All people have the right to water and adequate sanitation. However, at least 1.1 billion people still lack access to safe water and around 2.6 billion – about half the developing world – still lack access to adequate sanitary facilities. People affected by humanitarian disasters also normally lack these basic services.
Safe water for drinking and personal hygiene is a basic requirement for life and good health. Poor sanitary and hygienic conditions increase the risk of transferring communicable diseases, such as diarrhoea or worm infections. People who lack these services are sick more often, and children are at a greater risk of dying. Access to safe water, adequate sanitation and knowledge about hygiene are therefore basic prerequisites, both for a productive and dignified life and for the alleviation of poverty.
Our work
Norwegian Church Aid is working to fulfill people’s right to water and adequate sanitation. Our ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ (WASH) programme deals with water as an important resource. We work specifically with water supply for domestic and other uses. We also work with improving sanitary con-ditions and knowledge about hygiene, with the goal of reducing public health risks and giving people a dignified life.
Individual countries bear the responsibility of upholding people’s right to water. Norwegian Church Aid holds governments accountable in the countries we work in so that they take this duty seriously. When authorities are not able to do so, for example in humanitarian disaster situations, Norwegian Church Aid assists with water and sanitation services and promotion of good hygiene practises.
Specialised competency
Norwegian Church Aid has chosen to work with water, sanitation and hygiene because of their basic importance in everyone’s lives. We have built competency in this field since the 1970s, when we began long-term water projects in Sudan. Additionally, since 1995, we have delivered water in disaster situations. NCA has become main stakeholder in delivering WASH services in humanitarian disaster situations in the context of the Norwegian Emergency Preparedness System (NOREPS). Through the ACT Alliance – our international network – we contribute especially with our specialised competency in water and sanitation when the Alliance delivers emergency assistance.