Written question asked by Sarah Champion (Labour) on Wednesday, 19 April 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 25 April 2023 (named day). It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Tuesday, 25 April 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Water: Sustainable Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Water Action Agenda agreed at the UN 2023 Water Conference in March 2023, how many of the Water Action Agenda pledges the UK Government has committed to; and how much funding the UK Government has allocated towards delivering those commitments in each of the next five financial years.

Answer: The UK played a leading role at the UN Water conference, calling for stronger leadership, governance, increased finance for water, and embedding water across all sectors. As co-chair of the interactive dialogue on water for health, Lord Goldsmith announced £18.5 million in new support to strengthen Water, Sanitation and Hygiene systems in up to five countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Lord Goldsmith also announced seed funding for a £38 million water security programme. This includes support to the Fair Water Footprints, The Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) Water Tracker, and Resilient Water Accelerator initiatives. These initiatives are part of the Water Action Agenda.

Secondary information