WaterAid and End Water Poverty
World Water Day 2011
Over 350,000 people in 60 different countries took part in The World Walks for Water to demand political action on the water and sanitation crisis. People around the world walked a symbolic 6 km in solidarity with the millions of people who have to walk 6 km every day just to collect water for their basic needs.
End Water Poverty: Sanitation and Water for All.
Since March 2007, WaterAid has been campaigning alongside a number of other organisations as part of the End Water Poverty coalition.
What is End Water Poverty?
End Water Poverty is a growing international campaign that is supported by over 180 like minded organisations from across the world. The coalition is calling for immediate action to address the global sanitation and water crisis.
Why is WaterAid working in coalition?
WaterAid believes that when a wide range of organisations from all parts of the world join together to campaign with a 'collective voice', it sends a clear and powerful message to governments and other influential decision makers that is hard to ignore.
Several WaterAid country programmes have become really active in End Water Poverty including Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana and Nepal.
What organisations are members of the End water Poverty coalition?
To name just a few: Save the Children, Care International, Oxfam, Plan International, Pump Aid, Sightsavers International, Tearfund, Unicef- UK, Unison and WWF. See the full list of End Water Poverty members.
What successes has the campaign had to date?
- April 2010: The Sanitation and Water for All initiative championed by the EWP is recognised by developing and developed countries, as well as international financing groups like the Gates Foundation and the first High Level Meeting on Water and Sanitation takes place in Washington DC.
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| One of the many toilet queues held around the world as part of the 'World's Longest Toilet Queue' world record breaking attempt. |
| Credit: Rebecca Reid |
- World Water Day 2010: The biggest global mobilisation on sanitation and water, The World’s Longest Toilet Queue, takes place in 80 countries involving over 100,000 people, applying crucial pressure to politicians attending a High-Level Meeting a month later - watch the video.
- 2009: the End Water Poverty coalition reaches one million actions taken globally to support their call for sanitation and water for all.
- 2008: UN High Level Event, New York, September - Dutch and UK governments commit to holding an annual meeting to review progress on water and sanitation.
- 2008: Incredible global campaigning efforts help ensure that sanitation and water appear on the 2008 G8 agenda and are included in the final declaration from the summit.
- Mali: WaterAid Mali officially launches a national End Water Poverty campaign in the presence of the President of the Republic, Amadou Toumani Tour.
- Nepal: In just 2 weeks over 100,000 signatures are collected pledging support for the campaign and handed to the Prime Minister.
- Bangladesh: Over 500,000 people from Bangladesh pledge support for the campaign, the largest number of actions from a single country.
- July 2007: UK: Ahead of the G8 summit, hundreds of people march on Downing Street carrying the knitted river petition from 100,000 supporters demanding action. Ahead of the G8 Summit in 2009, over 80,000 UK petitions were handed into the Prime Minister, watch the video.
How can I support the campaign?
Get involved
