Project Partner: The World Bank, Summer 2026
Project Summary:
Water stress is increasing worldwide, yet access to water resources and infrastructure remains highly unequal. More than two billion people lack access to safe water, and many communities in low-income countries face growing water scarcity. As climate change intensifies these challenges, organizations need evidence to ensure that limited resources are reaching the places that need them most.
This summer, Dalilah interned at the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), the World Bank’s independent evaluation unit, where she evaluated water resources management projects from around the world. She reviewed hundreds of projects to identify key challenges and lessons learned and used geospatial analysis to map project locations and compare them with global data on water demand and water stress.
By combining project evaluation with spatial analysis, Dalilah’s work helps the World Bank better understand whether water investments are reaching vulnerable regions and where gaps remain. These insights can support more equitable and evidence-based decision-making, helping ensure that future investments contribute to sustainable water management and improved access to water resources.
Project Deliverables:
- Support for Portfolio Review and Analysis (PRA) for water resources management projects
- Datasets developed through coding and classifying projects based on thematic focus, governance characteristics, environmental outcomes, and implementation approaches
- Quantitative and geospatial analysis using project and environmental datasets
- Case study templates and evaluation materials
- Literature reviews and supporting environmental and governance data compilations
Watch Dalilah’s URBAN internship lightning talk here.