Clean water and sanitation in Africa

The map below shows that by 2015 between 50% – 90% of the population had access to improved water in the majority of countries in Africa. 2015 was the year in which the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were succeeded by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation

The map below demonstrates that in a majority of countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, less than 50% of the population had access to improved sanitation by 2015. North Africa performed better, with rates consistently above 75%.

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation

The SDGs+ include a stand-alone goal on water and sanitation: SDG 6 – ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all .

In March, a global indicator framework for the SDGs, including SDG 6, was approved by the UN Statistical Commission. The next step is for it to be adopted by the UN Economic and social Council and the General Assembly.

Once the global indicators are in place (they are not yet completely finalised), UN Member States can begin to move ahead in earnest with agreeing regional, national and sub-national indicators that are tailored to their own circumstances and reflect their own priorities. These indicators will be a crucial element of the wider ‘national action plans’ that Member States are being encouraged to produce.

 DFID set itself a target of reaching 60 million people with WASH interventions in the period 2011 to 2015. In its Annual Report 2014-15, DFID reported that it had exceeded this target by 2.9 million – with 22.2 million of those reached being women.

According to a recent document by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, which is currently conducting an investigation of DFID’s performance on WASH:

DFID uses a range of delivery channels for its WASH programmes, including multilateral agencies, contractors, NGOs and partner governments. DFID informs us that 60% of its programmes are delivered by UNICEF. In some countries, including Ethiopia, Mozambique and Tanzania, the national government is the primary implementer, using budget support or other financial aid. In some humanitarian contexts, such as South Sudan, WASH results are delivered through multi-donor trust funds. These may be implemented by the United Nations or the World Bank. The majority of projects incorporate water, sanitation and hygiene interventions. A small number are focused only on water supply (e.g. in Zimbabwe and Syria).

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the lead UK government department on water policy. To date, Defra has not made any specific statements on implementation of SDG 6 in the UK.