
“The only way water reform will be successful,” warned OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría; “is if policy combines sustainable financing, effective governance and coherence. Without major policy changes, we risk high costs to economic growth, human health, and the environment.” This is the takeaway message from the latest OECD synthesis report, Meeting the Water Reform Challenge, that was released at the World Water Forum on Tuesday. Also showcased was the chapter on the outlook for water from the upcoming OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050: The Consequences of Inaction, where water is a major focus. The chapter on water and water reform was launched in Marseille at the World Water Forum on Tuesday and takes stock of what the next four decades will bring to a world that already has seven billion people on it.