Policy paper

2010 to 2015 government policy: water and sanitation in developing countries

Updated 8 May 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

This is a copy of a document that stated a policy of the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government. The previous URL of this page was https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/providing-clean-water-and-sanitation-in-developing-countries Current policies can be found at the GOV.UK policies list.

Issue

Diarrhoea kills 4,000 children every day around the world. In Africa, it is the leading killer of children under 5 years old, causing more deaths than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. But there are very simple solutions to this problem - clean drinking water, hygienic toilets and effective hand washing.

Providing people in developing countries with access to clean drinking water, effective sanitation and education on the importance of good hygiene practice are some of the most cost effective ways of achieving real results in health. It helps them beat poverty and can help to prevent around 2.4 million unnecessary deaths every year.

Actions

We will help to provide access to clean drinking water, improve access to effective sanitation and provide basic hygiene education (eg hand washing and the dangers of open defecation) for 60 million people by 2015. The majority will be people who live in rural areas as well as women and girls.

One way we will do this is by building stand pipes and pumps in and around villages. We will also build toilets and sewage systems and inform people of the benefits of good hygiene practices, to stop them getting sick and dying from preventable diseases.

We will help governments, citizens and the private sector in developing countries to manage water resources better. This will give more families, farmers and businesses access to the water they need, when they need it.

We will research methods of improving water security and management of existing water resources, as well as exploring new approaches to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene for people in developing countries.

Background

We have committed to providing clean water and sanitation in developing countries as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a series of targets agreed at the UN in 2000.

Target 7 of the MDGs is about environmental sustainability. Part of it is a commitment to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

The world is likely to meet the drinking water target, though much remains to be done in some regions. Progress on sanitation, however, is much slower and the MDG target is unlikely to be met by 2015.

Appendix 1: improving access to safe drinking water

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

Almost 900 million people around the world still lack access to safe drinking water. But this lack of access is not evenly spread – rural areas tend to be worse off, while girls and women feel the impact most as they are often expected to fetch water from places far away from their homes.

Clean water where it’s needed

People in rural areas are 5 times more likely to be without clean drinking water compared to those who live in the city. For those in the countryside, this means a lot of sick people suffering from diarrhoeal illnesses and a lot of productive time lost as they are unable to work.

We will target our help towards rural areas. For example in Tanzania, we’re helping an extra 1.3 million people gain access to safe drinking water.

Women are twice as likely to fetch water as men. It’s often a tough, time-consuming task with girls as young as 5 years old having to haul water for long distances. They walk miles every day collecting water for their families, which means they miss out on opportunities to work and go to school. That is why in the Democratic Republic of Congo we will get clean water closer to the homes of another 6 million girls, mums and families by building standpipes and pumps in and around villages.

A reliable source of water

In remote villages across Africa and Asia, the nearest plumber or engineer can be a long way away. So as well as providing greater access to safe water, we will also help communities to look after the pumps and pipework that deliver it. In Ethiopia, we will ensure 800,000 more people across the country benefit from a new water supply, providing communities with wells and boreholes along with the skills they need to maintain them.

Appendix 2: improving access to water, sanitation and improved hygiene through research

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

DFID produces evidence on what works and what doesn’t in providing clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as water for agriculture, and economic growth.

We carry out research on improving water security and ways of managing existing water resources, as well as improving people’s access to water, sanitation and improved hygiene.

We support one of the largest research programmes for sanitation and hygiene in the world. The Sanitation and Hygiene Research Programme (SHARE) will help prevent 100,000 child deaths from diarrhoeal diseases each year in Africa and Asia, and improve the nutritional status, cognitive performance and physical growth of some 30 million school-age children.

Research already carried out is beginning to show its worth by both leading to changes in thinking across the sector, and prompting governments to invest more money in bringing safe water and sanitation to their people.

Vision 2030: the resilience of water supply and sanitation in the face of climate change

We carried out this study, ‘Vision 2030: the resilience of water supply and sanitation in the face of climate change’ jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO). It looked at how resilient current technologies and approaches to water, sanitation and hygiene are in the short and medium-term (2020 and 2030).

The project made use of forecasts developed by the Hadley Centre. It looked at extreme rainfall events as the major stress on water sources and sanitation systems.

Research-Inspired Policy and Practice Learning in Ethiopia (RIPPLE)

The Research-iInspired Policy and Practice Learning in Ethiopia research project led to an increase in finance and support for functioning water pumps and access to safe water for rural populations in the region.

The programme looked at ways to make sure that water supply systems are both functional and sustainable. It prompted a 10-fold increase in spending by the Ethiopian local government for safe water supply and sanitation.

The New and Emerging Technologies (NET) competition

We recently funded a project - the New and Emerging Technologies competition - to explore the potential of ‘Smart Water Systems’ (or M-Water) which use rapidly developing mobile communications to identify and improve water services in Africa, and beyond.

Groundwater and Climate Change in Africa project

The Groundwater and Climate Change in Africa project developed a set of continental groundwater maps that can be used to define vulnerability to climate change.

The research has challenged conventional thinking that climate change will automatically harm groundwater, as stated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4th Assessment Report.

Appendix 3: improving sanitation and hygiene

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

More than 2.5 billion people - nearly 40% of the world’s population - lack access to good sanitation such as clean water to wash with or proper toilets. Without such basic facilities, illnesses due to diarrhoea go unchecked, killing 2,000 children around the world every day.

More taps and toilets

The problem is most acute in Africa. In sub-Saharan countries for instance, 1 in 3 people don’t have access to any form of sanitation, be it a tap or a toilet.

Across the continent, diarrhoea is the leading killer of children under 5 years old, causing more deaths than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. But there are very simple solutions to this problem: clean water, hygienic toilets and effective handwashing.

In Nigeria, we will make sure 5.5 million people have better access to the facilities they need and can wash their hands, which is proven to be the most effective way to prevent disease. By getting rid of human waste safely we can reduce diarrhoea by more than a third.

At a global level we are also working with international partners to raise the profile of sanitation and speed up progress through ‘Sanitation and water for all: a global framework for action’.

Handwashing and hygiene

The simple message to wash hands with soap is relatively cheap to spread, but priceless in terms of the millions of lives it can save.

If we are to get the full benefit of the gains we make in providing more taps and toilets, we must also promote good hygiene. In poor countries, washing hands with soap at key points of the day - before food preparation and after using the toilet - could halve the likelihood of diarrhoea, reduce acute respiratory infections by up to a quarter, and combat worm infestations, trachoma and infectious skin diseases.

The benefits of heeding that message are huge - millions more children will live beyond 5 years old, they will become stronger and will be able to complete a basic education in school.

Reducing risks for girls and women

Lack of sanitation poses an extra threat to girls and women. Going to the toilet in the open puts them at danger of being assaulted. Around the world, South Asia has the largest number of people who have to go to the toilet outside.

We will work to reduce these risks in countries like Nepal, where we are ensuring around 60,000 girls and women have access to safe toilets by 2015.

Appendix 4: managing water resources

This was a supporting detail page of the main policy document.

Water is a natural resource that must be carefully managed if we are to help poor countries to make the most of it. Water can help countries grow.

For example, careful storage and use of seasonal rainwater, such as using the water to improve crop yields during dry seasons, can lead to increased economic output.

Hydroelectric power is another productive use of water, but one that is often underused in poor countries. While Europe is tapping around three-quarters of its hydroelectric power potential, the whole of Africa is currently exploiting just 7%.

We will work with more poor countries to help them use their water wisely and to make sure people can benefit fully from access to water.

Dealing with too little and too much water

Around the world, one in 3 people are already facing water shortages. Climate change will add to this pressure in different ways, bringing droughts and chronic water shortages to some places, while other regions are hit by increasing floods.

What is certain is that the impacts of climate change will be felt mainly through water. We are working to help developing countries adapt to flooding and drought

Working internationally to manage demand for and supply of water

We are working with countries to help them cooperate and balance competing demands. For example, the South Asian Water initiative is already yielding benefits by brokering greater information sharing between neighbouring countries on water, development of co-operative research and the development of a Ganga River Basin authority in India.

We also played an important role in supporting different countries that share access to the Nile to build up trust by undertaking joint research and holding regular meetings to discuss technical and political issues. This has led to real benefits in identifying large-scale projects that will help the countries work together to manage water resources more effectively.

We will help countries share good water management practice and build up skills. One way we have been doing this is through our support to the Global Water Partnership. The Partnership helps the participating countries to work together to manage water resources.