Under the U.S. Global Water Strategy, the U.S. Government will focus its efforts on those countries where the needs are greatest, and where U.S. engagement can best protect our national-security interests.  

Within this set of countries, pursuant to Section 136 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), as amended by the Water for the World Act of 2014, 18 countries have been designated as high priority for Fiscal Year 2020 (October 2019–September 2020). The selection of these high-priority countries was based on the following factors, in the context of U.S. foreign-policy interests:

• Level of need
• Host government’s commitment, capacity, and ability to work with the United States
• Opportunities to leverage U.S. support with the private sector and other donor partners
• The likelihood of making significant improvements in the health, educational, and economic opportunities available to women and girls