Good governance is essential in delivering the basic human rights to water and sanitation. Working with governments, we make a lasting difference.
WaterAid and governance
To reach everyone, everywhere with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene by 2030, we need strong political decision-making and the systems in place to turn policies into real change. Good water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) governance involves making the right decisions for the sector, and implementing them effectively.
In many of the countries where we work, efforts to improve WASH services are held back by poor governance and infrastructure. Political and social factors often cause resources to be spread unequally across districts, regions and states. Even within well served areas, poor, marginalised and vulnerable people can be excluded from services.
Working together with national and local governments, we make a lasting difference to people’s lives. Thorough planning, good coordination and effective monitoring are all critical, and therefore a key focus of our work.
Building a strong WASH sector
Reaching everyone with lasting access to clean water, decent sanitation and good hygiene (WASH) requires us to work together with governments to strengthen the systems and capacities that are essential to improving sector performance.
Improving sector governance is central to making clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere. We work with governments and local partners and help build their capacity to improve services and keep them running.
Through our combined policy, practice and advocacy work, we strengthen the sector and drive change nationally and globally. Our WASH projects in the poorest communities, combined with our wider policy and research work, mean we can make a difference beyond the immediate areas of our programme interventions.
The rights to water and sanitation are enshrined in international law, as affirmed by the UN Human Rights Council. In addition to working with governments to build sector capacity, we empower citizens to hold their states accountable for delivering these essential services and realising their basic human rights.
To achieve universal and lasting access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene by 2030, attention must be given to the sustainability of services and behaviour change. Watch this short film to find out the solutions:
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