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Water and the Millennium Development Goals
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| South and Southwest Asia Total Population: 32 million (2002) |
Served Population |
Unserved Population |
| Water Supply Coverage | 1.3 billion | 233 million |
| Urban | 457 million | 24 million |
| Rural | 871 million | 209 million |
| Sanitation Coverage | 605 million | 946 million |
| Urban | 334 million | 147 million |
| Rural | 266 million | 799 million |
To achieve MDG Target 10 in the subregion’s rural areas alone, over 105 million people need to gain access to drinking water, and at least 400 million people must have sanitation.
South and Southwest Asia needs the highest investment for drinking water supply and sanitation coverage in the entire Asia and Pacific region—at least US$4 billion annually until 2015—to reach the millennium goal. 
Drinking water supply reaches only 13% of Afghanistan’s total population—19% in urban areas and 11% in rural areas. The country’s total sanitation coverage of only 8% deserves attention. While around 16% of urban populace is covered, only 5% of rural population had access to improved sanitation in 2002. Few places in the world face such scarce and alarming water supply and sanitation coverage levels.
Bangladesh is projected to miss Target 10 for three indicators—urban water supply, rural water supply, and urban sanitation. It can potentially achieve the rural sanitation target since its 6% compounded annual increase between 1990 and 2002 will likely double its coverage level by 2015.
The country would have shown dramatic improvements in water supply, from around 70% to over 90% between 1990 and 2002, if groundwater sources in some areas had not been identified for arsenic contamination, leading to the reclassification of many hand pumps as being unsafe. 
In 1990, India was among those that posted the lowest coverage figures in water supply. Since then, however, it has made significant advances, posting 96% coverage in urban areas and 82% coverage in rural areas, and is projected to achieve target 10 by 2015.
In sanitation, rural coverage jumped from 1% in 1990 to 18% in 2002. This compounded annual increase of 27% will likely enable the country to reach Target 10 for rural sanitation. The urban sanitation story is just as positive, jumping from 43% in 1990 to 58% in 2002, and increasing at an annual compounded rate of 2.5%.
India ’s progress in this 12-year period brought access to 88.5 million people in urban areas and a staggering 237 million people in rural areas.Maldives has also experienced an unfortunate severe downturn in its nearly 100% water supply coverage levels in 1990. Its once respectable rural coverage level of 99% in 1990 declined to 78% in 2002. To a far lesser degree, its urban water supply decreased by only 1%, yet the total effect of the country’s regression meant that total water supply coverage decreased by 16% from 1990 to 2002.
Sanitation coverage is at 58% in 2002, with a wide gap between urban and rural coverage. Urban coverage was at 100% while rural coverage was only at 42%. 
Nepal is projected to reach Target 10 in water supply but not in sanitation.
By 2002, water supply coverage in Nepal has reached 84%, up from 69% in 1990. Urban areas had around 93% coverage while rural areas had 82%. Both figures are expected to rise by 2015. However, recent data showing reversing trends, plus the political conflict in the country, threaten Nepal’s prospects for achieving Target 10 in water supply.
Nepal’s prospects for meeting the sanitation target are not so good. Urban sanitation coverage was at 68% in 2002 and is expected to jump to 75% by 2015. Rural sanitation coverage was at 20% in 2002 and is expected to double to 42% by 2015. However, while Nepal’s 7% annual compounded growth rate in sanitation coverage is commendable, the pace may not be enough for the country to meet sanitation indicators. Greater investments are needed to propel Nepal’s water supply and sanitation sector to achieve MDG Target 10.Pakistan is expected to meet Target 10 in 3 areas—rural water supply, urban sanitation, and rural sanitation.
The country’s urban water supply coverage of 95% in 2002 is expected to drop to 90% by 2015. Rural coverage, on the other hand, increased from 78% to 87% between 1990 and 2002, and is expected to reach 90% by 2015.
In sanitation, urban coverage is projected to reach 100% by 2015. Rural coverage, which was at 19% in 1990 and eaped to 35% in 2002, will balloon to 72% by 2015. 
Sri Lanka ’s general upward trend in water supply and sanitation will enable the country to achieve MDG Target 10.
Water supply coverage in 1990, pegged at 68%, increased to 78% in 2002. Urban areas are projected to achieve 100% water supply coverage by 2015, while rural water supply coverage, which rose from 64% in 1990 to 89% in 2002, is expected to reach 90% by 2015.
Sri Lanka is the only country in the subregion on track to achieve 100% total improved sanitation coverage for both urban and rural areas by 2015.Turkey’s total water supply coverage increased from 81% in 1990 to 93% in 2002. Urban coverage is expected to reach 100% by 2015. Rural coverage, on the other hand, will likely decrease to 85% from 2002’s 87% level, but will still be enough to attain the target for rural water supply.
Sanitation coverage is decreasing although the regression is slow. Turkey’s 84% sanitation coverage posted in 1990 dropped to 83% in 2002. Urban sanitation coverage, set at 94% in 2002, is expected to decline to 92%. Rural coverage, set at 62% in 2002, is also expected to drop to 60%.
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