Summary: European Commission unlocks a further €178 million to improve access to safe drinking water (Brussels, 17 March 2006)
As the world gathers to discuss the importance of good water policies at the World Water Forum in Mexico (16-22 March), the European Commission is announcing that a Call for Proposals for a second allocation of €178 million from its Water Facility will be launched on 31 March. With the first batch of projects worth €230 million, the funding will mean access to clean water - a basic human need - for more of the world's poor. At the same time, the European Commission is presenting in Mexico a review of past and on-going projects dedicated to improving the management of water funded by the EU's Research Framework Programme. The review shows that the international partnership approach has borne fruit, but there needs to be even more engagement with policy-makers and civil society for the research to have greater impact.
European Science and Research Commissioner, Janez Potočnik said "Good policy is based on good science. This review shows that the research we have done in water management so far has helped put better policy in place."
Every year about 1.44 million children under 5 die from diseases caused by unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation. The EU's Water Facility has €500 million to allocate to project proposals and various other projects (such as the African Water Facility) that implement the Millennium Development Goals on access to clean, safe water, in addition to the €475 million of funding earmarked in the European Development Fund. This development work is supported by research into better ways to manage water resources, often combining traditional methods used for centuries with the best of today's science. Since 1994, about €50 million have been made available for such research.
The 97 projects currently funded by the Water Facility address water governance, water supply and sanitation infrastructure, and issues of access to clean water. The second slice of funding will focus on sustainable initiatives which come directly from the communities concerned. About 90% of the funding so far has gone to projects in Africa, where over a third of the population currently have no access to safe drinking water. Involvement of the Water Facility in such areas has had positive knock-on effects in attracting other funding - for every euro spent by the Water Facility so far, a further 80 cents were added from other financing sources.
Successful development work needs good decisions made on a sound scientific basis. This is why the research carried out to support the Water Facility is so important. Activities funded so far around the world show that researchers need to seek to interact more with the ultimate beneficiaries of their work, whereas governments, private businesses and civil society movements should seek to incorporate scientific results more systematically in their decision-making. The research review showed that connecting traditional knowledge and modern science is a promising way to achieve socially acceptable solutions to water management.
Projects include rehabilitating water collection and distribution techniques in arid conditions in northern African and Middle Eastern Countries, and looking to improve water management in growing cities in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. A brochure highlighting existing research activities will be presented at the World Water Forum in Mexico.
For information on the Water Facility, go to: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/water/index_en.htm
For information on international water management research, including a brochure on existing activities, a policy brief, and the full technical report of the research review, go to: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/water-initiative/
For more information on World Water Day and the World Water Forum:
www.unesco.org/water/water_celebrations
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