WaterAid and the MDGs

The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are international targets to halve world poverty by 2015, agreed upon by all 189 United Nations member states at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000.

WaterAid believes water, sanitation and hygiene education are crucial for poverty reduction and form the bedrock of a healthy, productive society. Our work makes a significant contribution to reaching the goals especially through actions to halve the proportion of people without access to safe water and sanitation, which are specific targets within Goal Seven.

Without health and education, people will continue to remain trapped in the stranglehold of poverty and disease. Below is an outline of how our work relates to each of the eight goals:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Time-consuming water collection greatly contributes to poverty. WaterAid-supported projects provide convenient water supplies allowing people to look after their family's water needs quickly, freeing up the rest of the day for earning much-needed cash or tending to agriculture. In addition, healthy people are better able to absorb nutrients in food than those suffering from water-related diseases, particularly worms, which rob their hosts of calories.

There are important side benefits from the establishment of wells and pumps. Excess water is often used to nurture kitchen gardens which provide a sustainable source of vegetables to vary people's diets. WaterAid also advocates the use of composting latrines which produce a free, viable and sustainable alternative to expensive and often polluting fertilizers.

2. Achieve universal primary education

School attendance, especially among girls, is affected by time-consuming water-carrying burdens and poor health. A lack of adequate sanitation facilities in schools also prevents girls from attending school, particularly when they are menstruating. Convenient access to clean water and improved sanitation facilities in schools not only gives children time and an appropriate environment, it also helps to recruit and retain professional teachers.

3. Promote gender equality and empower women

WaterAid believes that it is vital for women to be actively involved in all stages of community projects. With their detailed knowledge of local water sources, and as the main users of future water points, women are best placed to choose the ideal location. Women also often become hygiene educators as they are able to talk to other women freely. Involving women in projects has a positive impact on women's positions and status in the community.

4. Reduce child mortality by two thirds for children under five

Children are most vulnerable to the diseases that result from a lack of water, dirty water and poor sanitation. Diarrhea is the biggest single killer of children in the developing world where a 5,000 children die every day from water-related illnesses. Where WaterAid's projects bring hygiene education, clean water and sanitation children's health improves. They also have time to go to school, gain an education, or simply to play. 

5. Improve maternal health

During pregnancy, women in developing countries still have to collect water and a lack of sanitation facilities means that basic hygiene practices cannot be carried out. After childbirth, women are often unable to wash themselves or the baby. Clean, accessible water and sanitation help women to minimize the chances of illness or even death to the baby or themselves.

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Over a billion people in the world do not have access to safe water and over two billion lack adequate sanitation. Safe drinking water and basic sanitation help prevent water-related diseases, including deadly diarrheal diseases. Improved water management also reduces transmission risks of malaria and dengue fever.

WaterAid research has revealed that clean water and sanitation assists HIV/AIDS sufferers. People contracting water-related illnesses are very likely to have compromised immune systems, which may cause them to succumb more quickly to the HIV virus and develop AIDS-related illnesses. Conversely, the immune systems of those living with HIV will be less likely to fight or recover from water-related illness. 

7. Ensure environmental sustainability

The MDG target in Goal Seven to halve the proportion of people without access to water and sanitation is strongly supported by WaterAid's primary strategic goal for its work from 2005 to 2010.

WaterAid works with local partner organizations to help poor people gain access to water and one million. Our work is focused in 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Pacific Region which between them contain 30% of the world's population without safe water and 40% of the world's population without sanitation. WaterAid works with its partners to ensure that appropriate technology is used and training given to the community to create sustainable projects.

Another key part of our strategy is to ensure all future water supply and sanitation projects supported by WaterAid address the issues of water depletion and contamination through appropriate integrated water resource management.

8. Develop a global partnership for development

WaterAid's work with partnership organizations, governments and national and international agencies towards achieving the MDGs is part of a mutually reinforcing framework to improve overall human development. The MDGs provide a vision of development with health and education at its core. Development is not just about economic growth. Indeed, economic development is totally dependent on healthy people having time to work.