The Water as Leverage (WaL) approach is a project development approach designed to create transformative and inclusive projects for enhancing urban water resilience. Rooted in the experiences and lessons learned from the WaL programme, which has been active since 2017, this approach addresses the complexity of urban water challenges with a comprehensive and integrative framework.

Central to the WaL approach are four key principles that distinguish its contribution to urban water resilience:

• Focus on the essential early stages of project development;
• Acknowledge the interconnectedness of water;
• Move beyond single projects towards transformative change;
• Build on practical experiences.

The WaL Guidance is designed to advance urban water resilience by supporting transformative and inclusive project development. It builds on and shares experiences from WaL, Rebuild by Design, and other relevant initiatives, along with practical advice for each stage of project development.