Making water infrastructure work for the poor

This report focuses on how small-scale, decentralized, affordable and environmentally sustainable projects in water can reduce poverty more effectively than huge spending on large-scale irrigation systems, dams and canals. The report also showcases the success of Acumen Fund investee IDE India with drip irrigation systems, highlighting it as a good example of a low-tech, low-cost and high-reward solution.

Arguing that poverty in developing countries is neither due to low levels of water storage capacity in large reservoirs, nor to under-exploitation of their potential for large hydropower, the report condemns a resurgence of major “multipurpose” hydropower and water diversion projects as having unacceptable environmental and social impacts, not least because they will divert funds away from investments that would significantly reduce poverty. It is exciting to see reports that champion the widespread implementation of small-scale infrastructure for delivering basic services.