Water for life: Making it happen

This report, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), outlines the need for action to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target on water and sanitation. It notes that 2005-2015 has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly to be the "International Decade for Action" on water for life, and explains how improved water and sanitation will speed the achievement of all eight MDGS. Reaching the target – to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation – would cost US$11.3 billion per year, but the report argues that this investment would bring economic benefits worth US$3 to US$34 for each dollar invested. The report charts the effect that lack of drinking water and sanitation has on people's lives at different stages (childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age), highlighting the gender divide and threat posed by HIV and AIDS. It also looks at a range of interventions that are being advocated and analyses their potential impact on progress towards the MDG drinking water and sanitation targets. These include: meeting basic sanitation demand; increasing access to safe drinking water; focusing on changing key hygiene behaviours; promoting household water treatment and safe storage; and ensuring cost effectiveness. The first part of this report charts the effect that lack of drinking water and sanitation has on people’s lives at different stages (childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age), highlighting the gender divide and threat posed by HIV/AIDS.The second part looks at a range of interventions that are being advocated and analyses their potential impact on progress towards the MDG drinking water and sanitation target.

To help find out more about the action decade, the report lists web pages that provide background reference materials.There is also a list of the main agencies that provide advocacy and technical support in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector. The report concludes with statistical tables showing the increase needed to achieve the MDG drinking water and sanitation target (Annex 1) and drinking water and sanitation coverage estimates at regional and global level (Annex 2).