What we advocate

1. How does WaterAid use the human right to water to advocate for water for all?
2. How much financing is needed to solve the water and sanitation crisis?
3. What international policy changes are needed?
4. What national policy changes are needed?
5. What local policy changes are needed?
6. What is WaterAid's position on the privatization of water companies in the developing world?

1. How does WaterAid use the human right to water to advocate for water for all?

WaterAid lobbied to establish the right to water, which was declared by the UN in 2002, and is now working to help the world's poorest people achieve that right in the following ways:

• Helping our partner organizations in the countries where we work to understand and promote the right to water and lobby their governments to allocate further resources to these basic services through our Citizens' Action initiatives.
• Defending the right to water with some governments which question whether there is sufficient mandate for water to be viewed as a right.
• Working with a range of other rights organizations to develop learning and understanding about the right to water.
  

WaterAid, in conjunction with Rights and Humanity and the FreshWater Action Network (FAN) have developed a website to act as aninformation source on the right to water.  Visit the website at www.righttowater.org.uk.

2. How much financing is needed to solve the water and sanitation crisis?

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), agreed by world leaders aiming to halve world poverty by 2015, include targets of halving the proportions of people without access to water and sanitation between 1990 and 2015. Today sanitation is seriously neglected and, at current rates of progress, the sanitation target will be missed by a staggering 700 million people. Water fares somewhat better and is on track globally. However, global figures hide regional differences and current trends predict that in Sub-Saharan Africa the water target will be missed and the sanitation target will not be met for another century.

There are several estimates of the investment required to meet the MDG water and sanitation targets, ranging from $9 to $72 billion a year. The estimates vary significantly because of differences in the way they are calculated, and the quality of data on which they are based. Many estimates cover just the costs of securing access to water and sanitation for those without these services, and fail to include the costs of operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, surveillance and hygiene education necessary to ensure that existing services are sustained.

Progress towards achieving the MDG water and sanitation targets is further jeopardized by the fact that some existing finance for water and sanitation (from donors and domestic sources) is not being spent in some countries. To resolve this problem, there is a need for greater alignment between the systems used by donors and developing countries' governments for budgeting, reporting and procurement.

WaterAid believes that to bring the water and sanitation MDG targets within reach, aid flows need to increase by $4 billion a year from 2004 levels, with an additional $2 billion allocated to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Correcting the present under-investment in the sector cannot be justified unless the financial waste which goes on is also eliminated. Therefore WaterAid not only lobbies for more aid but also for improvements in how and where it is spent.

Read WaterAid, CARE and NRDC's response to the US Government's Water for the Poor Act Report 2009.

3. What international policy changes are needed?

Governments and donors must immediately reverse the decline in spending on the water and sanitation sector. They must prioritize these fundamental services in an internationally
recognised global action plan.

As part of the End Water Poverty coalition WaterAid is calling for:

• A global action plan for sanitation and water
• A global task force for sanitation and water
• 70% of aid for sanitation and water to be targeted at the lowest-income countries.
• Water resources to be protected, managed effectively and shared equitably

To read more download End Water Poverty - A Program for Action (PDF 359KB)

4. What national policy changes are needed?

Within developing countries, national governments working with domestic stakeholders should own the policy design, implementation and monitoring process for all improvements to sanitation and water services. The donor community must support the building of country-led reform and coordination efforts.

As part of the End Water Poverty coalition WaterAid is calling for:

• National frameworks to plan, coordinate and monitor the delivery of services
• A government-led extraordinary effort on sanitation
• Donor technical assistance to build and strengthen policy communities in-country

To read more download End Water Poverty - A Program for Action (PDF 359KB)

5. What local policy changes are needed?

National governments within developing countries need to make a serious commitment to addressing weak sector governance at the local level. They should urgently address the
weaknesses of agencies that are responsible for delivering sanitation and water services.

As part of the End Water Poverty coalition WaterAid is calling for:

• Strong local government agencies must be responsible for ensuring accountable, accessible and responsive services
• The prioritization of the poor when improving urban
  sanitation and water services
• Services to be targeted at the poorest and most marginalized groups

To read more download End Water Poverty - A Program for Action (PDF 359KB)

5. What is WaterAid's position on the privatization of water companies in the developing world?

WaterAid believes it is the ultimate responsibility of national and local governments to ensure all citizens have access to adequate and affordable water and sanitation services and to decide how they are delivered to all, whether via public, private or non-profit providers or utilities.

As such, WaterAid encourages donors to build the capacity of national and local governments to effectively manage and regulate water and sanitation services so that those responsible for ensuring the delivery of services are accountable to, and meet the needs of, all communities, particularly poor people.

In the recent past, major donors have actively promoted private sector participation and the debate has become further polarised and focused on the role of large multinational water companies. However only around 5% of the world's water is actually distributed by large private operators and evidence suggests that there are successes and failures with both public and private approaches.

WaterAid believes that privatization should not be imposed upon poor countries through aid conditions, trade rules or conditions for debt cancellation. There is no single solution to ensuring everyone gains access to water and sanitation in developing countries. In most developing countries the reality is a complex mix of delivery mechanisms, including the local small scale private operator. So it is impossible to say in general terms whether it is a good idea for private, public or community organizations to be involved in the delivery and management of services.