The World Bank Group is actively addressing the needs of its clients seeking smart development solutions to help communities prepare for, adapt to, and recover from increasingly severe weather patterns. Climate change exacerbates droughts, extreme heat, flooding, and hurricanes or cyclones, pushing millions into poverty annually and causing unemployment while risking unplanned migration.
The organization emphasizes context-specific solutions to reduce exposure to shocks, absorb them with fewer losses, and rebound faster. These efforts aim to foster jobs and economic stability while ensuring that development resources are not wasted. Infrastructure and social protection investments are designed to be resilient against future disasters.
Several examples illustrate these adaptive strategies in action. These include planting heat-resistant seeds for better crop yields, improving road drainage systems, developing accurate weather forecasting technology, using drip irrigation to combat water scarcity and floods, providing accessible insurance and cash payments post-disaster, and cleaning urban lakes and rivers for flood protection.
The World Bank has initiated various projects worldwide. In Bangladesh, investments in weather forecasting services have introduced an early warning system for farmers, reducing crop losses by 75 percent. In Haiti since 2018, the Rural Accessibility & Resilience Project has rebuilt roads and bridges, enhancing rural access for about 400,000 people.
In Colombia, the Philippines, and Türkiye, the Global Program for Safer Schools invests in infrastructure resistant to floods, storms, and heat. This initiative has benefited over 121 million students across 35 countries from 2014-2023.
In Pakistan's Sindh Province post-2022 floods, the design of weather-resilient housing has provided funding for over a million families' new homes. This effort generated significant employment opportunities within construction sectors.
Anticipatory programs in Bangladesh, Nigeria, Nepal, Niger focus on providing food security through national safety net programs during extreme weather events. Burkina Faso supports household registries offering compensation following climate-related damages.
Brazil's First Water Cisterns Program addresses water stress by collecting rainwater for drinking purposes during dry seasons. Argentina's flood risk management strategies have reduced risks significantly for vulnerable communities in Buenos Aires by mid-2023.
In Mozambique's Beira city along Chiveve riverbank restoration projects enhanced flood protection while offering community benefits. Similarly in Sri Lanka’s Metro Colombo Urban Development Project restored wetlands providing multifaceted benefits including flood defense.