UK Government called on ‘to lead the global battle
to end thirst’
WaterAid Draft Press Release - 22nd March 2013
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WaterAid calls on the UK Government to lead the international community to
commit to bold development targets for everyone to have access to safe
drinking water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030;
Achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene could save 2.5
million lives and yield £150 billion a year for the global economy according to
report launched today;
WaterAid report ‘Everyone Everywhere’ states that for the first time in history
this longstanding goal is within reach.
Today, on the 20th Anniversary of World Water Day, WaterAid is calling on the UK
Government to lead the world in setting an ambitious target for providing access to
safe water, sanitation and hygiene for everyone by 2030.
The call comes as International Development Secretary Justine Greening prepares
to travel for the fourth and final meeting of the UN High Level Panel on the post 2015
development framework in Bali, Indonesia on March 25th. The panel is responsible
for developing a new vision to guide international development efforts beyond the
Millennium Development Goals which expire in 2015.
Barbara Frost, Chief Executive of WaterAid said:
“Ensuring that everyone in the world has clean water to drink will rank
amongst the greatest achievements of humanity. Few endeavours would have
a greater impact on the lives of the world’s poorest people and we call on the
Prime Minister to lead the international community in calling for this to be
achieved by 2030. Without this poverty will not be eradicated as safe water to
drink improved hygiene and sanitation are essential for progress.”
“Our own history shows that improvements in the health, welfare and
productivity of the population are closely linked with improvements in water,
sanitation and hygiene. The construction of London’s sewers over 150 years
ago played a crucial role in improving public health, welfare and economic
prosperity in this country and they have paid for themselves over and over
again. Investment in infrastructure is critical for tackling poverty and promoting
sustainable forms of economic growth in developing countries.”
“Safe water and sanitation for all is within reach. Today we are calling on the
British Government to champion access to drinking water, sanitation and
hygiene for all and to take the lead in the global battle to end thirst in the 21st
Century.”
WaterAid’s report ‘Everyone Everywhere’ published today(1) sets out a vision for
making safe water and sanitation available to all and reviews the progress that has
been made to date in tackling water and sanitation poverty.
The report finds that, despite reaching the MDG for access to water in March 2010(2),
lack of progress in improving access to sanitation and hygiene is acting as a brake
on progress in economic and human development particularly in child health,
nutrition and education. More than 2.4 billion people will still lack access to basic
sanitation facilities in 2015 if progress is made at the same rate(3). This means it will
take at least 53 years to achieve universal access(4).
But according to the report, if world leaders choose to take action now, universal
access to water, sanitation and hygiene could be within reach by 2030. This would
save 2.5(5) million lives and create an additional £150 billion of wealth a year(6). Every
$1 invested in water and sanitation produces an average of $4 in increased
productivity(7).
Writing the foreword to the WaterAid report, President Sirleaf Johnson of
Liberia stated:
“Addressing the global water and sanitation crisis is not about charity, but
opportunity. According to the World Health Organisation, every $1 invested in
water and sanitation produces an average of $4 in increased productivity. It
enables sustainable and equitable economic growth. In short, it will not be
possible to make progress in eradicating poverty, reducing inequality and
securing sustainable economic development in the future without improving
access.”
To tackle this problem now, WaterAid is calling on Prime Minister David Cameron
and the UK Government to:
1. Recognise the need for the post-2015 framework to reflect the contribution of
water, sanitation and hygiene to other areas of poverty reduction, including
health, education, gender equality, economic growth and sustainability;
2. Support calls to include a goal on universal access to water, sanitation and
hygiene by 2030 within the post-2015 development framework;
3. Lead efforts to accelerate future rates of progress on water, sanitation and
hygiene as an essential foundation for eradicating poverty
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Interviews:
Spokespeople are available on request, please get in touch with one of the contacts
below.
Hratche Koundarjian: Senior Media Officer, WaterAid
Direct line: +44 (0)207 793 4909 / +44 (0)7905 911 039
Email: [email protected]
1. Everyone, Everywhere - A vision for water, sanitation and hygiene post-2015 - report can
be downloaded from here.
2. Millennium Development Goal drinking water target met Sanitation target still lagging far
behind – UNICEF & WHO press release can be accessed here.
3. Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation 2012 – UNICEF report can be accessed
here.
4. WaterAid projections based on the latest Joint Monitoring Programme figures, available
on request.
5. Saving lives: sanitation and water for all would save 2.5 million lives – WaterAid
discussion paper can be accessed here.
6. Global costs and benefits of drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to reach
the MDG target and universal coverage – WHO report can be accessed here.
WaterAid’s vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.
The international organisation works in 27 countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific
region to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in some
of the world’s poorest communities. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 17.5 million people
with safe water and, since 2004, 12.9 million people with sanitation. For more information,
visit www.wateraid.org , follow @wateraid on Twitter or visit us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/wateraid
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Around 2,000 children die every day from diseases caused by dirty water and poor
sanitation.
783 million people in the world live without safe water. This is roughly one in ten of the
world's population.
2.5 billion people live without sanitation; this is 39% of the world's population.
For every £1 invested in water and sanitation, an average of £4 is returned in
increased productivity.
About the progress made on water poverty
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Nearly eleven percent of the world’s population still lack access to water today and by
2015 that will be 8%.
More than two billion people have gained access to improved drinking water since 1990.
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The UN Secretary General announced that the water MDG target was met on the 6th of
March 2012. The report that includes details of meeting the target can be downloaded
from http://www.wssinfo.org.
Access to water has proved uneven. In sub-Saharan Africa, almost 9 out of 10 of the
richest population use improved water sources, while only 35% of the poorest do. In the
50 poorest (least developed countries - LDCs), much of the population has not benefited
from investment in drinking water. Coverage globally stands at 89%, but it is only 63% in
LDCs.
37% of the world’s population still lack access to sanitation and by 2015 that will be 33%.
Sub-Saharan Africa on current trends is not likely to have universal access to sanitation
for another 350 years (2360).