Smarter use of water can create nearly 250 million jobs globally – World Bank

Rebalancing water use in the global food system will be crucial to meeting future food demand sustainably as it could generate 245 million long-term jobs, largely in sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank said.

According to the new report “Nourish and Flourish: Water Solutions to Feed 10 Billion People on a Livable Planet” launched Thursday by the World Bank Group, current agricultural water management practices, characterized by overuse in some countries and underuse in others, can only sustainably support food production for less than half of the world’s population.

By 2050, 10 billion people will need to be fed, the report notes.

Addressing both the overuse that depletes water in stressed regions and the underuse that leaves water available and production capacity unused in water-rich regions will be essential to meeting that demand sustainably, the Washington-based development finance institution said.

“How we manage water for food will have profound implications for jobs, livelihoods and economic growth. By making smarter choices about where crops are grown, how water is allocated and how trade supports food security, we can strengthen resilience, expand opportunity and safeguard the resources we all rely on,” said Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group.

The report highlights the need for greater private sector participation and financing alongside public investment, supported by effective policies, institutions and regulations to stimulate food production, create jobs and support sustainable growth.

Guangzhe Chen, Vice President for the Planet at the World Bank Group, said: “When investments in infrastructure and natural resources, business promotion policies and the mobilization of private capital come together, the impact can be greater than the sum of their parts. By connecting global evidence with national realities, this framework can help policymakers navigate trade-offs and adapt food production to today’s water and climate realities, while simultaneously providing food, jobs and resilience.”

The World Bank has urged governments to expand irrigation where water is available, in addition to modernizing existing systems. According to the report, this will require an additional $24-70 billion per year until 2050.

“Governments already spend around $490 billion a year on agricultural support, most of it in subsidies. Redirecting some of the current spending, combined with regulatory reform, the use of blended finance and public-private partnerships, will crowd private capital, including co-investment by farmers themselves, and support financially sustainable water and food security.

The World Bank Group works alongside countries, companies, partners and people who have committed to doubling annual agri-food financing to $9 billion by 2030, mobilizing an additional $5 billion per year under the AgriConnect initiative to help smallholder farmers move from subsistence to surplus.