Spring Meetings: Water, Innovation and Finance in Focus April 15, 2026

Overview

Every April, ministers of finance, policymakers, civil society advocates and development partners convene in Washington, D.C. for the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. These discussions play a critical role in shaping global development priorities and the functioning of the international financial system. This year, water is firmly in focus, with the launch of Water Forward—a new initiative aimed at embedding water security across the World Bank’s portfolio, from agriculture and sanitation to health. As climate pressures intensify, the integration of water into development financing signals a growing recognition of its central role in building resilient food systems and economies.

Alongside this, attention will turn to how programmes such as AgriConnect are advancing improved livelihoods, nutrition and access to healthy diets, particularly in vulnerable contexts. There is also strong interest in how IDA21, the World Bank’s concessional financing arm, is accelerating progress towards SDG2 in low-income countries. Together, these initiatives reflect an increasing emphasis on linking finance, innovation and systems-based approaches to deliver sustainable outcomes at scale.

A number of SDG2-related events will provide further insight into these priorities throughout the week. Highlights include IFPRI’s discussion on sustaining momentum for nutrition financing, sessions on the role of water in driving jobs and prosperity, and Civil Society Policy Forum events examining climate-resilient agriculture, digital innovation, and the practical meaning of improved productivity within food systems. As conversations unfold, the focus will remain on how coordinated action and targeted investment can translate ambition into tangible progress towards ending hunger.

Find below a few planned SDG2-related events planned:

15 April IFPRI’s Sustaining Momentum for Nutrition Financing in the Global Development Agenda
15 April – Water Forward: Driving Jobs and Prosperity
15 April – Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF): Implementing Agriconnect: Delivering Climate-resilient Agriculture Through Systems Approaches
15 April – CSPF: Examining How AI and Digital Agriculture Create Jobs in Developing Countries
16 April – Progress Vignette – AgriConnect
17 April: – CSPF: What Does “Improved Productivity” Mean in Practice? Agriconnect, Metrics, and Resilient Food Systems