More than 1 billion people worldwide, or 15 percent of the global population, have some form of disability, with higher rates in low-income countries. This number is expected to rise significantly due to factors such as aging populations, conflict, and the impacts of climate change. For these...

Balochistan is an arid region with limited and seasonal surface water resources. It is also home to the ancient Karez water supply system that has long served as a buffer against droughts. About one-third of the 3,000 such systems that were believed to be in place in 1970 are still functioning....

Groundwater use has increased across Pakistan, nowhere more than in the large canal-irrigated areas of the Indus basin irrigation system (IBIS). These mega-irrigation systems use surface water and groundwater, often in equal measure. The two water sources are the same source and should be...

This paper investigates whether the proactive involvement of local communities in the management of groundwater can help build drought resilience, using the case of the Andhra Pradesh (AP) Farmer Managed Groundwater Systems (APFAMGS) project as an example. The 18-year project was implemented...

Interventions that are robust, cost effective, and scalable are in critical demand throughout South Asia to offset growing water scarcity and avert increasingly frequent water-related disasters. This case study presents two complementary forms of intervention that transform water hazards...

Solar-powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs) have been promoted in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) in recent decades, but rates of adoption are low. This case study assesses the evidence from several solar pump business models being adopted in parts of the EGP, particularly eastern Nepal and...

The Barind region, a water-stressed area in northwest Bangladesh, had an underdeveloped agricultural economy and high levels of poverty until two projects revitalized the area with enhanced groundwater irrigation. The Barind Integrated Area Development Project in 1985 and Barind Multipurpose...

Indian agricultural communities are facing a crisis driven by, among other things, skewed terms of trade and farmers’ inability to deal with increasingly adverse climatic conditions. Because agriculture continues to be the primary source of livelihood for most of India’s population,...

Creating a global core set of indicators that can be integrated into existing monitoring efforts or harnessed as a foundation for new monitoring efforts will improve the efficiency of the sector and still enable collection of locally-relevant information. Following a World Bank review of 40...

Diversity at the top of an organization can lead to better decision making and governance, and gender-inclusive companies—including utilities—can better reflect the needs of a diverse set of consumers. In the Danube region, utilities often face a predominantly male and sometimes aging...