Water Forward: A Plan to Give a Billion People Clean Water

The World Bank has teamed up with other major lenders to start a new effort called Water Forward. The goal is to give safe water to one billion people in the next four years. The plan wants governments to think of water as a valuable resource, not just a cheap service. It will bring in private investors and charity money along with public funds. Experts say water is essential for every economy. They warn that by the end of this decade, demand could exceed supply by 40 percent. Climate change is making droughts and floods worse, hurting both cities and rural areas.Water Forward will begin in 14 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Projects will cut water loss in cities, upgrade irrigation systems, reuse wastewater, and use data to plan better. Other banks like the European Investment Bank and the Asian Development Bank are also part of this initiative. The World Bank aims to secure water for 400 million people by 2030, and with other partners it hopes to reach over a billion.