Home / Environment / World Bank Pledges Billions for Global Water Access
World Bank Pledges Billions for Global Water Access
15 Apr
Summary
- One billion people to gain sustainable access to safe water by 2030.
- Initiative 'Water Forward' is backed by NGOs, foundations, and nations.
- Lack of clean water contributes to disease spread and deaths globally.
The World Bank has announced a significant commitment, 'Water Forward,' to ensure sustainable access to safe water for an additional one billion people by the year 2030. This initiative has garnered support from key partners, including the NGO WaterAid, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and countries like the Netherlands and the UAE.
The program aims to directly assist around 400 million individuals through World Bank Group initiatives, while an additional 600 million will be helped via investments from development banks, philanthropic organizations, and private finance. This effort combats the global reality where close to two billion people still lack safely managed water, contributing to widespread disease and mortality, particularly among the young.
Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank Group, emphasized water's foundational role in economic stability, stating, "When water systems work, farmers produce, businesses operate, and cities attract investment." The initiative focuses on three pillars: water for people, water for food, and water for the planet. WaterAid highlighted that simple solutions exist but have been hampered by a lack of political will and scalable finance, both of which 'Water Forward' seeks to provide.
Recent analysis by WaterAid revealed that in sub-Saharan Africa, women developing maternal sepsis are nearly 150 times more likely to die than those in Britain, Europe, and North America, with a lack of clean water and sanitation contributing to 36 daily deaths. Many healthcare facilities in the region lack basic sanitation and clean water, underscoring the urgent need for increased investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene.
