
This Week in Global Dev: #141: Inside the World Bank Spring Meetings
From Devex Podcasts by Devex
April 17, 2026 · 27 min
About this episode
Devex reporters discuss key developments from the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings, including a drop in development assistance and new initiatives for clean water access.
Against the backdrop of the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings, Devex reporters Adva Saldinger, Michael Igoe, and Ayenat Mersie dissect the stories they’ve been hearing on the ground this week. That includes the latest OECD figures showing a staggering 25% drop in official development assistance, the ripple effects of the conflict in the Middle East, and a newfound focus on rebuilding public consensus. The discussion also looks at the World Bank’s bold new “sector-first” strategy, highlighted by the launch of Water Forward — an ambitious initiative aiming to provide one billion people with access to clean water through country-led compacts. The return of African trade corridors enters the discussion as well, along with the International Monetary Fund’s scramble for concessional funding. To dig into these stories, listen to this episode of This Week in Global Development.
People in this episode
Host: Adva Saldinger
Topics covered
- World Bank
- IMF
- official development assistance
- Middle East conflict
- public consensus
- Water Forward
- clean water access
- African trade corridors
- concessional funding
Keywords
- global development
- OECD figures
- sector-first strategy
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Water Forward
Books & works: Inside the World Bank Spring Meetings, This Week in Global Development
Places: the Middle East
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