World Water Day March 22nd 2010

Contributed by David Winder, CEO of WaterAid America who was with the Ford Foundation from 1980 to 1992 in various overseas offices. On March 22nd about 400 guests met in the National Geographic Building in Washington D.C. to celebrate World Water Day and to draw attention to the fact that nearly one billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.5 billion live without improved sanitation. The event was organized by a coalition of nearly 30 diverse groups from the water, sanitation, hygiene and health sectors to raise awareness and to call for stronger commitments and more robust action to ensure universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

An inspiring array of speakers discussed the devastating consequences of the lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene particularly in Africa and Asia. Despite the resources invested by governments, international organizations and foundations, including the Ford Foundation over many decades, diarrhea still claims the life of a child every 15 seconds and more than half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from diseases caused by inadequate or unsafe water and sanitation.

The presentations by representatives from all sectors showed that solutions exist but what is lacking is political will. Many solutions are simple and affordable such as hand-dug wells, harvested rainwater for drinking, protected springs, hygiene education and latrine construction. My organization, WaterAid (www.wateraidamerica.org) is committed to finding solutions in 26 countries working in close partnership with local communities and NGOs.

At the event a special issue of the National Geographic on water was launched (available at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/04/water-slaves/rosenberg-text, available at no cost through April 2). We were privileged to have the efforts of one of our partner communities, Foro in Ethiopia, profiled in an article written by Pulitzer-prize winning author Tina Rosenberg. I would encourage you all to read that piece titled “Burden of Thirst.” It describes with extraordinary empathy the daily struggle of Aylito Binayo to collect water from a polluted river and the transformation that safe water in the community will mean to her life. We were also privileged that a PBS NewsHour report on another community project supported by WaterAid in Ethiopia was also screened at the event, available at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/weather/jan-june10/ethiopia_03-18.html.

Those present were delighted to hear Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speak with passion about how increasing access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene will save lives that are now being lost to preventable disease. She underscored the critical importance of water and sanitation in implementing President Obama's Global Health Initiative and gave her commitment to giving priority to addressing water challenges globally. You may watch her full remarks at http://www.wateraidamerica.org/about_us/newsroom/us_secretary_of_state_marks_world_water_day.aspx.

Please contact me at dwinder@wateraidamerica.org if you would like further information on World Water Day or the work of WaterAid.