"The World Bank is the largest official financier of water investments in developing countries," with loan commitments over the past 10 years topping $55 billion, they write. "Yet the challenge remains of meeting today's water needs while putting in place innovative strategies to address future requirements." The authors go on to outline several areas in need of emphasis to help mitigate global water shortages before concluding, "Political support for reform is often hindered by serious gaps in understanding a country's water situation. Better data, systematic monitoring and disclosure of findings are crucial to resource mobilisation and action. Knowledge sharing in turn supports the financial outlays and enables better results on the ground" (4/12).

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