Sustainable water management, water infrastructure and access to a safe, reliable and affordable supply
of water and adequate sanitation services improve living standards, expand local economies, and lead to
the creation of more decent jobs and greater social inclusion. Sustainable water management is also
an essential driver of green growth and sustainable development. Conversely, neglecting water issues runs the risk of imposing serious negative impacts on economies, livelihoods and populations with potentially catastrophic and extremely costly results. Unsustainable management of water and other natural resources can cause severe damages to economies and to society, thus reversing many poverty reduction, job creation and hard-won development gains.Water investments are a necessary enabling condition for economic growth, jobs and reducing inequalities.

Conversely, failure to invest in water management not only represents missed opportunities, but may also
impede economic growth and job creation. From 1992 to 2014, ‘floods, droughts and storms … affected 4.2 billion people (95% of all people affected by disasters) and caused US$1.3 trillion worth of damage (63% of all damages)’ (UN-Water, 2014, p. 9).