About the IWA Safe Drinking Water in Developing Countries Initiative
The Initiative aims to improve access to safe drinking water in developing countries through knowledge transfer, capacity building, and utility-led initiatives.
Background
Safe drinking water is critical for human health, social development, and economic growth. However, achieving universal access to safe drinking water has proven difficult, particularly in underdeveloped countries with inadequate infrastructure and resources. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.1 aims for universal access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 2.1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water at home. This is about 3 in 10 people globally, with most of these populations in Africa and parts of Asia. There have been various international initiatives to enhance investment in water infrastructure and sanitation.
The International Water Association (IWA) under its Water and Sanitation Services programme works to ensure the safe, reliable, equitable and efficient supply and service delivery of water and sanitation. This is mainly through supporting international frameworks, advocacy to improve regulation and policy, including the promotion of Water Safety Plans and Sanitation Safety Plans implementation, capacity development actions, and knowledge sharing.
Strategic Objectives
- Strengthen knowledge and capacity by sharing evidence-based guidance, tools, and best practices on safe drinking water tailored to developing country contexts.
- Foster dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders, leveraging the expertise of IWA and WHO to encourage cross-sector and cross-regional learning.
- Support sustainable and scalable solutions that improve drinking water safety and advance universal access in resource-constrained settings.
Partners & Network
The Safe Drinking Water in Development Programme is the product of a partnership between the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Water Association (IWA).
Lear more about the initiative here.
Legacy
The Initiative continues the work of the Operation and Maintenance Network (concluded).