Rural sanitation: high ambitions, low donor financing

In this report we consider funding for rural sanitation globally over the past five years, and the extent to which such funding matches the Sustainable Development Goal 6 ambition of reaching everyone with sanitation by 2030.

Read the report to:

Understand trends in donor funding for rural sanitation globally over the past five years.

• How much is invested?
• Who are the top donors and top recipients?
• What funding modalities are being prioritised?

The key takeaways:

• Funding for rural sanitation is insufficient. The ambitious Sustainable Development Goal targets have not been accompanied by a significant increase in investments.
• Donors and governments have not prioritised rural sanitation, favouring instead sectors with more immediate or straightforward return on investment.
• Donor funding for rural sanitation is often poorly targeted and uses inadequate approaches.
• There is a shift towards integrated projects, which can help boost investment in rural sanitation, but often don’t devote enough attention to deliver it with quality.