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Water for the Poor - Partnerships for Action
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The Water for the Poor - Partnerships for Action initiative aims to catalyze and improve the quality of investments in water security for the rural poor in the region.
Ninety percent (90%) of Asia's poor live in rural areas. Hundreds of millions of them lack access to safe water or adequate sanitation, and millions fall ill or die each year from water-related health risks. Poor access to water contributes to hunger and lack of food security.
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SPOTLIGHT
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Clearly, more investments in poverty reduction projects are needed to improve water security for the poor, particularly those in rural areas, and such investments should be made more effective. This will be the thrust of the Water for the Poor - Partnerships for Action initiative.
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SCOPE OF INVESTMENTS
- Rural water supply, hygiene promotion, and sanitation
- Water for production and sustainable rural livelihoods, including pro-poor irrigation, as well as watershed and ecosystems management
- Prevention and mitigation of water-related disasters in rural areas
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COUNTRY-FOCUSED PARTNERSHIPS AS KEY STRATEGY
The main strategy would be to establish partnerships with developing countries. The nature of the partnerships will be to
- follow a participatory and demand-led approach that combines advocacy, capacity building, and community empowerment with pro-poor water investments
- build on policies, development projects, and activities at the local, regional, and national level
- design and prioritize actions with the help of indicators, e.g. Millennium Development Goals, national poverty reduction and rural development strategies
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PARTNERS
- Implementers - governments, regional and local government units, NGOs, private sector and local rural communities
- Facilitators - NGOs, international organizations, national institutes
- Funders - bilateral (grants), multilateral (loans) funding agencies, international financial institutions
- Knowledge and Advocacy Partners - Water and Poverty Initiative collaborating partners and others who will exchange information and experience, as well as advise on action initiatives in developing countries
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CURRENT INITIATIVES
Several country partnerships are being considered, among them Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal and India.
Several NGOs and international research organizations have also agreed to collaborate in this Initiative as advocacy and knowledge partners, e.g. Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, Gender and Water Alliance, International Water Management Institute, Stockholm Environment Institute, and WaterAid.
- Viet Nam
A letter of intent on the partnership with Viet Nam was signed at the 3rd World Water Forum on 21 March 2003. In May and October 2003, ADB met with local and international stakeholders to catalyze the process of developing the country partnership.
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RELATED DOCUMENTS
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CONTACT
Wouter Lincklaen Arriens
Lead Water Resources Specialist, ADB
E-Mail: water@adb.org
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