Published in Global Waters·PinnedUsing Wastewater Surveillance to Monitor COVID-19As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, many national and local governments are turning to a surprising source of data to track the latest surge of the virus: pathogens in the wastewater in their sewage systems. This approach has long been used to help monitor the spread…Wastewater5 min read
Published in Global Waters·PinnedClosing the Equity Gap: Water and Sanitation Data Can Help Us to Ensure No One is Left BehindNew data revealing disparities in access to water and sanitation by ethnic group offer a powerful tool to help policymakers, program managers, and advocates take action to leave no one behind — the transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and a central focus of USAID Administrator Samantha…Access To Clean Water5 min read
Published in Global Waters·PinnedClean Hands Save LivesSustaining Positive Handwashing Behavior Change During COVID-19 and Beyond When the world was thrown into the unknown at the emergence of the COVID-19 virus, one thing remained true: handwashing is our first line of defense against the spread of infectious diseases. With nearly 2.3 …Hand Washing3 min read
Published in Global Waters·Jun 22H2O Maghreb Empowers Moroccan Women to Play New Roles in Sustainable Water ManagementWhen Saadia started working as an engineer for a public water utility in Morocco, she was always “the only woman at the table,” she recalls. Today, as a trainer at the International Institute of Water and Wastewater (IEA) in Rabat, she helps prepare young people — including many young women…Women Empowerment5 min read
Published in Global Waters·Jun 13A Billion Dollar Loan Fund, and the Path to Better-run Water UtilitiesAs of 2020, Vietnam had the highest levels of rural water coverage among any country of comparable economic level, with coverage equivalent to countries with two to three times its per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We were curious: what was the contribution to this success by the billion dollar…Water Utility4 min read
Published in Global Waters·Apr 25Keeping it REAL for the Future of Rural Water Services DeliveryKeeping it REAL for the Future of Rural Water Services Delivery Providing safe, reliable water supply to rural populations is among the most difficult challenges of international development. …Rural Water6 min read
Published in Global Waters·Mar 1610 Ways USAID is addressing Water Scarcity in IraqAbdi Ali, a farmer in Ninewa, proudly shows off a recently harvested pepper. USAID equipped Ali’s farm with a solar panel to pump water from his well, which helped him better irrigate his crops. Photo Credit: ICRI Ta’afi for USAID. In Iraq, rising temperatures, reduced rainfall, and dropping water levels…5 min read
Published in Global Waters·Mar 4, 2021Confronting Climate Uncertainty Head On in the Philippines“With new and improved data-driven analyses capabilities and better, more frequent reporting accompanied by resonating public communication campaigns, local actors may be motivated — even compelled — to improve water resource management that can benefit all Filipinos.” A changing climate is forcing a reckoning across the Philippines — a sprawling…Climate Change9 min read
Published in Global Waters·Mar 4, 2021Going Beyond Taps and Toilets in the SahelBurkina Faso and Niger have some of the lowest rates of access to safe water and sanitation in the world. Water scarcity and water resource mismanagement in both countries undermine farming and livestock livelihoods, and sometimes create conflict. Growing risks associated with droughts and floods, combined with populations that increasingly…Water7 min read
Published in Global Waters·Mar 2, 2021Building Resilience into a River BasinImagine a river basin — the rivers, tributaries, creeks, and wetlands that gather water and deliver it to the sea — as the vital network that all things, living and nonliving, are connected to and dependent upon. …Resilience10 min read