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For over five decades, CARE has recognized the link between poverty and the lack of access to water. The strategic goal of our program is to enhance the livelihood security of poor communities through equitable access, efficient use and sustainable management of limited and dwindling water resources.
Our first water and sanitation project started in 1957. The program has expanded to include health and hygiene education and sanitation through the provision of latrines. Our drinking water, small-scale irrigation, and integrated conservation projects are world renowned. We place great emphasis on people making decisions about their own water and sanitation systems and water management by changing the ways governments do business when it comes to water and sanitation on a local, municipal and state level, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations. Impoverished women are disproportionately excluded from decisions regarding water's allocation and management. CARE provides women with equal decision-making power by including them in discussions on water and sanitation on the local, municipal and state levels. Women have more time for income-generating projects and school when they aren't spending hours each day hauling water. Access to safe water also results in women spending less time caring for family members who would otherwise fall sick due to unsafe water. Also, improved sanitation can keep a girl in school by making facilities available to her when she reaches puberty. CARE now has more than 150 projects in 45 countries with water
or water-related activities, helping over 20 million people.
CARE's Water Portfolio: Current Partnerships: Resources:
Advocacy and Programmatic Links: Events:
- World Water Day is an annual international day of observance and action to draw attention to the plight of the more than 1 billion people worldwide who lack access to clean, safe drinking water.
- Agua Clara Consortium Kickoff at ExpoZaragoza – CARE, the AVINA Foundation and the Spanish NGO Ecologia y Desarrollo have formed the Agua Clara Consortium, to strengthen the community water and sanitation organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Consortium kicked off by holding a seminar in Zaragoza, Spain, in September 2008. Read the Zaragoza's Declaration that arose from the event.
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