Chemonics International Joins Millennium Water Alliance
Washington, DC, January 23, 2023 – The Millennium Water Alliance (MWA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the addition of Chemonics International, a major global implementer of water security, sanitation, and hygiene (WSSH) programs in the developing world, as the newest member of the Alliance. Chemonics is the second business to join MWA after Netherlands-based Acacia Water, which became a member in 2019. See more in News HERE.
FY 2023 Omnibus Funding Act Includes $475 Million For International Water Security, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WSSH)
Washington, DC, December 30, 2022 – President Biden this week signed into law the $1.7 trillion FY 2023 omnibus funding bill for the federal government, completed by Congress last week after weeks of intense negotiation to avert a government shutdown in December as temporary funding for the government was set to expire.
Congress ultimately decided to keep the USAID water security, sanitation, and hygiene (WSSH) programs under the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (as amended by the Water for the World Act of 2014) at the same funding level as last year, at no less than $475 million. The last increase enacted was in FY 2022, when Congress raised the appropriation by $25 million over FY 2021.
It’s very good news that the overall international affairs budget for USAID, the State Department, and related agencies was increased by 6% , to a total of $78.3 billion. That includes $61.7 billion in regular (non-emergency) funding, a $3.7 billion increase from the FY 2022 enacted, and $16.6 billion in more emergency funding for Ukraine. It is important for WSSH that the total numbers for USAID increase, to reduce pressure on the budget line for WSSH and also help the agency maintain staff and training needed to help increase efficient delivery of all programs,
If you’re keeping score on how well WSSH has done, here are a few numbers for recent years: FY 2019 $435 million, FY 2020 $450 million, FY 2021 $450 million, FY 2022 $475 million, and FY 2023 $475 million. Over many years, WSSH increases have outperformed those for similar program areas at USAID.
Senate Appropriators Release FY 2023 Bill With $475 Million for WASH and 14.7% Overall Increase for International Affairs
Senators Endorse Same Level for WASH as in FY 2022, While House Bill Recommends Jump to $500 Million
Washington DC, July 28, 2022 – U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) today released the majority committee draft of appropriations for Fiscal Year 2023 for the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and related agencies that would increase overall international affairs non-emergency funding by 14.7 percent, to $66.5 billion.
USAID programs under the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (as amended by the Water for the World Act of 2014) would receive at least their current level of enacted funding for FY 2022, $475 million. That FY 2022 amount was an increase of $25 million over the previous FY 2021 WASH level of $450 million.
If the past is a guide, final action to bring the two versions together and make a final bill will take us into autumn. Being an election year, Congress will leave town all of October for the final campaign push, and resume business – probably including FY 23 – after the November 8 election. To see more, click Latest Advocacy News .
White House Releases First Presidential Plan in History on Global Water Security
Washington, DC, June 1, 2022 – The Biden-Harris Administration today released its White House Action Plan on Global Water Security, the first such plan by any Administration. It is very heavy on water for human consumption, but also deals with broader water issues of resource management, environmental impact, and the multiple uses of water.
The White House event with Vice President Harris can be seen on C-SPAN HERE. Click HERE for the nine-page document (plus appendices), and see this two-page Fact Sheet from the White House. The adoption of these goals and a broad mapping of how USG agencies must account for their water-related activities and incorporate water in their comprehensive planning add up to a big step forward. It changes the nature of how we as advocates can address these agencies, including USAID, and puts us in a stronger position to push for funding and policy actions we deem necessary.
The three major pillars of the plan are presented on pages 6 – 9 of the Plan; in summary, they are:
Advancing U.S. leadership in the global effort to achieve universal and equitable access to sustainable, climate-resilient, safe, and effectively managed WASH services without increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Promoting sustainable management and protection of water resources and associated ecosystems to support economic growth, build resilience, mitigate the risk of instability or conflict, and increase cooperation.
Ensuring that multilateral action mobilizes cooperation and promotes water security.
MWA applauds this proactive, forward-looking initiative by the Biden-Harris Administration, and will work with them, the Congress, and the US global development community to build on this plan for even more action to secure safe and reliable access to water across the world.
Millennium Water Alliance Welcomes Global Water Institute as Newest Member
Washington, DC, May 5, 2022 – The members of the Millennium Water Alliance (MWA), the partnership of leading implementers and researchers in international water, sanitation, and hygiene, are pleased to announce acceptance of our newest member, The Global Water Institute at The Ohio State University (GWI).
“The Global Water Institute is delighted to join the Millennium Water Alliance and work alongside organizations who share our vision for clean, available, accessible, and sustainable water for all,” said Dr. Tom Darrah, GWI Director. “GWI’s mission is to connect the vast expertise and experience of Ohio State’s community with external partners to develop and implement best practices for sustainable water management and use. At a time when pressures on water resources have never been greater, we greatly value the opportunity to learn from and with other members, expand our partnership network, and increase the impact of our work on critical water needs.”
To see more click News.
Millennium Water Alliance, Swiss Development Corporation Launch New Five-Year Water and Resilience Program in Kenya
World Water Day Event Opens $15.3 Million Kenya RAPID Plus, Building on MWA’s Innovative Kenya RAPID Program in Five Counties in Northern Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya, March 24, 2022 – The Swiss Ambassador to Kenya joined representatives of the Kenyan Government, local and international nongovernmental organizations, and private sector partners on World Water Day (March 22) to launch Kenya RAPID Plus (the Kenya Resilient Arid Lands Partnership for Integrated Development, also now known as RAPID+), a major effort to accelerate access to safe drinking water and rangeland services for more than 200,000 people in Turkana, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, and Wajir counties.
The program began organizing in November last year, but with the formal launch this week, it will now engage multiple partners for increasing access in pastoralist communities to sustainable water for multiple personal and agricultural uses, and to improve the health of rangeland resources critical to likelihoods in this region. The Swiss Development Corporation (SDC) is the primary funder, with contributions from implementing nongovernmental organizations and others for a total of $15, 365,239 USD through October 2026.
See more inside this website under Kenya News.
MWA Member Spotlight
Save the Children integrates WASH work with other health, education or child protection activities that contribute to their three Agency Breakthroughs to ensure that children around the world Survive, Thrive and are Protected. In the United States and around the world, Save the Children is dedicated to ensuring every child has the best chance for success.
With over $70m in global WASH funding, Save the Children leads WASH activities funded by a variety of other private and public donors across 40 countries. Save the Children’s programs advance universal access to quality WASH services in households, communities, health facilities, and schools across development and emergency contexts.
One of their global projects, the USAID-funded Practices, Research & Operations in WASH (PRO-WASH), provides support to implementing partners in order to strengthen the quality of WASH interventions through capacity strengthening, knowledge-sharing and applied WASH research opportunities. You can learn more about PRO-WASH’s research and capacity strengthening activities here. More member spotlight information about Save the Children is available here.
Naw Lay at Handwashing station in Myanmar (credit: Nyein Thaw Htoo)
The Mortenson Center in Global Engineering (MCGE) at the University of Colorado Boulder trains engineers to work in partnership with institutions and communities worldwide to develop improved tools and methods to addr
ess global challenges. Our program is based on the principle that students educated in Global Engineering will be prepared to solve engineering and science problems within the socioeconomic, environmental and political constraints often encountered in lower-resource settings. We combine education, research and partnerships to positively impact vulnerable people and their environment. Our vision is a world where everyone has safe water, sanitation, energy, food, shelter, and infrastructure. The Mortenson Center details its approach in a newly released article: A Body of Knowledge and Pedagogy for Global Engineers. 
One of the Mortenson Center’s initiatives, in collaboration with the Millennium Water Alliance, is the Drought Resilience Impact Platform (DRIP) which is aimed at ending the cycle of drought emergencies in the arid regions of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. Learn more about DRIP and the Mortenson Center HERE.
July 15, 2021
Impact of Cloud Technology for the People of Kenya's Arid Lands
See new video from IBM on impact of cloud technology in monitoring and maintaining water services in remote areas:
See it in on You Tube HERE...
Video on Completed Kenya RAPID Shows Impact
See the video on Kenya RAPID, completed and exceeding most targets by 2018. See Kenya News.
View HERE...MWA and Other WASH Organizations Seek Major Increase for USAID WASH
July 2022 – MWA is asking Congress to approve a $50 million increase in funding for international water, sanitation, and hygiene programs through USAID for Fiscal Year 2023, bringing funding to $500 million. Senate and House negotiators will bring a final package to both chambers later this year.
See more HERE...
The Millennium Water Alliance is a 501(c)(3) permanent and operational alliance of leading organizations and enterprises working to bring safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene to millions of people in poor communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Founded in 2003, MWA convenes opportunities and partnerships, accelerates learning and effective models, and influences the WASH space by leveraging the expertise and reach of its members and partners to scale quality, sustainable WASH services globally.
