions and technologies through innovative service delivery models and financing channels.
- Drives state-wide ecosystem development approaches, and integrates value-chain focused interventions for the main crops in the state, including rice, sugarcane, mango, millets, and horticulture.
- Leverages the power of digital tools and platforms to reduce transaction costs, improve delivery timelines, and enhance transparency and accountability to support farmers through the creation of digital public infrastructure.
The first PPPs for wastewater treatment and reuse in the Ganga basin in India
Innovation Story
The first national water accounting framework in India
Innovation Story
The first large-scale (and world’s largest) community drip irrigation project at Ramthal in Karnataka, India
Innovation Story
PPPs to promote efficient irrigation in Maharashtra, India
Innovation Story
The first state-level policy on wastewater reuse in Karnataka, India
Innovation Story
The Government of Karnataka approved a policy for wastewater reuse for urban centers in December 2017, marking the culmination of extensive stakeholder deliberations to support the enabling environment for wastewater reuse. The policy, coupled with the establishment of a Wastewater Reuse Resource Cell to implement the policy, was developed under the Urban Water Workstream of 2030 WRG’s Karnataka Multi-Stakeholder Platform for Water (MSP-Water). 2030 WRG established a multi-stakeholder wastewater reuse policy committee, which comprised members from the Government of Karnataka, private sector, and civil society, and supported policy drafting.
The policy provides a comprehensive framework for wastewater reuse in Karnataka, integrating principles of cost recovery, equity, and sustainability for urban wastewater management. It also includes a special focus on industrial reuse of treated urban wastewater, with the intention of supporting financial sustainability of urban local bodies and mitigating water supply risks for industry.
Ethiopia
Programs in Ethiopia
Farmer-led irrigation development
Other Activity
Kenya
Programs in Kenya
Leveraging public funding to mobilize capital for decentralized sanitation and operational efficiency
Accelerator
In Kenya, the accelerator is working with the World Bank’s Water Global Practice to facilitate $10 million for improved operational efficiency and WASH service delivery, targeting public water service providers and WASH service providers. Operational efficiency will improve the creditworthiness of water service providers and enhance their eligibility for commercial financing, helping to close an investment gap of $8.32 billion (2023 to 2030) as estimated in the Kenyan government’s National Water and Sanitation Investment Plan.
Lessons learned from the financing facility will be a reference for and catalyze the development of innovative models to attract additional commercial financing to the water sector. The accelerator also targets a cumulative reduction of municipal water losses from 40% to less than 25%, with access to WASH services for 2 million people. The targets will be facilitated jointly through World Bank operations.
The first irrigation financing facility in Kenya
Innovation Story
In Kenya, a climate-smart irrigation facility worked to increase water-use efficiency and accelerate water productivity improvements in agricultural cultivation, particularly with smallholder farmers. As part of this initiative and with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation’s leadership and 2030 WRG’s technical assistance, an irrigation financing facility was rolled out in 2016/17 in partnership with IFC.
The pilot project worked with about 500 out-growers, leveraging partnerships among key stakeholders across the value chain (equipment suppliers, off-takers, and two commercial banks) to provide access to credit, training, and agronomic support to smallholders requiring irrigation systems.
Tanzania
South Africa
Programs in South Africa
Nature-based solutions
Accelerator
The first automated water administration system for irrigation schemes in South Africa
Innovation Story
2030 WRG’s effort in scaling out the water administration system across multiple irrigation systems has resulted in a 2% closure of the water gap, equivalent to nearly 50% of the demand from South Africa’s Nelson Mandela Bay metro, home to over 1.1 million residents.
The 2030-WRG founded platform in South Africa has been instrumental in implementing the water administration system in 21 major irrigation schemes throughout South Africa, covering an irrigated area of more than 190,931 hectares and including more than 10,000 farmers. The tool allows water user associations to manage water accounts and automatically calculate supply and demand through rivers, canal networks, and pipelines. This allows real-time tracking of water distribution. The system also helps farmers make informed decisions on crop management based on water availability.
National program to reduce municipal water losses in South Africa
Innovation Story
In partnership with the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Strategic Water Partners Network—a multi-stakeholder platform established by 2030 WRG in South Africa—initiated the No Drop program to enhance water-use efficiency and reduce non-revenue water at the municipal level. This regulatory innovation, which the government adopted in 2013, uses a scorecard system to assess and rank municipalities on criteria like water losses and revenue collection.
The program saw swift adoption, with full implementation in South Africa’s eight metros by 2015 and expansion to all major municipalities by 2016. It has influenced important legislative amendments, including stricter regulations on water usage during drought periods and enhanced penalties for illegal connections.
Vietnam
Kazakhstan
Programs in Kazakhstan
MSP for Water Security
Other Activity
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