THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT
GOALS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF
WATER
Stanley L. Laskowski
University Of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Global Water Initiative
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
 FOUNDER BENJAMIN FRANKLIN:
“WHEN THE WELL’S DRY,
WE KNOW THE VALUE OF WATER”
 TWELVE SCHOOLS, INCLUDING “ARTS AND
SCIENCE,” MEDICINE, BUSINESS, LAW,
ENGINEERING, DESIGN--ALL INVOLVED IN WATER ISSUES
 CURRENTLY “YEAR OF WATER” AT UPENN
Millennium Development Goals
• Year 2000: all 189 members of the UN
adopted the Millennium Declaration
• Eight broad goals and over 60 targets
established
The Millennium Development Goals
THE WATER/SANITATION
ISSUE
UN: Every 20 seconds someone will die
from a water-related problem
MDGs for drinking water and
sanitation
• By the year 2015 reduce by one half the
percentage of the world’s population who do
not access to an improved drinking water
source
• By the year 2015 reduce by one half the
percentage of the world’s population who do
not have access to improved sanitation
facilities
• Use 1990 as the base year
Water and the Other MDGs
• ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY
AND HUNGER
• UNIVERSAL PRIMARY
EDUCATION
• GENDER EQUALITY
• REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY
• IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH
• COMBAT
HIV/AIDS/MALARIA/OTHERS
DISEASES
• GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR
DEVELOPMENT
*Note relationships with water*
Water Connects to Many Other
Problems in the Developing World
885 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT
ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING
WATER
Coverage with improved drinking water sources in 2004 (WHO 2006)
Good News?: The World is on track to
meet the Drinking Water Target
• Global Total for Developing Countries: 71%
coverage in 1990; 84% in 2006
• Global population not using an improved
drinking water source is now at 884 million
[2006], about ½ in Asia
• 54% of the world’s population have piped
water on premises [only 16% in SubSaharan Africa receive piped water]
2.5 BILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT
ACCESS TO BASIC SANITATION
Coverage with improved sanitation in 2004 (WHO 2006)
Bad News: The World is not on track to
meet the MDG Sanitation Target
• Global Total for Developing Countries: 41%
coverage in 1990; 53% in 2006
• Almost all Sub-Saharan African countries,
and some in Southern Asia [eg, India], are
not on target
• Some countries [eg, Eritrea, Niger, Chad] are
still below 10% sanitation coverage
• Open Defecation still high [developing
world: 31% in 1990; 23% in 2006]
Focus on the evidence-based interventions with
greatest potential for reducing morbidity and
mortality
• POU water treatment & safe storage – approximately 3050% reduction in DD prevalence (Cochrane Review,
Clasen et al., 2006)
• Optimal handwashing (meta-analysis showed 43%
reduction in diarrhea prevalence, April 2003, Lancet)
• Sanitation – basic, low-cost systems can reduce DD by
30% or more
• Increasing quantities of water used – impact on general
hygiene and specifically facilitates handwashing
Diarrhea – Real Progress in Reducing
Mortality
• 1990 World Summit for Children Goal met by 2000 (reduce
under-five diarrheal deaths by half)
Almost 3 million child deaths/year averted by 2005
Estimated 1.5 billion child diarrhea episodes/year (in
developing countries)
• Still over 1.5 million child deaths/year
Special Challenges
• POLITICAL WILL, ESPECIALLY ON
SANITATION
• CREATIVE FINANCING
• PRIVATIZATION
• GENDER
• CORRUPTION
• TRANSBOUNDARY ISSUES
• ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS
• TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
• URBAN ISSUES
• CLIMATE CHANGE
Women and
children are
impacted the
most
Core Management Problems
[Stan’s Short List]
• CAPACITY BUILDING: Systems & Institutions –
Legal, Regulatory, Financial, Education
– Needed for sustainability!
• FINANCE: Increase total funds available;
manage competition with other priorities
• INTEGRATION – WITH OTHER MDGs
How the Philadelphia area is
Helping
• Philadelphia Global Water Initiative [ see www.pgwi.net ], a
network of water professionals and students; partnerships,
education, awareness, and direct assistance through
conferences, newsletters, in-country projects
• Leadership by individuals and organizations in developing
countries--eg, Kenya, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Central
America [see www.travelingmercies.org ;
www.ksmministries.com ]
• Engineers Without Borders: professional and student level
• Rotary District 7450
For More Information
• Go to www.pgwi.org
• Contact Stan Laskowski, President, Philadelphia
Global Water Initiative at laskowski6@aol.com
Hundreds of Millions Need Your Help--- Children’s Lives Depend Upon It!
BEN FRANKLIN SAYS…
• “HE THAT SPEAK MUCH, IS MUCH MISTAKEN”
• QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU!