New Report | Water: At What Cost? The State of the World’s Water 2016

March 30, 2016 - Last update: February 10, 2023

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On 8 March 2016, the State of the World’s Water report was launched by WaterAid to mark World Water Day 2016. Titled “Water: At What Cost?”, it reveals that the poorest people in the world are paying the highest price for safe water – and it calls on governments to act now for universal access. It is the first annual report examining the world’s progress towards universal access to clean, safe water, and follows on from the It’s No Joke: State of the World’s Toilet report, released in 2015.

The report states that while many more people now have access to clean water than in 2010, 650 million people have been left behind – and for many, the exorbitant cost of water from ‘unofficial’ water sources is undermining their human right to safe water.

The worst affected country is Papua New Guinea, where 50 litres of water – just enough to maintain your health and hygiene each day – costs £1.84, 54% of a typical low salary there.

The report also provides a snapshot of life in countries including India, Mozambique, Madagascar, Ethiopia and Zambia.

WaterAid

WaterAid was established in 1981 as a charitable trust and has become one of the most respected organisations dealing solely with water, sanitation and hygiene issues. WaterAid supports local partners in the countries where they work and invest in local organisations to build both their skills and capacity, making the projects sustainable over the longer-term. WaterAid’s teams in Australia, Canada, Sweden, the UK and the USA help coordinate and fund operations across Africa, Asia, Central America and the Pacific. They also have a small team in Japan.