Just when you think bipartisanship in Congress is a thing of the past, comes word that local Republican Congressman Ted Poe joined, Oregan Democrat Rep. Earl Blumenauer to introduce the Water for the World Act of 2012 (H.R. 3658)
This legislation would enhance the coordination, sustainability, integration, and oversight of U.S. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program (WASH) assistance overseas. Improved access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene underpins many U.S. health and poverty-reduction objectives, including improved nutrition, increased economic productivity, and the empowerment of women and girls.
Nearly 900 million people around the world don’t have clean drinking water and 2.6 billion lack access to improved sanitation. The absence of these resources poses a significant challenge for development and security around the world, reinforcing a cycle of poverty and instability that represents both a humanitarian disaster and a national security threat.
“We can improve access to clean water by improving leadership and accountability,” said Rep. Blumenauer of the legislation. “We don’t have to spend millions searching for a cure, because something as simple as teaching the value of washing hands or providing access to basic technology we already have is all it takes to save millions of lives. Without asking for any increase in funding, the Water for the World Act puts in place a new set of priorities for our foreign assistance programs that will make them more effective at delivering the help that many so desperately need.”
Added Congressman Poe. “If we don’t get water right, it doesn’t matter how many schools we build or vaccines we pass out- we might as well throw our money down the drain. This bill is about using taxpayer dollars more effectively by making water a priority in any development discussion- like it should be.”
Because they are most vulnerable children will be a major focus of the program. Ninety percent (90%) of all deaths caused by diarrheal diseases are children under 5 years of age, mostly in developing countries. In all, 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die every year, more than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined.
If approved this legislation will drive development assistance programs to provide a greater, more effective role in providing access to clean water and sanitation. Building upon the success of the earlier 2005 Water for the Poor Act, this bill should build on the capacity of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department to play a more effective role in development assistance as well as mitigate cross-border conflict. The bill:
In expressing its own support behind the bill, the organization InterAction, an alliance of nearly 200 NGOs working in international development, outlined several of the bills key provisions.
- Affirming the importance of a multi-year strategy for WASH programs that include goals, benchmarks, and timetables;
- Harmonizing U.S. government activities related to WASH, while confirming USAID as the lead development agency;
- Maximizing impact and the environmental sustainability of programs;
- Consulting a broad range of local and national stakeholders in the design of projects and country strategies;
- Helping to build local capacity in partner countries;
- Ensuring that WASH investments are appropriately integrated into food security, global health, environment, education, and investments in women and girls;
- Monitoring and evaluation requirements; and
- A commitment to publishing timely and transparent policy, program, and evaluation data.