October 8, 2009
Full steam ahead for WaterAid's new six year strategy

WaterAid today launched a new six year global strategy in which, despite the difficult economic environment, the international non-profit organization pledges to increase its commitment to its vision of safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation for all.

The strategy involves ambitious targets such as providing a further 25 million poor people with safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene by 2015, and reaching 100 million more through a commitment to influencing the policies and practices of governments and service providers. The organization hopes to significantly extend its reach by aiming to work in 13 new developing countries.

These are challenging times for everyone but communities in the developing world need help to break the cycle of poverty more than ever.
Barbara Frost, Chief Executive, WaterAid

The strategy also looks at some of the key challenges ahead for WaterAid such as how to access socially marginalized groups within communities, rapid urbanization, increasingly stressed water resources and a changing and unpredictable climate.

According to Chief Executive Barbara Frost: “These are challenging times for everyone but communities in the developing world need help to break the cycle of poverty more than ever. It is simply unacceptable that 4,000 children continue to die on a daily basis because they don’t have access to safe water and sanitation.

“WaterAid will continue to call for water and in particular sanitation to be prioritized by decision-makers at all levels as, with the right political will, we believe that our vision of a world where everyone has access to these basic human rights is achievable.

“Without them, many of the Millennium Development Goals set for maternal and child health, primary education and economic growth will fail. Such issues will become ever more relevant as the world’s population continues to grow, and there is increasing stress on global water resources. This, together with the threat of climate change, means that there is an increasingly urgent need to tackle the sanitation and water crisis.”

WaterAid’s four main strategic aims over the next six years are as follows:

• To promote and secure poor people’s rights and access to safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation
• To support governments and service providers in developing their capacity to deliver safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation
• To advocate for the essential role of safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation in human development
• To further develop as an effective global organization recognized as a leader in our field and for living our values
  

The strategy was developed through an 18 month consultation process with a wide range of stakeholders.

Download WaterAid's Global strategy 2009-15 (PDF 2.4MB)

Notes to Editor
WaterAid’s vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. Our mission is to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities. We work with partners and influence decision-makers to maximize our impact.

• At least 4000 children die every day as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation.
• 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world's population.
• 2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation, this is almost two fifths of the world's population.
• Just $30 can enable one person to access safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation.