World Bank announces clean water plan for one billion people

• The World Bank has launched its 'Water Forward' initiative, aiming to provide an additional one billion people with sustainable access to safe water by 2030.
• The project is supported by partners including WaterAid, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates.
• The initiative addresses the critical issue of nearly two billion people lacking safely-managed water globally, which contributes to disease and high mortality rates, especially among women and babies during childbirth.
• World Bank Group President Ajay Banga highlighted water's fundamental role in economies, while WaterAid UK CEO Tim Wainwright stressed the necessity for unprecedented scale due to past political inaction and the impacts of the climate crisis.
• The campaign proceeds despite aid funding cuts from figures such as Donald Trump, with the World Bank focusing on water for people, food, and the planet, and WaterAid supporting government-led, locally driven action.

IN FULL

Landmark push to provide an extra one billion people with reliable clean water