A giant in conservation directs focus on water resource management with clear water supply benefits. The Nature Conservancy’s Resilient Watersheds Strategy and Water Funds follow in the footsteps of New York City’s renowned water supply approach. Those unfamiliar with how water supply is delivered to human populations are sometimes surprised to learn that America’s biggest city – New York – receives water that only requires filtration on a small fraction (10 percent) of its water supplies for 9 million consumers. Because of the coordinated efforts of government agencies, environmental advocacy organizations, and charitable donors, the watersheds that feed New York City’s reservoir systems have long been protected from the development pressures that would put water supplies at risk. More recently, beginning in 1997, the city’s Watershed Protection Program (initially known as the “Filtration Avoidance” Program), combined the purchase of tens of thousands of hectares of land with other…

Effective water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs can demonstrably improve sanitation, health, and water access. But, does WASH programming also contribute to additional development goals like education, economic growth, or women’s empowerment?  To answer this question, with the support of USAID, 3ie developed an innovative new WASH systematic map that explores the value of water security investments for the broader development ecosystem. The map provides an overview of nearly 300 studies that examine the linkages between achievements in drinking water, sanitation provision, and hygiene behaviors and enhanced prosperity, stability, and resilience. The map itself does not provide definitive answers to these questions, but points the user towards studies that address the relationships. Caption: A subset of the systematic map showing studies that link drinking water improvements to higher-level development outcomes. Size of bubbles indicates the amount of research in that…

Unprecedented drought pushing millions into starvation in the Horn of Africa. Rising conflict over shrinking natural resources. Surging cholera caseloads across the world. What do all of these things have in common? Water.  As UN Secretary General António Guterres so aptly stated recently, “Water is humanity’s lifeblood, from the food we eat to the ecosystems and biodiversity that enrich our world to the prosperity that sustains nations, to the economic engines of agriculture, manufacturing and energy generation to our health, hygiene and survival itself.” That is why USAID leads efforts internationally to increase access to safe drinking water and sanitation services for millions around the world, and to advance social equity in water resource management under the U.S. Global Water Strategy. Water also features prominently in USAID’s efforts to advance agriculture-led growth, resilience, and nutrition under the U.S. Global Food Security Strategy; and it is central to the…

Water Aunties have proven that women can successfully operate and manage Water ATMs. Safe Water Network and USAID have pioneered the ‘Water Aunties’ program helping to develop women social entrepreneurs in water ATMs breaking the gender roles and poverty cycle. Currently, 548 women are independently operating water ATMs across 23 cities and 11 states providing affordable safe drinking water to the communities. What is the overview behind the program? 63 million people in India lack access to safe drinking water. The burden of water collection lies on women which detracts them from engagement in income-generating work. Women make up only 13.76% of India’s entrepreneurs and own 20.37% of MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises). Safe Water Network (SWN) and USAID India have pioneered the “Water Aunties” program under the Sustainable Enterprises for Water and Health also known as SEWAH project. From 2019-2022, under this program, the organization has been transforming the role of…