WaterAid has urged African and European Union ministers to perceive access to water as a part of economic development in the upcoming Africa Union and European Union Ministerial meeting and the AU-EU summit scheduled in Brussels next year. WaterAid is an international non-profit organisation that provides clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to vulnerable communities. The NGO seized the opportunity ahead of the ministerial meeting and asked the ministers to promote a transformative shift towards water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). “We urge African and European Foreign Affairs Ministers to support investments in key services such as clean water, improved sanitation and proper hygiene, to strengthen resilience to climate and health threats and progress towards a sustainable economic recovery,”, said Olutayo Bankole-Bolawole, WaterAid East Africa Regional Director. WaterAid also believes that strengthening provision of those essential water services would be the best approach to revive the economies affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. “We believe that strengthening access to water, sanitation and hygiene is critical for sustainable and inclusive economic recovery and to build communities’ resilience in the face of the climate and health crises both Europe and Africa are going through,” read the statement released by the NGO. The recent Mission Critical report revealed that a dollar spent on ensuring WASH infrastructure could avoid at least 62 dollars in flood restoration costs, indicating that access to water, sanitation and hygiene is crucial for communities to resist emergencies and adapt to the changing climate while meeting the basic needs. The Ministerial meeting is slated on October 26 in Kigali while the African Union-European Union summit is slated in February 2022, in Brussels.
