1. How does WaterAid work?

1. How does WaterAid work?

WaterAid works through local partner organizations such as NGOs or government departments to help communities build and maintain water and sanitation projects, and to learn about good hygiene practices.

Each project is unique, but all have the following in common:

• Technologies are low-cost and suited to local conditions
• Water, sanitation and hygiene education are combined to ensure people gain the maximum health benefits
• WaterAid works with local partner organizations which are best placed to understand the communities' needs
• Local people are supported to plan, construct, manage and maintain their own projects

Working with partners and involving communities in all stages of the projects - from planning and construction, through to maintenance and management - encourages a sense of community ownership and responsibility. To ensure this is successful all projects also have training programs running parallel with the construction work to ensure communities can maintain their projects long into the future.

Regular progress reports and evaluations are made, so that any problems can be rectified. WaterAid also supports local partners to carry out more project work by helping to develop their skills and building their capacity. We see this as a vital step in a country's development.

WaterAid also uses its experience, research and good practice to influence district and national governments and international organizations on water and sanitation issues. This work is changing government policies and practices that impact upon the lives of millions of people around the world, helping more of the world's poorest people gain access to life's most basic needs - safe water and sanitation.

Find out more about how we work.

2. Why water, sanitation and hygiene education?

Water and sanitation are human rights, vital to reducing poverty around the world. Together with good hygiene these essential services are the building blocks for all other development – improving health, education and people's livelihoods.

WaterAid committed to working towards the Millennium Development Goals with its partners to halve the proportions of people living in poverty around the world by 2015. If the specific targets relating to water and sanitation are missed it will not be possible to reach many of the other goals either. Improvements in water and sanitation reduce illness and deaths and free up time spent collecting water or incapacitated through sickness for education and other economic and social development.

Read more on how water and sanitation impact upon the Millennium Development Goals.

3. Does WaterAid carry out emergency work?

WaterAid is principally a development agency, working with communities on longterm solutions to water and sanitation problems. However, in the places where we work, we endeavour to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies where we can make a useful contribution, especially in protecting or restoring vital water and sanitation services for poor people.

4. Does WaterAid work with other organizations?

We are continuously seeking ways of working in partnership with others so that our work has as much impact as possible. This is why we work with local organizations, through the structure put in place by country governments.

As local governments in many of the countries in which we work have been given the responsibility, but not the skills or resources, to develop water and sanitation in their regions, WaterAid has plans to work more closely with them in the coming years to develop their capacity to carry out their work effectively.

We also work with other international NGOs on our campaigns, reports and advocacy work – both in the countries where we work and internationally. For example we currently work with WWF, Oxfam, BOND, Tearfund, WDM (World Development Movement), WEDC, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, ODI (Overseas Development Institute), HelpAge International and the Water and Sanitation Collaborative Council, among others.

5. How is WaterAid governed?

WaterAid America is governed by a board of directors, who are responsible for ensuring that the charity is well managed and abides by its charitable aims. Our President and CEO, who is responsible for management of all WaterAid America's staff, reports to the directors. 

WaterAid America is funded by a variety of organizations and individuals.

Who's who - find out about WaterAid America's Trustees, and, President and CEO.