G8 Summit Action Plan on Water

From 1 to 3 June 2003, Heads of State and Government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Russian Federation along with the European Union, met at the G8 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. The financing of water and sanitation efforts to support global development efforts was a key agenda item.

The G8 Action Plan on Water, released on June 2, proposes that member states “redouble their efforts” to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by the year 2015. While many observers welcomed the Action Plan's recognition of the importance of water in poverty alleviation efforts, there was disappointment that no commitment of extra funds was announced, especially in light of the fact that 2003 has been designated by the international community as the International Year of Freshwater. According to the well-respected UK charity WaterAid, an investment of US$30 billion per year is desperately needed so that the water and sanitation MDGs can be met. At the current rate of investment, the sanitation target will not be met in Africa, and the water target will take well over 100 years to be met. To view the G8 Action Plan for Water, go to www.g8.fr.

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