Water Stewardship
Photo by Enkhbileg Enkhjargal
Water is one of the world’s most precious resources and it is valued and used by everyone on the planet, including by companies who need water as a critical input to production and by communities who rely on water for health and sanitation. Inadequate water and sanitation services cause increased costs to society from sickness, mortality, and loss of productivity. Globally, 660 million people lack access to an improved source of water and 2.4 billion lack access to improved sanitation facilities, leading to poor health and environment conditions.
Increased water stress from urbanization, climate change, and industrial use will continue to widen the gap between available supply and demand. To achieve SDG6 targets for water by 2030, annual investments need to increase by $150 billion to $410 billion per year.
IFC is uniquely placed to act as a trusted advisor and neutral convener to develop shared solutions to water challenges facing the private sector, government, and civil society.
IFC’s Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory’s work includes:
Training and Awareness Raising: Convening forums, training programs, and best practice guidelines to educate companies and interested stakeholders about water issues.
Identifying Water Risks: Developing tools to assist companies identify social water risks and build an internal business case to respond through financial justification.
Responding to Water Risks: Guiding interventions to address water risks, including stakeholder engagement strategies and strategic community investment programs.
Financial Support: Connecting clients with IFC financing mechanisms for investment in water efficiency projects, and/or community engagement programs at the asset level.
Advice: Acting as an honest broker to advise companies, government and civil society on water-related issues.
In Action
Mongolia Mining & Water Management Program
Since 2012, IFC has convened industry roundtables between mining companies operating within the mineral-rich but water-scarce South Gobi region of Mongolia. The program raised the skills and awareness of social and technical staff from participating companies, triggered collaborative partnerships between companies and local communities on water monitoring, and improved the transparency of water data through partnerships with the EITI and governments stakeholders. Click here for more information.
Revenue Management in Peru’s Apurimac Region
This initiative focused on the most active, rural and remote mining regions in Peru to help build the capacity of government and local leaders in seven municipalities. The Municipal staff was trained in investment management and introduced to transparency and accountability practices to increase dialogue and community participation.
Water Investment Growth in Indonesia
Market study using IFC’s water investment growth initiative (WIGI) tool to analyze the governance, legal and creditworthiness of public utilities to attract commercial finance.
Disclosure to Development Program
Data visualization techniques to communicate water data to non-technical audiences.
Highlights
12
companies signed Voluntary Code of Practice for water management
$4 Million
private sector investment in water infrastructure for communities catalyzed
1,000+
communities, governments, and industry stakeholders were trained on mining and groundwater management
Mongolia Mining & Water: The program culminated in the development of an industry-led Code of Practice (signed by 12 companies) to promote the efficient and transparent use of water. Recognized as an example of leading practice by ICMM.
The program catalyzed over $4 million private sector investment in water infrastructure for communities.
IFC designed a curriculum and trained 1,000+ community, government, and industry stakeholders on mining and groundwater management to promote awareness.
Photo by Enkhbileg Enkhjargal
