Mott MacDonald Advising World Bank On Global Climate Change Risks

Mott MacDonald is developing 16 evidence-based case studies for the World Bank’s Water Global Practice (WGP). The research will demonstrate how climate change risks are being accounted for in the planning and operations of urban water and sanitation service utilities around the world, primarily in developing countries.

Despite impressive gains over recent decades, at least 663 million people currently lack access to safe drinking water, while 2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation. This leads to approximately 675,000 premature deaths annually and estimated annual economic losses of up to 7% of gross domestic product in some countries.

Mott MacDonald will develop the case studies which will help the WGP improve its advice to urban water supply and sanitation utilities. This will aim to make their assets and operations more resilient to future climate stresses, such as increased rainfall intensity, drought, rising sea levels and storm surges. Once complete, the consultancy will analyse the case studies to offer an improved understanding of climate resilience best practices and opportunities. Mott MacDonald will then present the findings to the WGP to help them improve their advice to the utilities, enabling them to provide more reliable services to their customers.

Doug Hinrichs, Mott MacDonald’s team leader, said: “The world will not be able to meet the great development challenges of the 21st century, such as food and energy security, livable cities and climate change, without improving how countries manage their water resources and allow people access to reliable water and sanitation services.”

Mott MacDonald’s commission is due to come to an end by the middle of 2017.

About Mott MacDonald
Opening opportunities with connected thinking. Mott MacDonald is a US$2bn engineering, management and development consultancy. We’re involved in:

• solving some of the world’s most urgent social, environmental and economic challenges
• helping governments and businesses plan, deliver and sustain their strategic goals
• responding to humanitarian and natural emergencies
• improving people’s lives

Our expertise by sector includes buildings, communications, defence, education, environment, health, industry, mining, oil and gas, power, transport, urban development, water, wastewater and more. Our skills encompass planning, studies and design, project finance, technical advisory services, project and programme management, management consultancy and beyond.

For every project, we create the blend of talent needed to create the right result – appropriate; cost, carbon and resource-efficient; safe, easy and swift to deliver and operate; reliable and resilient; delivering great outcomes.