In our world today:

• more than one billion people do not have access to clean water
• over two billion people do not have adequate sanitation facilities
• some four million people die each year from diseases associated with the lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene
• 4,000 children under five years old die every day from those same associated diseases

Added to this, in times of disaster and crises, the urgency to meet basic water and sanitation needs saves lives, reduces diseases and restores dignity. The overall water and sanitation challenge is best expressed in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular goals 2, 3, 4 and 7, which have water and sanitation components. Our response is therefore to set our targets as a contribution to meeting those goals.

	Global Water and Sanitation Initiative (GWSI) The GWSI outlines a common approach among National Societies to establish larger-scale, longer-term sustainable water and sanitation programmes to contribute more effectively in meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
	UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) The UN Millennium Development Goals comprise eight goals. The International Federation has set its water and sanitation targets to meet those goals.
	World Water Forum 2006 The World Water Forum is a World Water Council initiative, which aims to raise awareness on water issues all over the world. The main international event on water, it seeks to enable multi-stakeholder participation and dialogue to influence water policy-making at a global level.
	Photo gallery A selection of photos showing beneficiaries of the Red Cross Red Crescent water and sanitation programmes around the world.
	Water and sanitation news Read the latest news on the International Federation's water and sanitation activities.