May 9, 2011
Conference on the Least Developed Countries provides platform for action on WASH

WaterAid and End Water Poverty are calling for leaders to urgently tackle the global water and sanitation crisis at this week's  United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV) in Istanbul.

Government representatives from the poorest countries will attend alongside colleagues from the richest countries, the UN, civil society and multilaterals to devise the Istanbul Programme for Action - a plan aimed at ensuring the least developed countries will tackle poverty and enjoy growth.

A staggering 500 million people living in the world's least developed countries have no access to sanitation, while more than 300 million are without clean drinking water, resulting in child deaths, lost school attendance, lost job opportunities and over-burdened health systems.

This week is a critical opportunity to take action on this crisis that has such a huge impact on the world’s poorest people.
Lisa Schechtman, Head of Policy & Advocacy, WaterAid, America

"Leaders must ensure that access to water and sanitation is a priority," said End Water Poverty International Coordinator Fleur Anderson. "Without these basic necessities, hundreds of thousands of lives are lost, girls don't attend school and economies are crippled. To put it simply, without water and sanitation, the fight against poverty will not be won."

Investing in water and sanitation would:

• Provide a huge return on investment – for every $1 invested in water and sanitation, $8 is returned in economic returns through increased productivity (UNDP)
• Prevent up to 1.4 million child deaths every year (UNICEF)
• Ensure more girls go to school, giving back millions of school days lost each year due to water-related diseases (UNDP)

Calling for action

In the lead up to the conference, WaterAid and End Water Poverty have been working to raise awareness of the importance of water and sanitation in lifting people out of poverty.

• More than 350,000 people in more than 70 countries joined the World Walks for Water initiative on World Water Day on March 22, ensuring decision makers our heard key messages.
• A  civil society manifesto  has been produced with recommendations for the conference.
• End Water Poverty attended  preparatory meetings in New York to ensure water and sanitation are being talked about, and also participated in civil society hearings as well as  meeting with Mr Cheick Sidi Diarra , the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the LDCs, who has been tasked by Ban-Ki Moon to lead the conference and presented our manifesto.

This work has ensured that the Istanbul Programme for Action will include the target that all LDCs will have sanitation and water access by 2020.

“This week is a critical opportunity to take action on this crisis that has such a huge impact on the world’s poorest people," said Lisa Schechtman, Head of Policy & Advocacy at WaterAid, America.

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