2004年-世界发展银行全球_Water_Resources_Sector_Strategy___Strategic_Directions_for_World_Bank_Engagement_88页_4mb

Water Resources Sector Strategy Summary

Core Content

The World Bank's Water Resources Sector Strategy outlines the Bank's approach to addressing water resources management and development challenges in developing countries. The strategy emphasizes the importance of water in achieving sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction, and it calls for a more effective, pragmatic, and principled engagement with water-related issues.

The strategy builds on the 1993 Water Resources Management Policy Paper, which was influenced by the Dublin Principles. These principles advocate for integrated management of water resources at the river basin level, stakeholder participation, and the use of economic instruments to manage water more efficiently. However, the implementation of these principles has been uneven, with many developed countries still struggling to fully comply.

Main Messages

1. Water Resources Management is Central to Development Goals
   Effective water resources management and development play a critical role in sustainable growth and poverty reduction through four mechanisms:

   • Broad-based interventions (e.g., dams, interbasin transfers) provide benefits to all levels of society.
   • Poverty-targeted interventions improve degraded landscapes and support livelihoods.
   • Broad-based water service improvements (e.g., utilities, irrigation) benefit everyone, including the poor.
   • Poverty-targeted water services (e.g., sanitation, irrigation for the poor) help achieve Millennium Development Goals.

2. Water Challenges are Both Political and Practical
   The main challenge is not just an idealized vision of integrated water management, but a "pragmatic but principled" approach that respects efficiency, equity, and sustainability while acknowledging the political nature of reform.

3. Climatic Variability Drives Infrastructure Needs
   Many developed countries have invested in major hydraulic infrastructure (e.g., dams, canals) to manage climatic variability. Developing countries, however, have far less infrastructure, leading to higher unit costs and increased vulnerability to water-related shocks.

4. There is a Growing Demand for Bank Engagement
   Borrowers are increasingly seeking lending and non-lending services related to water resources. The Bank needs to improve its engagement with high-reward, high-risk infrastructure by using a more effective business model that prioritizes development impact and considers rights and risks of affected communities.

5. The World Bank Must Be a Full-Service Partner
   The Bank's role should be to support a complete range of water infrastructure and management activities, especially in countries where its experience is relevant to poorer nations.

6. Country-Specific Approaches are Essential
   The Bank's assistance must be tailored to each country's specific economic, political, and social context, in line with Country Assistance Strategies and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers.

7. A New Instrument for Country-Level Engagement
   The strategy introduces the Country Water Resources Assistance Strategy, which integrates:

   • Specific water challenges and opportunities in a country.
   • A three-year framework agreed upon by the government and the World Bank.
   • Broad principles from the 1993 Policy Paper and this strategy.

Key Strategic Issues

• Integration vs. Subsidiarity: The strategy balances the need for integrated management with the principle of subsidiarity, which means that interventions should be implemented at the lowest appropriate level.
• Risk Management: The World Bank must develop a more effective business model that accounts for the risks and benefits of its engagements.
• Financing: The Bank needs to explore new sources of financing for water infrastructure, including public and private partnerships.
• Partnership: Collaboration with governments, civil society, and the private sector is crucial for successful implementation.
• Political Economy: The Bank must pay more attention to the political economy of reform and support those willing to change.

Strategic Directions

• The World Bank should reengage with high-reward, high-risk hydraulic infrastructure using a more transparent and predictable business model.
• The Bank should support a "full service partner" approach, providing both lending and non-lending services.
• The strategy emphasizes the importance of tailoring assistance to the specific needs and circumstances of each country.
• There is a need for improved data collection, analysis, and on-the-ground evaluation to guide future engagements.

Implementation and Engagement

• The strategy was developed through extensive consultations with stakeholders, including governments, private sector representatives, NGOs, and Bank staff.
• The Bank-Netherlands Water Partnership Program provided funding for external consultations.
• The strategy includes examples from various regions, such as Brazil, Central Asia, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Yemen, and the Nile Basin Initiative, to illustrate its application.

Conclusion

The World Bank's Water Resources Sector Strategy aims to reposition the Bank as a more effective partner in addressing water-related challenges in developing countries. It emphasizes the need for a balanced, context-sensitive, and politically informed approach to water management and development, ensuring that the Bank's engagement is both impactful and sustainable.