PROMOTING PUBLIC SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL WATER SHORTAGES

That this House recognises that 1.1 billion people globally do not have access to clean water; notes the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015; welcomes the evidence of the 2006 UN World Water Development Report which demonstrates the key role of the public sector in achieving the MDG target; recognises that there are many examples of successful public water supply systems in the developing world which have transparency, accountability, efficiency and community participation as core features; and calls on the Government to increase overall aid to the water and sanitation sector in developing countries, alongside targeted political and financial support to extend good practice within and amongst public water utilities.