World Bank, LIS-Water launch water governance partnership for global sanitation investment push

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World Bank water governance partnership

Highlights

World Bank Group and LIS-Water launch a partnership, backed by Portugal, to strengthen global water governance and accelerate investment in water and sanitation services.
The initiative will operate across five workstreams, including regulatory strengthening, leadership training, AI analytical work, and embedding governance reform in World Bank lending projects.
The program targets progress towards SDG 6 by 2030, aims to attract private capital, and is supported by policymakers from over 40 countries at its Lisbon launch.

Partnership scope and implementation plan

As announced by World Bank Group, the agreement with the Lisbon International Centre for Water, LIS-Water, is unveiled at the Water and Sanitation Governance Leadership Program in Lisbon and is backed by the Government of Portugal.

The partnership combines the World Bank Group's operational reach with LIS-Water's technical expertise in water regulation and policy. It is aimed at helping countries overcome weak regulation, fragmented institutions and leadership gaps that can slow reforms and delay investment in water and sanitation services.

Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director for Water at the World Bank Group, says the partnership is intended to advance the policy, institutional and regulatory agenda behind Water Forward, a multi-stakeholder coalition that targets water security for more than one billion people by 2030. He says stronger institutions and more predictable regulatory frameworks can help attract new investment into the sector and support jobs and prosperity in developing countries.

The work program is organized across five streams: governance diagnostics, regulatory and institutional strengthening, executive leadership training, analytical work including the use of artificial intelligence in water governance, and operational guidance for World Bank Group lending teams so governance reform is built into projects from the start.

Portugal backing and sector impact

The launch takes place in Lisbon with Portugal's Minister for Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, at the opening ceremony, and policymakers from more than 40 countries in attendance. The initiative aligns with Portugal's stated commitment to stronger water governance and better water and sanitation services, as the country works with international partners including the World Bank to help close the gap in implementing SDG 6 by 2030.

Maria da Graça Carvalho says the partnership is consistent with Portugal's support for improved water governance and can provide capacity-building and specialized expertise to organizations worldwide. The focus on governance reflects the sector's wider economic importance, as water security underpins employment, food security, public health and broader economic resilience.

By linking reform support with project preparation and financing readiness, the partnership is positioned to address a central constraint in the water sector, translating policy ambition into investable programs that can draw private capital and innovation.

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