To reach everyone, everywhere with safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030, a transformation in the quantity and quality of financing is needed.

The lack of sufficient or appropriate financing is one of the major barriers to fulfilling everyone’s human right to water and sanitation, and make progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6. Most low- and middle-income countries face substantial financing gaps for infrastructure, operations and maintenance, which can be multiple times more than the available finance provided through the “three T’s”: tariffs, taxes and transfers.

COVID-19, growing inequality and the accelerating climate crisis intensify these challenges. Success for the global goal on water and sanitation depends on both the right quantity and quality of finance being in place nationally and globally each year through to 2030. This is therefore an essential condition for our mission to transform lives in the world's poorest communities.

With our national and global presence, our 40 years of experience, and longstanding partnerships with governments, business and civil society, we are uniquely positioned to act as a catalyst in this crucial area.

Our approach

We work to increase finance for safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene and ensure that it is better targeted. We carry out research and advocacy, and work with civil society organisations to hold service providers, governments and donors to account.

We work with governments and donors to address the gaps in funding and advise them on the best areas to target the available funds. We support service providers to ensure their services are available to all, including the poorest and most marginalised people who may not be able to afford high tariffs or connection charges.

We also empower communities and civil society organisations to carry out their own research into government budgets and allocations, to advocate for increased priority of gender equality and social inclusion, and to demand that their human rights to water and sanitation services are fulfilled.

Over the decade to 2030 we aim to help to achieve higher domestic resource mobilisation, increases in Official Development Assistance, climate finance and private finance, and a strengthening in equity, efficiency, transparency and sustainability.

Finally, we continue to monitor and evaluate spending to ensure improvements are transparent, progressive and sustainable.

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