World Bank Group, LIS-Water partner to improve water services and attract investment

The partnership will help governments turn reforms into projects ready for investment, bringing private finance and innovation into the water sector.

The World Bank Group and the Lisbon International Centre for Water (LIS-Water) have announced a multi-year partnership to help countries strengthen water and sanitation services through better policies, stronger institutions and more effective regulation. The agreement was announced at the Water and Sanitation Governance Leadership Program in Lisbon, where Portugal's Minister for Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, took part in the opening ceremony. Supported by the Government of Portugal, the program brought together policymakers from more than 40 countries.

The partnership will help governments turn reforms into projects ready for investment, bringing private finance and innovation into the water sector. It supports Water Forward, the World Bank Group-launched coalition working to deliver water security for more than one billion people by 2030. Water security underpins jobs, economic resilience, food security and public health. Weak regulation, fragmented institutions and gaps in leadership capacity can delay reforms and investment, leaving countries with barriers to stronger water and sanitation services.

Better governance can bring investment into water services

The agreement combines the World Bank Group's global operational reach and convening power with LIS-Water's expertise in water regulation and policy. Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director for Water at the World Bank Group, said the partnership would advance Water Forward's agenda through stronger policies, institutions and regulation, with predictable frameworks helping attract investment and support jobs and prosperity in developing countries.

Carvalho said the work reflects Portugal's commitment to effective water governance and strong services. Portugal has worked with the World Bank and other partners to help close the gap in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 6 by 2030, she said, describing the partnership as a way to bring capacity-building, expertise and practical know-how to organizations seeking better results.

Five workstreams will support reform

The partners have agreed on a coordinated program covering five areas:

• Governance diagnostics: 360-degree assessments will give countries a clear picture of their water and sanitation systems and the changes needed to strengthen them.

• Regulation and institutions: Support will help governments build frameworks that can turn reform plans into bankable investments.

• Leadership training: Executive programs will serve regulators, utility managers, mayors, parliamentarians and emerging sector leaders.

• Analytical work: New research will explore issues including how artificial intelligence can support smarter water governance.

• Operational guidance: Advice for World Bank Group lending teams will help embed governance reforms in projects from the start.

A shared push for stronger services

The partnership links policy and institutional reform with investment and practical support for the organizations responsible for delivering water and sanitation. Its training, diagnostics and operational guidance are intended to help governments strengthen their capacity, attract financing and improve services for communities.