“We will fail at overcoming today’s most pressing global challenges without urgent investment in water” – WaterAid’s plea to the next UK Government
The next UK Government must prioritise and invest in access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene in the overseas aid budget to tackle today’s global challenges, says WaterAid.
Download photosFor World Water Day (Friday 22 March) WaterAid is calling on the next UK Government to deliver on its promises to vulnerable nations by prioritising overseas investment in clean water and stepping up as world leaders to address the global water crisis – the epicentre of climate and health challenges.
There is a clear mandate for this from the UK public, WaterAid confirms, with a new study finding that a quarter (25%) think water is the most important issue to spend overseas aid on, and over half (53%) rank it in their top three issues.
Today’s global water crisis is a critical threat to public health, climate resilience, peace and economic prosperity, as highlighted in WaterAid’s new Manifesto for Water, launched on World Water Day ahead of the upcoming general election.
Globally, nearly 1 in 10 people do not have clean water close to home while 1 in 5 do not have a toilet of their own and the climate crisis is making this reality even more bleak. With more frequent and extreme floods polluting water sources and droughts drying up springs, the UN claims the climate crisis is leading us closer to a potential future where five billion people could be living without clean drinking water by 2050.
The new research reveals that 7 out of 10 (70%) people think that the UK government should invest in minimising the impacts of climate change with over half (56%) choosing prioritising water, sanitation and hygiene as the means to do so.
It also found a staggering 97% believe it is essential hospitals have access to clean water, but the reality is globally almost half of healthcare facilities do not have adequate amenities to clean hands where care is provided. 4 This is a global health concern, leading to avoidable health pandemics, the spread of infectious disease and the overuse of antibiotics resulting in rising cases of drug-resistant superbugs. Nearly two thirds (63%) of people are worried about antibiotic resistant bacteria and the risk it is posing to health in the UK.
Tim Wainwright, Chief Executive at WaterAid, said:
“From climate to health to conflict, water is the blue thread that connects us all and is essential to tackling today’s most pressing global challenges. But nearly 1 in 10 people still live without this essential resource, and time is running out for the UK to deliver its promises. As a G7 country, it is the UK’s responsibility to support communities living in poverty, and we cannot continue to drag our feet in delivering overseas aid to those who need it most.
“As today’s survey results clearly show, the public thoroughly backs plans for the next UK Government to prioritise investment in clean water – a step that will support those on the frontline of the climate crisis and prevent infectious superbugs from reaching millions of lives at home and abroad.
“Today we are asking the public to sign our Vote Water petition – by doing so, we can work together towards a fairer, safer and more sustainable world for all.”
WaterAid’s key asks to the future UK Government are to:
- Invest: allocate a minimum of 10% of the Official Development Assistance budget to water, sanitation and hygiene, focusing on the poorest countries and those most off-track from achieving water and sanitation for all.
- Lead: The UK must be a global water, sanitation and hygiene champion and make water central to global climate and health action.
- Empower: The UK must tackle global inequality through water, sanitation and hygiene and can start by ringfencing investment for women and girls’ needs and ensure their participation in decisions.
WaterAid is calling on the public to share their support on the Vote Water petition. To add your name and tell the next UK Government to prioritise water, sanitation and hygiene visit wateraid.org/uk/votewater
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Abigail Smith, Senior Media Officer [email protected]. Or call WaterAid’s press line on 020 7793 4537, or email [email protected].
Notes to Editors:
Download photosYouGov polling:
** All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,112 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 27th - 28th February 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
WaterAid
WaterAid is an international not-for-profit determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. We work alongside communities in 22 countries to secure these three essentials that transform people’s lives. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 28 million people with clean water and nearly 29 million people with decent toilets.
For more information, visit our website wateraid.org/uk, follow us on Twitter @WaterAidUK, @WaterAid or @WaterAidPress, or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.
- 703 million people in the world – almost one in ten – don’t have clean water close to home.
- 2.2 billion people in the world – more than one in four – don’t have safe water.
- Almost 2 billion people in the world – one in four – lack soap and/or water to wash their hands at home, if they have a place at all.
- 1.5 billion people in the world – almost one in five – don’t have a decent toilet of their own.
- 570 million people in the world – 1 in 14 – have a decent toilet but have to share it with people outside their family. This compromises the privacy, dignity and safety of women and girls.
- Almost 400,000 children under five die every year due to diseases caused by unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. That's more than 1000 children a day, or almost one child every one and a half minutes.
- Investing in safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services provides up to 21 times more value than it costs.
[1] WHO/UNICEF (2023). Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022: special focus on gender. Available at: washdata.org/reports/jmp-2023-wash-households-launch (accessed 11 Jul 2023).
[2] WHO (2023). Burden of disease attributable to unsafe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene: 2019 update. Available at: who.int/publications/i/item/9789240075610 (accessed 24 Jul 2023).
[3] WaterAid (2021). Mission-critical: Invest in water, sanitation and hygiene for a healthy and green economic recovery. Available at: washmatters.wateraid.org/publications/mission-critical-invest-water-sanitation-hygiene-healthy-green-recovery (accessed 1 Nov 2023).