Madagascar is urbanizing at twice the rate as the rest of the world, with an estimated 4.5 percent urban growth rate and approximately one-third of the total population already living in urban areas. Every month, cities across Madagascar grow by tens of thousands — growth often concentrated in informal settlements with limited access to water and sanitation services as the demand outstrips local capacity. While this growth offers immense opportunity for Madagascar to unlock economic potential, this can only be achieved through building healthy communities with safe and sustainable access to basic services such as drinking water and sanitation.
Long-time development partners USAID and The Coca-Cola Foundation, through their Water and Development Alliance (WADA) global partnership, recently launched a project to improve access to safe water and sanitation services in three of Madagascar’s major urban centers. By the end of 2020, this project will reach more than 450,000 of the most vulnerable Malagasy people living in low-income areas and informal settlements with improved access to safe water and sanitation services. Around the world, WADA partners with communities and their governments to address challenges and harness opportunities connected to water. WADA’s enterprise-driven approach brings together Coca-Cola’s business capabilities with USAID’s premier development expertise to create solutions that develop thriving communities, grow stable economies, and strengthen resilient environments.
