Gustavo Saltiel named Water & Sanitation Strategic Adviser at World Bank’s Water Global Practice

Gustavo Saltiel has been appointed as Strategic Adviser on Water Supply and Sanitation with the Water Global Practice (Water GP) at the World Bank. In this capacity, Saltiel will contribute to advancing global water security, promoting climate adaptation, and supporting the World Bank’s efforts to achieve universal access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). Commenting on his new role, he said: “I’m grateful to the Water GP, Saroj Kumar Jha, Yogita Mumssen, and Yitbarek Tessema for this opportunity and look forward to supporting the World Bank’s efforts to fast-track global water security, climate adaptation, and universal access to WASH.”

Saltiel’s career in the water and sanitation sector spans more than four decades, beginning in the late 1980s when he worked as a sanitary engineer for Argentina’s National Rural Water Service Agency. His early focus was on implementing sustainable water and sanitation systems in rural communities through cooperatives. This experience laid the foundation for his later work in Latin America, where he played a key role in supporting the restructuring of provincial utilities and designing public-private partnerships (PPPs) for water supply and sanitation in Argentina and other countries in the region.

In the 1990s, as the region faced fiscal constraints and the underperformance of state-owned enterprises, Saltiel was involved in efficiency improvement projects and led regulatory efforts for Buenos Aires’ Regulatory Agency (ETOSS). During this time, he spearheaded the first periodic tariff review for the private concessionaire Aguas Argentinas, validating the concession model’s robustness. He also managed large-scale environmental projects, such as overseeing the cleanup of the Reconquista River Basin in Buenos Aires.

His career at the World Bank began in 2003 when he joined as Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist for Latin America, where he supported sector reforms and utility turnaround projects. His role expanded when he became Sector Leader for Sustainable Development in Mexico, which led him to more integrated approaches across sectors. He also represented the Bank at COP16 in Cancun in 2010, where water was positioned as a critical component for climate adaptation.

In recent years, Saltiel’s work has taken on a global dimension. As Global Lead for Water Supply and Sanitation from 2019 to 2024, he oversaw the creation of pivotal programs, including Policies, Institutions, and Regulation (PIR), Circular Economy and Resilience (WICER), City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS), Rural WASH, Utilities of the Future, and digitalization initiatives. These programs have shaped global trends and priorities in water management, regulation, and sustainability, reflecting the sector’s shift toward integrated, resilient solutions.

Saltiel has also led water security projects in Africa, contributing to the growing focus on integrated water management and climate resilience. His broad expertise, ranging from grassroots initiatives to complex international projects, mirrors the evolution of the water and sanitation sector itself.

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