Written evidence submitted by WaterAid
1. KEY OUTCOMES
FROM THE
MDG SUMMIT
1.1 WaterAid had high hopes for the Millennium
Development Goals Summit in September and felt an urgency for
action to reach the 884 million people worldwide who do not have
access to safe water and the 2.6 billion people living without
safe sanitation. Urgency is needed especially for sanitation as
it is now (following new figures on maternal mortality) the most
off-track Millennium Development Goal in sub-Saharan Africa. The
sanitation target will not be met until the 23rd century.
1.2 Outcome document: Following the
Summit WaterAid was pleased to see significant references made
to water and sanitation in the outcome document. However, we have
concerns that there is little reference to the required actions
which will help achieve the Goals, and the main global initiative
on sanitation and water (the Sanitation and Water for All initiative—http://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/)
was missing from the document.
1.3 Side event on sanitation and water:
We were pleased to see Secretary of State Andrew Mitchell, at
the water and sanitation side event, alongside President Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf and the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. A number
of states recognized and gave their support to the Sanitation
and Water for All partnership at this meeting. We hope Andrew
Mitchell follows up on his promise at this meeting the British
government would do all they can to get water and sanitation to
the world's poorest people by 2015.
1.4 Global Strategy on Women and Children's
Health; WaterAid welcomes the Global Strategy for Women and
Children's Health, launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
This included a set of commitments from a wide range of countries
and organizations to reduce the number of mother and child deaths
in developing countries; including some statements on the importance
of sanitation to reducing child deaths. These commitments are
meant add up to $40 billion over the next five years, although
we are unclear as to how much of this is new money.
1.5 Whilst the Global Strategy for Women
and Children's Health is an extremely welcome initiative, action
is still needed on neglected areas like sanitation. Whilst the
role of sanitation and water was recognised as a challenge in
the Global Strategy, there were no solid actions mentioned or
commitments in terms of money to sanitation and water in either
the strategy or in commitments attached to it. Given that 4,000
children die every day from diarrhoea globally it is an obvious
gap in the Global Strategy. It is important that subsequent national
strategies related to the Global Strategy should include concrete
action on WASH. Overall, we were disappointed with the level of
consultation on this strategy—it was initiated by a small
group of states, it was quite difficult to understand and negotiate
the process of consultation and the consultation at national level
did not happen effectively if at all (although we hear this will
now happen post the recent launch of the strategy).
1.6 The world can meet the MDGs but only
if we focus attention and resources on the problem; that means
targeting the poorest people and providing the basics of life.
Improve sanitation and hygiene, and the health and prosperity
of nations improves. The MDGs are achievable with the right combination
of political will and investment—well targeted aid works.
We must strive for universal coverage to allow people to live
healthy and dignified lives.
2. DFID'S ROLE
IN DELIVERING
AGREED STRATEGIES
2.1 If DFID is to play its role in delivering
the MDGs by 2015, it needs to take an integrated approach to development
that prioritises lagging sectors such as child mortality, maternal
health and sanitation.
2.2 For sanitation and water in particular,
it should:
— Redress the imbalance in DFID's support
for "essential services" by setting a goal of lifting
100 million people out of WASH poverty by 2015 through increasing
the volume of UK aid spent on WASH to £600 million per annum.
— Integrate WASH within health and education
goals and strategies.
— Demonstrate global leadership in turning
around sanitation, the most off-track MDG in Africa, through committing
the highest levels of government support for the international
Sanitation and Water for All initiative.
— Make the most of advisory staff by facilitating
better and more agile cross-sectoral working.
2.3 We have attached our bi-lateral aid
review submission for more detail on these messages. We have also
made a submission to the new DfID Business Plan on Reproductive,
Maternal and Newborn Health.
3. LOOKING AHEAD
TO AFTER
THE MDG DEADLINE
OF 2015
3.1 While achieving the MDGs will be a tremendous
step forward in terms of development outcomes, many sectors will
need continued support if poverty is to be tackled seriously and
sustainably. Those remaining without access to basic services
are often concentrated in specific countries or regions within
countries, are harder to reach, and are likely to be poorer and
more vulnerable than those with access. In order to sustainably
tackle the root causes of poverty, inequality and ill-health,
the post-2015 agenda must necessarily focus on providing universal
access to services, including sanitation and water.
3.2 Even if the MDG target on sanitation
and water is reached, 1.7 billion people will still not have access
to basic sanitation, and 672 million will lack access to improved
drinking water. Sanitation and water are strongly linked to key
development outcomes; an unfinished sanitation and water
agenda threatens to undo progress achieved by 2015. Post-2015,
the international community should place a much stronger emphasis
on key development outcomes, and on achieving results—moving
away from the current emphasis on theme/disease-specific interventions.
It should also look to enhance aid effectiveness through implementation
of the principles agreed under the Paris Declaration and the Accra
Agenda for Action, emphasizing country ownership, harmonization,
alignment, mutual accountability and management for results.
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