Part of OECD Water Resources and Sanitation Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately Agriculture is a major user of water and is responsible for much of its pollution. But the agricultural sector faces increasing competition for scarce water supplies from urban and industrial users and, increasingly, to sustain ecosystems. The 21st century could see ever more extreme weather events, from floods to droughts, which could have significant impacts on where farms are located and what they produce. There is growing interest by both governments and the private sector in...

Part of OECD Water Resources and Sanitation Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately
Agriculture is the major user of water in most countries. It also faces the enormous challenge of producing almost 50% more food by 2030 and doubling production by 2050. This will likely need to be achieved with less water, mainly because of growing pressures from urbanisation, industrialisation and climate change. In this context, it will be important in future for farmers to receive the right signals to increase water use efficiency and improve agricultural water management,...

Part of OECD Water Policy and Finance Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately
This report examines innovative mechanisms that can help attract new financial resources into water and sanitation services. In particular, it focuses on mobilising market-based repayable financing (such as loans, bonds and equity) as a way of bridging the financial gap to meet the water-related Millennium Development Goals and other crucial sector objectives.
The Camdessus and Gurria reports, published seven and four years ago, respectively, formulated a number of...

Part of OECD Water Policy and Finance Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately
In both OECD and non-OECD countries the water sector is facing the challenges of increased competition for water resources, deteriorating water quality, and the effects of climate change and poor management. In this context, how can countries ensure access to adequate, sustainable and affordable water and sanitation services for all? Pricing water-related services is an essential part of the answer.
This report compiles reliable and comparable data on pricing water and on water...

Water Governance in OECD Countries: A Multilevel Approach addresses multilevel governance challenges in water policy implementation and identifies good practices for coordinating water policy across ministries, between levels of government, and across local actors at subnational level. Based on a methodological framework, it assesses the main "coordination gaps" in terms of policy-making, financing, information, accountability, objectives and capacity building, and provides a platform of existing governance mechanisms to bridge them.
Based on an extensive survey on water governance the...

This publication sets out the challenge for freshwater in a changing climate and provides policy guidance on how to navigate this new "waterscape." It examines the range and complexity of possible changes in the water cycle and the challenges of making practical, on-site adaptation decisions for water. It offers policymakers a risk-based framework and guidance to "know," "cap" and "manage" water risks in order to provide flexibility and improve decisions despite the lack of reliable predictions. It draws insights from a stock take of current policy efforts to adapt water systems across all 34...

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Many countries have sought the involvement of the private sector to upgrade and develop their water and sanitation infrastructure and improve the efficiency of water systems. However, high capital intensity, large initial outlays, long pay-back periods, immobility of assets and low rates of return generate high risks. These factors, when combined with poor initial information and weak investment environment, limit the scale of private sector participation in water and sanitation...

Part of OECD Water Policy and Finance Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately
The provision of water supply, sanitation and wastewater services generates substantial benefits for public health, the economy and the environment. Benefits from the provision of basic water supply and sanitation services such as those implied by the millennium development goals are massive and far outstrip costs. Benefit-to-cost ratios have been reported to be as high as 7 to 1 for basic water and sanitation services in developing countries. Wastewater treatment interventions can...

The investments needed to deliver sustainable water and sanitation services, including the funds that are needed to operate and maintain the infrastructure, expand their coverage and upgrade service delivery to meet current social and environmental expectations, are huge. Yet, most systems are underfunded with dire consequences for water and sanitation users, especially the poorest. Providing sustainable drinking water supply and sanitation services requires sound financial basis and strategic financial planning to ensure that existing and future financial resources are commensurate with...

This report analyses the adaptive capacity in agricultural water management, adaptation in agriculture to water variability and extreme events, (floods and droughts), mitigation, (water and energy) and uncertainty about further climate change.