Uganda
Improving the lives of poor communities through sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.
WaterAid began working in Uganda in 1983 enabling the country's poorest communities to gain access to safe, sustainable water supplies and sanitation.
Uganda is desperately poor with more than one third of the population living without a safe water supply and over 50% with no sanitation facilities.
WaterAid currently works with seven local partner organizations and district governments throughout Wakiso, Mpigi and Katakwi as well as in the capital city Kampala.
Achievements to date
- WaterAid has helped more than a million people gain access to safe water in Uganda
- At the request of the Uganda Government WaterAid has helped establish the Uganda Water and Sanitation Network which aims to raise the profile and coordination of NGOs in the sector
- WaterAid has recently developed an advocacy strategy to help promote a more integrated approach to projects across Uganda
Handwashing using a 'tippy tap' made from a jerry can. Credit: WaterAid / Caroline Irby |
WaterAid's network of local partners aim to help 40,000 poor people a year through appropriate and affordable technologies. To ensure sustainability, communities are involved at all stages of the projects from planning and building and regular maintenance.
Affordable water technologies include hand-dug shallow wells, spring protection and rainwater harvesting.
WaterAid is working with the Ugandan Government to help them achieve its ambitious plans to improve the country's water supplies.
It has already received substantial funding through the Highly Indebted Poor Country initiative (HIPC). With no experience of managing such large scale projects, WaterAid is working with the government to ensure this funding is targeted effectively so that even the poorest people benefit through community managed water, sanitation and hygiene projects.
Download WaterAid's Uganda information sheet (PDF 476.30KB)
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Area: 236,860km²
Capital: Kampala
Other main cities: Jinja, Masaka, Mbale, Entebbe, Mbarara, Gulu
Infant mortality
2 78/1000
Life expectancy
1 51.9 years
Water supply coverage
3 64%
Below poverty line
1 37.7%
Sources:
1 UNDP Human Development Report 2009 2 World Bank World Development Report 2009
3 WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation Report 2008
NB. Official statistics tend to understate the extent of water and sanitation problems, sometimes by a large factor. There are not sufficient resources available for accurate monitoring of either population or coverage. Varying definitions of water and sanitation coverage are used and national figures mask large regional differences in coverage.
Photo: WaterAid / Caroline Irby