Over $92 Billion Needed to Meet Water and Sanitation MDGs

EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE

A report of the UN-Water Global Annual Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS), produced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has warned that there remains a huge financial gap to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation.

It said an extra $18.4bn is needed globally each year between now and 2015 to meet the water and sanitation goals, which brings the total of funds needed  by 2015 to over $92bn.

Announcing the report through a press release Wednesday, WaterAid, an international development agency, lamented that poor targeting of aid for sanitation and water is undermining all development efforts, leaving the poorest of the poor entrenched in poverty.

According to the agency, the GLAAS report shows that just 42% of aid given to water and sanitation actually goes where it is needed - to low income countries, adding that only four of the top ten donors provide 50% or more of their development assistance to low income countries, resulting in the lion’s share of aid not reaching the poorest communities.

Enumerating some examples, the release said from 2006 to 2008 Jordan in the Middle East received an average of $500 in aid for every person without access to water, while Chad in Africa only received $3.

WaterAid stated further that during the same period Georgia received an average of $250 in aid for every person without access to sanitation, while Nepal only received $1.

It said figures in the report also show that despite diarrhoea being the second biggest killer of children under five, funding for water and sanitation – which could prevent 88% of these deaths, has declined as a share of overall aid and remains a low political priority when compared to other sectors such as health and education.

Commenting on the report, Barbara Frost, Chief Executive of WaterAid, said “Here is a global catastrophe which kills more children than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined and which is holding back all development efforts including health and education.” 

“There are 2.6 billion people worldwide who have no access to safe sanitation and, if we continue as we are, in sub-Saharan Africa the MDG target will not be met until the 23rd century,” she warned.

Barbara Frost bewailed that “political leaders are failing to address this deadly crisis,” and “Once again it is the poorest of the poor who are simply being ignored.”

WaterAid has thus called on leaders at today’s High Level Meeting to make strong and concrete commitments to tackle the global water and sanitation crisis, to ensure that no credible national sanitation and water plan fails through lack of finance and for money to go where it is needed; so that 70% of aid goes to low income countries.

It has also requested governments to join the Sanitation and Water for All initiative to accelerate progress and increase investment in sanitation and water to bring substantial health, education and economic benefits.

To bolster its demands, WaterAid said WHO estimated in 2008 that more than 2.2 million child deaths per year could be prevented with safe water, sanitation and hygiene; adding that in a separate study, the WHO found that $1 investment in water and sanitation offers a $9 return.

“The way forward is clear,” said Frost. “We have a report that says what needs to be done and we have an historic meeting that can deliver the necessary decisions. Such decisions could stop millions of children from dying, free up hospital beds and give girls in particular the opportunity to get an education. Come Friday, ministers must show global leadership and demonstrate their commitment to eradicating poverty by prioritising sanitation and water in the wider development agenda.”

The GLAAS report was released just two days before the first ever High Level Meeting on Sanitation and Water, currently taking place in Washington, where ministers and policy makers from over 30 countries will have the opportunity to commit to financial and political action which would begin to reverse years of neglect.

The meeting is part of an international ‘Sanitation and Water for All’ initiative being launched today in Washington DC prior to the World Bank spring meetings.