Water nurtures prosperity by meeting basic human needs supporting health livelihoods and economic development underpinning food and energy security and defending environmental integrity. Water influences the economy in many ways and global trade dynamics and market adaptations can have direct repercussions on the water use of regional and local economies. The water-related impacts of conflict are multi-faceted and often indirect such as those linked to forced migration and increased exposure to health threats. Climate change geopolitical unrest pandemics mass migration hyperinflation and other crises can exacerbate water access inequalities. In nearly all cases the poorest and most vulnerable groups are those that suffer the greatest risks to their well-being. The 2024 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR) calls attention to the complex and interlinked relationships between water prosperity and peace describing how progress in one dimension can have positive often essential repercussions on the others.

Accounting for approximately 99% of all liquid freshwater on Earth groundwater has the potential to provide societies with tremendous social economic and environmental benefits and opportunities. However this natural resource is often poorly understood and consequently undervalued mismanaged and even abused. In spite of its overall abundance groundwater remains vulnerable to over-exploitation and pollution both of which can have devastating effects on the resource and its availability. In the context of growing water scarcity across many parts of the world the enormous potential of groundwater and the need to manage it sustainably can no longer be overlooked. The 2022 edition of The United Nations World Water Development Report describes the challenges and opportunities associated with the development management and governance of groundwater across the world.

The 2020 edition of the WWDR titled ‘Water and Climate Change’ illustrates the critical linkages between water and climate change in the context of the broader sustainable development agenda. Supported by examples from across the world it describes both the challenges and opportunities created by climate change and provides potential responses – in terms of adaptation mitigation and improved resilience – that can be undertaken by enhancing water resources management attenuating water-related risks and improving access to water supply and sanitation services for all in a sustainable manner. It addresses the interrelations between water people environment and economics in a changing climate demonstrating how climate change can be a positive catalyst for improved water management governance and financing to achieve a sustainable and prosperous world for all. The report provides a fact-based water-focused contribution to the knowledge base on climate change. It is complementary to existing scientific assessments and designed to support international political frameworks with the goals of helping the water community tackle the challenges of climate change and informing the climate change community about the opportunities that improved water management offers in terms of adaptation and mitigation.

The 2018 edition of the World Water Development Report seeks to inform policy and decision-makers inside and outside the water community about the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address contemporary water management challenges across all sectors and particularly regarding water for agriculture sustainable cities disaster risk reduction and water quality. Water management remains heavily dominated by traditional human-built (i.e. ‘grey’) infrastructure and the enormous potential for NBS remains under-utilized. NBS include green infrastructure that can substitute augment or work in parallel with grey infrastructure in a cost-effective manner. The goal is to find the most appropriate blend of green and grey investments to maximize benefits and system efficiency while minimizing costs and trade-offs.NBS for water are central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development because they also generate social economic and environmental co-benefits including human health and livelihoods food and energy security sustainable economic growth decent jobs ecosystem rehabilitation and maintenance and biodiversity. Although NBS are not a panacea they will play an essential role towards the circular economy and in building a more equitable future for all.

Three out of four of the jobs worldwide are water-dependent. In fact water shortages and lack of access may limit economic growth in the years to come according to the 2016 United Nations World Water Development Report Water and Jobs which was launched on 22 March World Water Day in Geneva. From its collection through various uses to its ultimate return to the natural environment water is a key factor in the development of job opportunities either directly related to its management (supply infrastructure wastewater treatment etc.) or in economic sectors that are heavily water-dependent such as agriculture fishing power industry and health. Furthermore good access to drinking water and sanitation promotes an educated and healthy workforce which constitutes an essential factor for sustained economic growth. In its analysis of the economic impact of access to water the report cites numerous studies that show a positive correlation between investments in the water sector and economic growth. It also highlights the key role of water in the transition to a green economy.

Water and energy are closely interconnected and highly interdependent. Choices made and actions taken in one domain can greatly affect the other positively or negatively. Trade-offs need to be managed to limit negative impacts and foster opportunities for synergy. Water and energy have crucial impacts on poverty alleviation both directly as a number of the Millennium Development Goals depend on major improvements in access to water sanitation power and energy sources and indirectly as water and energy can be binding constraints on economic growth – the ultimate hope for widespread poverty reduction. The Report provides a comprehensive overview of major and emerging trends from around the world with examples of how some of the trend-related challenges have been addressed their implications for policy-makers and further actions that can be taken by stakeholders and the international community.

The Third edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR3) “Water in a Changing World” was officially launched on March 16 2009 at the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul Turkey. The WWDR3 builds on the work of previous studies including the two previous WWDRs “Water for People Water for Life” (WWDR1) presented at the 3rd World Water Forum in Japan in 2003 and “Water: A Shared Responsibility” (WWDR2) presented in 2006 at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico. However the third edition of the Report presents several changes from the previous two editions. Unlike the earlier Reports which were structured along UN agency lines the third Report has a new holistic format. A number of themes are addressed through out the report including climate change the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) groundwater biodiversity water and migration water and infrastructure biofuels etc.

WWDR1 is targeted to all those involved in the formulation and implementation of water-related policies and investment strategies as well as to professionals at all levels. Although it offers a broad global picture it focuses particularly on the situation in developing countries where the need for better infrastructure and governance is highest. With this report WWAP is aiming to show where systems are failing and to provide the information needed for efficient and effective capacity-building throughout the world. This 1st edition of the WWDR laid the foundation for subsequent editions concentrating essentially on evaluating what progress has been made and not made since the Rio Summit and on developing effective assessment methodologies. The Report encompasses a broad range of components focusing on human stewardship of freshwater that complex aggregation of policies legislation social programmes economic approaches and management strategies through which we seek to achieve water sustainability.