Global investment in clean water and sanitation has to nearly double from present levels in order to meet the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals in these areas, a study issued here Wednesday said.
Around 30 billion dollars annually are needed, amounting to 10 billion dollars to supply potable water and 15-20 billion for sewerage, according to estimates by the World Water Council.
The UN development goal is to halve the number of people without access to clean water and sanitation by 2015 compared to a 1990 benchmark.
The report said current investment was between 14-16 billion dollars a year. This includes maintenance but does not include treatment of waste water.
The report, “Costing MDG Target 10 on Water Supply and Sanitation,” was released in the run-up to the March 16-22 World Water Forum, taking place in Mexico City.
The World Water Forum, based in Marseille, southern France, gathers more than 300 organisations focussed on improving the management of water.
More than 1.2 billion people do not have access to clean water and 2.5 billion lack adequate sanitation, according to the latest UN estimates.
Source: Agence France-Presse
