World Bank and LIS-Water Join Forces to Strengthen Water Governance

The World Bank Group and the Lisbon International Centre for Water (LIS-Water) have announced a multi-year partnership to help countries improve water and sanitation services through stronger policies, effective regulation, and more capable institutions.

Announced during the Water and Sanitation Governance Leadership Program in Lisbon, the partnership was unveiled at an opening ceremony attended by Portugal’s Minister for Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho. With support from the Portuguese government, the initiative will help governments translate policy reforms into investment-ready projects, encouraging private-sector financing and innovation.

The partnership supports Water Forward, a multi-stakeholder coalition launched by the World Bank Group with the ambition of improving water security for more than one billion people by 2030. The program brought together policymakers from over 40 countries to discuss ways to strengthen water-sector governance and advance reforms.

Water security is essential for employment, economic resilience, food security, and public health. However, weak regulatory systems, fragmented institutions, and limited leadership capacity often hinder reforms and delay critical investments. Through this collaboration, the World Bank Group and LIS-Water will help countries overcome these challenges and establish a stronger foundation for sustainable water and sanitation services.

The partnership combines the World Bank Group’s global operational experience and convening capacity with LIS-Water’s specialized expertise in water policy and regulation, aiming to create more effective institutions and improve the conditions for long-term investment.

“Our partnership with LIS-Water is about advancing the policies, institutions, and regulatory agenda under Water Forward, which aims to reach over one billion people by 2030,” said Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director for Water at the World Bank Group. He added that stronger institutions and predictable regulatory frameworks can attract new investment in the water sector, supporting job creation and economic prosperity in developing countries.

Source: World Bank