The Water Governance Programme advises governments at all levels on how to design and implement better water policies for better lives. It relies on the OECD Water Governance Initiative (WGI) and provides guidance through the OECD Principles on Water Governance.

250 million Africans are expected to live in areas of high water stress by 2030. See the OECD work on water governance in African Cities on the road towards the 9^th World Water Forum.

Find the Principles

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Indicator Framework

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The Principles in practice

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Blue City Project

Cities are facing growing water-related risks, exacerbated by population growth, increasing urbanisation and climate change.  With a projected world population of 9.7 billion by 2050, of which 55% will be living in cities, demand for water is set to rise by 55% . By 2050, over 570 low-lying coastal cities will face projected sea level rise of at least 0.5 metres, posing a threat for more than 800 million people worldwide. To tackle these risks and raise the profile of water in the political agenda of various levels of government, the OECD is launching the OECD Blue Cities Project which main objective is to foster a sustainable blue economy at the city level that contributes to economic growth, social well-being and ecosystem preservation. Check the scoping note. 

Women in Water

Women and girls are the primary providers, managers, and users of water; however, women make up less than 17% of the water, sanitation, and hygiene labour force in developing economies and a fraction of the policymakers, regulators, management, and technical experts. The OECD is carrying out work on women in water decision-making. Find the flyer here.

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