Washington, March 19. India's water governance reforms, particularly in Maharashtra, could play a pivotal role in shaping how the world sustainably feeds 10 billion people, the World Bank said on Thursday, highlighting the state's regulatory model as a global example.
In a new report, the World Bank added that smarter management of water in agriculture is essential to meeting future food demand while generating millions of jobs, and that India's policy innovations offer lessons for water-stressed regions.
"The way we manage water for food will have profound implications for jobs, livelihoods, and economic growth," Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank, said.
"By making smarter choices about where crops are grown, how water is allocated, and how trade supports food security, we can strengthen resilience, expand opportunity, and safeguard the resources which we all rely on."
The report, "Nourish and Flourish: Water Solutions to Feed 10 Billion People on a Livable Planet," highlights growing imbalances in global water use, with regions like South Asia facing overextraction even as other parts of the world underutilize available resources.
The World Bank applauded Maharashtra's efforts in this regard.
"India's Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority is one of the few regulators that sets bulk water tariffs for irrigation in addition to domestic and industrial water tariffs," it said.
The report says such regulatory frameworks are critical to improving efficiency, ensuring cost recovery, and attracting investment into irrigation systems.
"Current water use in agriculture can sustainably feed less than half the world's population. Demand will rise sharply by 2050."
The World Bank says expanding irrigation within sustainable limits could create about 245 million long-term jobs, adding that most of these jobs will be in developing countries.
"When investments in infrastructure and natural resources, business-enabling policies, and private capital mobilisation come together, the impact can be greater than the sum of its parts," said Guangzhe Chen, Vice President for Planet at the World Bank Group.
"By linking global evidence with country realities, this framework can help policymakers navigate trade-offs and adapt food production to today's water and climate realities -- delivering food, jobs, and resilience together."
The report proposes a framework linking water, food production, and trade. It helps countries decide whether to expand irrigation, use water more efficiently, or rely on imports.
For India, the stakes are high.
Parts of South Asia are already overusing water. This threatens future farm output and food security.
The report calls for stronger institutions, better pricing of water, and greater private sector participation to improve efficiency.
It notes that farmers are willing to invest when supported by access to finance, technology, and markets.
Expanding and modernising irrigation systems globally will require an additional $24 billion to $70 billion annually through 2050, the report said.
Much of this could come from repurposing existing subsidies, as governments already spend about $490 billion a year on agriculture.
The World Bank plans to double its agribusiness financing to $9 billion annually by 2030 and mobilise another $5 billion per year to support small farmers.
Globally, current systems can sustainably feed only about 3.4 billion people, underscoring the urgency of reform.
By 2050, feeding nearly 10 billion people will require not just more production, but smarter use of water -- an area where India's Maharashtra model could offer a template for the world.