SIWI Report : THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS AND THE WATER SECTOR

By, Jim Winpenny, Andy Bullock, Jakob Granit, Rebecca Löfgren, SIWI

1st Dec 2009

As recognised in the opening key messages of the 3rd World Water Development Report, ‘Water is essential for achieving sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals. Properly managing water resources is an essential component of growth, social and economic development, poverty reduction and equity and sustainable environmental services – all essential for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Water is linked to the crises of climate change, energy and food supplies and prices, and troubled financial markets. Unless their links with water are addressed and water crises around the world are resolved, these other crises may intensify and local water crises may worsen, converging into a global water crisis and leading to political insecurity and conflict at various levels.

This report examines (in Chapter 3) the impact of the financial crisis since 2007 and relates this also to the impact of the food price crisis beginning one year earlier. Chapter 4 examines the status and trends in the financing of water in Africa, and Chapter 5 assesses the deficiencies of the current model that has created inadequate financial flows. Chapter 6 presents suggestions for Sida to consider in framing its response to the immediate financial troubles and – looking beyond these – addressing the underlying needs of Africa’s water resources management, services and governance through levers of change. This chapter provides an overview of the main issues involved, and how Sida could contribute to the global response.

This compressed folder contains the following documents:

1. Full report Water and Finance Policy Report Sida
   
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    (727.61 KB)

2. Summary Financial Crisis Water Sector
   
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    (100.91 KB)