Smarter water use can create nearly 250 million jobs, feed 10bn people globally – W/Bank
Orisemeke Benjamin
Rebalancing water use across the global food system will be crucial in meeting future food demand sustainably as it could generate 245 million long-term jobs, largely in Sub-Saharan Africa, the World Bank has said.
According to a 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, marked by overuse in some countries and underuse in others, can only sustainably support food production for less than half the global 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 available water and productive capacity untapped in water-abundant regions will be essential to meet that demand sustainably, the Washington based development finance institution stated.
“The way 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 which we all rely on,” said Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group.
The report highlights the need for stronger private sector participation and financing alongside public investment, supported by effective policies, institutions, and regulations to boost food production, create jobs, and support sustainable growth.
Vice President for Planet at the World Bank Group, Guangzhe Chen, said, “When investments in infrastructure and natural resources, business-enabling policies, and private capital mobilization come together, the impact can be greater than the sum of its parts. By linking global evidence with country realities, this framework can help policymakers navigate trade-offs and adapt food production to today’s water and climate realities—delivering food, jobs, and resilience together.”
The World Bank urged governments to expand irrigation where water is available, alongside the modernization of existing systems. This according to the report will require an additional $24–70 billion per year through 2050.
“Governments already spend roughly $490 billion annually on agricultural support, most of it on subsidies. Redirecting a portion of current spending—combined with regulatory reform, use of blended finance, and public-private partnerships—will crowd in 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 have committed to double annual agribusiness financing to $9 billion by 2030, mobilise an additional $5 billion per year under the AgriConnect initiative to help smallholders move from subsistence to surplus.
