UNDP and Water

UNDP is the UN's global development network, present in 166 countries. UNDP's extensive networks link and coordinates global, national and local efforts to meet the development related challenges that need to be overcome for poverty alleviation. UNDP’s approach is a holistic one, support to national policy and regulatory frameworks are one of the primary interventions.

Given the importance of water to poverty alleviation, human and ecosystem health, the management of the water resources becomes of central importance. Currently, over 1 billion people lack access to water and over 2.4-billion lack access to basic sanitation. Access to clean water is lowest in Africa, while Asia has the largest number of people with no access to basic sanitation. This water crisis is largely our own making. It has resulted not from the natural limitations of the water supply or lack of financing and appropriate technologies, even though these are important factors but rather from profound failures in water governance.

UNDP's response to this water crisis has been to emphasize an integrated approach to water resource management through effective water governance.

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