To feed the future and create jobs, manage the water Guangzhe Chen May 13, 2026 This page in: English © 2026 The World Bank Group,

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/voices/to-feed-the-future-and-create-jobs-manage-the-water?cid=ECR_E_NewsletterWeekly_EN_EXT&deliveryName=DM281813 By 2050, 10 billion people will need to eat—and hundreds of millions will need better jobs and stronger livelihoods. Water is central to both. Smarter water management can help food systems produce more sustainably while creating jobs, raising incomes, and supporting broader economic growth. © 2026 The World Bank Group, To feed 10 billion people, the world doesn't need more water—it needs to manage the water it has far better. Smarter use of scarce resources can create jobs, build resilience, and drive growth. This week, we visit workshops, farms, and communities in Africa to see what this looks like. In Somalia, reliable water access is turning a daily struggle into economic opportunity for more than 600,000 people. In Ethiopia, small-scale farmers are moving beyond subsistence—linking to reliable markets and stabilizing their incomes. In The Gambia, electricity has reached 90% of the population, lighting up rural life and powering country-wide opportunities. Underpinning this progress: Investment. To learn more about the next phase of Africa’s growth, tune into our new podcast, where IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop and industrialist Aliko Dangote argue that Africa's energy, water, and logistics sectors are about to be transformed—by African investors willing to bet on the continent’s future.