Sponsored by the Urban and Water Thematic Group
Presentation on the 2025 flagship publication from the Water Global Practice (the first edition of its Global Water Monitoring Report series).
The report resents a detailed global assessment of freshwater resources, revealing that long-term declines in freshwater availability are causing “continental drying” across large regions and eroding vital water reserves. Using enhanced satellite data and economic analysis, the report maps global hotspots of water loss, quantifies the broad consequences for jobs, incomes, food production, ecosystems, and wildfires, and shows that dry areas are increasingly drying faster than wet areas are gaining water. It outlines a comprehensive response strategy focused on managing water demand, augmenting supply, and improving allocation, while highlighting the importance of stronger institutions, better water accounting, technology, and efficient policies to safeguard livelihoods.
Speaker: Fan Zhang
Fan Zhang is the Lead Economist and Global Lead for Water Economics and Climate Change at the World Bank. In this role she leads multi-year programs on water economics, including the development of tools such as CLEAR Water and the World Bank’s Global Water Monitoring Report series, helping countries integrate robust water analysis into development planning and climate strategies. Before joining the World Bank she was an Assistant Professor At Penn State and holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.
Moderator: Gustavo Saltiel
Gustavo Saltiel is an international water and sanitation expert with more than three decades of experience across the water and sustainable development sectors. He served in senior leadership roles at the World Bank, including as Global Lead for Water Supply and Sanitation, where he guided policies, programs, and operational support to advance resilient, inclusive water services worldwide. Before joining the Bank in 2003, he held executive positions in Argentina’s water utilities and regulatory institutions, and throughout his career he has worked across Latin America, Africa, and global initiatives to strengthen institutions, governance, and service delivery in the WASH sector.
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