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WATER SECURITY 073Asia has the largest concentration of water-related risks. East and Southeast Asia face rapidly increasing flood risk, although the United States has the greatest exposure to flood risk. Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where the risks of inadequate water supply and sanitation are rising. North Africa has the greatest percentage of population at risk of water scarcity.WORLD LEADERS NEED TO:„„Incorporate risk management strategies (avoidance, reduction, sharing, or transfer) into economic development and investment planning to achieve a tolerable level of water risk, preferably based on preventive action instead of reactive responses;„„Explore a range of possible futures. Ensure decisions around the planning, design, operation, and financing of water infrastructure are informed by possible future scenarios to prevent lock-in that can stifle a country’s economic gains;„„Clarify risk and benefit sharing arrangements between public and private actors. Pay special attention to social and environmental risks, and burden sharing, with a focus on vulnerable segments of society;Photo Credit: GWP