World Water Day 2009

Sunday 22 March is World Water Day, which aims to raise awareness around the world about the importance of access to clean, safe water.

But, with 900 million people around the world lacking access to clean water and basic sanitation, it's also a reminder that much remains to be done in order to achieve Millennium Development Goal water targets

Access to clean water is fundamental to development: DFID spent around £100 million in 2007/2008 on water-related programmes, including partnerships with World Vision and WaterAid. For more on what's at stake, watch our video

International Decade for Action on Water 2005-2015

Hand in hand: water and development

Half the population of the developing world still lives without basic sanitation

This must change if we are to press ahead with the fight against poverty and with effective, sustainable efforts to protect the environment and improve health and education in developing countries.

Failing to tackle the water and sanitation challenge means that around 4,000 people, mostly children, will continue to die needlessly every day simply because of preventable diarrhoea.

Millions of work hours (and billions of pounds) will continue to be lost each year through avoidable illness. And huge numbers of women will continue to trek miles every day just to fetch drinking water - drudgery which robs them of the chance to get an education or earn the money that could lift them out of poverty. More about the links between poverty, water and sanitation

DFID's water and sanitation policy sets out a plan to help more than 25 million more people in developing countries gain access to safe water and basic sanitation. The plan focuses on three areas: sanitation, water resources management, and governance.

Through our work with partner governments and international partners such as WaterAid, World Vision and Partners for Water and Sanitation, we are delivering projects to: install pumps and wells, train people to use and maintain equipment, provide education on safe water practices and help local governments to manage their natural water resources.

Theres lots more info on the DFID website

Words and pictures (c) Department for International Development 2009