The World Bank Group has called for a global rebalancing of water use in agriculture, a move critical to meeting future food demand sustainably.
The group said the move could also generate up to 245 million long-term jobs, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This is contained in a statement issued by the World Bank Online Media Briefing Centre on a report titled “Nourish and Flourish: Water Solutions to Feed 10 Billion People on a Livable Planet” unveiled on Thursday.
The report noted that current agricultural water management practices, characterised by overuse in some countries and underuse in others, could only sustainably support food production for less than half of the world’s population.
It said it had been projected that by 2050, 10 billion people would need to be fed.
According to the report, addressing both excessive water use in stressed regions and inadequate utilisation in water-abundant areas will be key to meeting this future demand.
The report introduced a framework linking water availability with food production and trade by categorising countries based on water stress levels and their food import or export status.
“The framework identifies areas where expanding rain-fed agriculture can boost food production, where irrigation investments can unlock jobs and growth, and where water use must be rebalanced to protect ecosystems.
“It also highlighted the role of trade as a more sustainable alternative to local production in certain contexts.”
Mr Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of World Bank Group, was quoted as saying, “the way we manage water for food will have profound implications for jobs, livelihoods, and economic growth.
“By making smarter choices about where crops are grown, how water is allocated, and how trade supports food security, we can strengthen resilience, expand opportunity, and safeguard critical resources.”
The report emphasised the need for increased private sector participation and financing alongside public investment, supported by effective policies, institutions, and regulations to boost food production, create jobs, and support sustainable growth.
It noted that public funding alone would be insufficient to deliver the innovation, scale, and services required to expand irrigation, improve performance and maintain results.
Mr Guangzhe Chen, Vice- President for Planet at the World Bank Group, was quoted as saying, “when investments in infrastructure, business-enabling policies, and private capital mobilisation come together, the impact can be greater than the sum of its parts.
“By linking global evidence with country realities, this framework can help policymakers navigate trade-offs and adapt food production to today’s water and climate realities—delivering food, jobs, and resilience together.”
The report estimated that expanding and modernising irrigation systems, where water is available, would require an additional 24 to 70 billion dollars annually through 2050.
It added that governments already spend about 490 billion dollars yearly on agricultural support, largely on subsidies, suggesting that redirecting part of this funding could attract private investment.
“Redirecting a portion of current spending, combined with regulatory reform, use of blended finance, and public-private partnerships will crowd in private capital, including co-investment by farmers themselves, and support financially sustainable water and food security.”
The World Bank Group said it remained committed to supporting countries through policy reforms, public investment, and private capital to strengthen food systems, create jobs and protect natural resources.
It said the group had committed to double its annual agribusiness financing to nine billion dollars by 2030 and mobilise an additional five billion dollars annually under its AgriConnect initiative to support smallholder farmers.
“Through the Water for Food and Water for the Planet pillars of its Water Strategy Implementation Plan, the World Bank Group addresses the twin challenge of water and food security by strengthening food production systems and improving farmer livelihoods.”
