UK increases World Bank contribution by 40% and introduces first ever water security target
Today, the UK Government announced a 40% uplift in its new contribution to the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the world’s lowest income countries - including a target on water security in UK first.
The investment will fund projects promoting economic growth, tackling poverty and addressing the impacts of climate change. The IDA fund is replenished every three years, and a pledging conference is scheduled for Dec. 5-6 in Seoul.
The policy package for IDA21 contains a target on water security for the first time which sits alongside other very welcome signs that the World Bank is prioritising water – such as its inclusion as an indicator in the new Corporate Scorecard, and as one of the six Global Challenge.
Tim Wainwright, Chief Executive of WaterAid, responds:
“WaterAid welcome the UK Government's support for the World Bank's International Development Association. IDA, as the largest funder for water and climate adaptation in low-income and vulnerable countries, plays a vital role in improving access to water and sanitation worldwide.
"Today’s policy package introduces a water security target – a major first - and designates water as one of the six Global Challenge Programmes, highlighting the World Bank’s commitment to prioritising water on the international development agenda.
"We now urge these commitments to expand from 30 to 50 countries, with the UK stepping up its negotiating role and championing global action on water as essential to creating a world free from poverty on a liveable planet.”
ENDS
For media queries, please contact WaterAid’s press line on 020 7793 4537, or email [email protected].
Notes to editors
About 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.1
- 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.2
- Investing in safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services provides up to 21 times more value than it costs.3
1: WHO/UNICEF (2023), Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022: special focus on gender (accessed 11 Jul 2023)
2: WHO (2023), Burden of disease attributable to unsafe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene: 2019 update (accessed 24 Jul 2023)
3: WaterAid (2021), Mission-critical: Invest in water, sanitation and hygiene for a healthy and green economic recovery (accessed 1 Nov 2023).
