From 2009 to 2011, the WPP approved $ 19.6 million for 214 activities contributing to the Bank’s work in 62 countries in all water-subsectors. This included support for more than 40 percent of the Bank’s analytical work in water, as well as for project preparation and supervision. The current portfolio of WPP activities is providing direct support to over $ 11.5 billion of Bank financing in the water sector.
Although the geographic distribution of WPP activities is widespread across the Bank's regions regional demands have led to more activities in a select number of larger client countries. Africa receives both the largest allocation of WPP resources and has the greatest number of activities.
Countries Targeted by WPP Activities through 2011
WPP funded activities are already yielding results and impact worldwide. For example,
- Uganda. Strengthening of the Uganda Country Water Resource Assistance Strategy by incorporating an integrated and multi-sector approach to water resources management.
- Zambezi River Basin. New analysis reveals that power output could increase by 23 percent if the Zambezi’s riparian countries develop new hydropower in a cooperative manner and in accordance with the Southern Africa Power Pool.
- Tanzania. After their habitat was altered by dam construction, 300 endangered Kihansi Spray Toads were successfully re-introduced to captive breeding facilities in East Africa, sustaining the existing ecosystems.
- Chile. Chile’s National Water Department budget secured an increase of 30 percent in response to a national assessment of water resources and institutional capacity.
- Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic to invest $5 million to implement improvements, suggested through a WPP activity, to strengthen its emergency response systems to prepare for disasters.
- Bolivia. Bolivian institutions learned to model and predict climate change scenarios. The data is being used to improve river basin planning and support investments in flood management.
- Bangladesh. Findings from analytical work helped secure public funding for a $1 billion investment to restore and protect the Sundarbans from further degradation, protecting biodiversity and millions of poor people in South Asia.
- India. Utilities in Karnataka, India are using energy efficient pumps to reduce water supply costs. The project will cut 135,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 10 years.
- Ganges River Basin. Establishment of a unique partnership between the World Bank Group, the National Resources Defense Council, and private firms (i.e. Walmart, Levi’s, Nike) is providing a new, collaborative approach to industrial wastewater regulation to clean up the Ganges River.
EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
- China. To sustain its water resources, China is piloting the world’s first water rights system to account for water consumption by evapo-transpiration. Water savings are expected to reach 6.5 million cubic meters.
- Philippines. Strengthening of the design capacities of rural water projects of the Philippines by developing a set of three rural water design manuals. A presidential endorsement has promoted use of the manual in small towns across the country.
- Indonesia. Indonesia completed a Water Investment Roadmap to guide $7 billion toward improved access to water supplies for 56 million more people by 2015.
EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA
- Kazakhstan. Water User Associations strengthened their capacities to manage and sustain local irrigation services, leading to the first basin-wide irrigation management transfer in southern Kazakhstan.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina updated a 25-year old water resources plan to develop investment scenarios for using hydropower as a key driver for economic growth.
- Tajikistan. Tajikistan benefited from suggested operational improvements for a hydropower facility that supplies 70 percent of the country’s electrical power.
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
- Morocco. Morocco learned best practices from Brazil in decentralized wastewater treatment; use of certain technologies could save up to $1 billion in seven towns across Morocco.
- MNA Region. New 21-country study details the opportunities for using concentrated solar power as a reliable energy source for desalination plants across the water-scarce region.
- Egypt. A new methodology was applied in Egypt’s wastewater sector to identify opportunities for safe water reuse in agriculture under revised WHO guidelines.