Sewage connections that are connected to storm drain pipes can also allow human sewage into surface waters.

In April 2005, the UN Habitat Governing Council supported further actions in the field of urban drinking water and sanitation and invited Governments and international financial institutions to increase their support for the water and sanitation activities of UN Habitat.

Water system, sanitation and utilities

WASH and disease

Fecal coliform bacteria can enter rivers through direct discharge of waste from mammals and birds, from agricultural and storm runoff, and from human sewage.

The only way to sustainably reduce this massive burden of disease is through the use of safe drinking water, sanitation and improved hygiene practices, in particular hand washing with soap.

The importance of water, sanitation and hygiene

(i) Support to water supply and sanitation services

Joint Monitoring Programme on water supply and sanitation

The World Health Organization (WHO) study from which these figures are taken shows that remarkable additional returns would accrue if simple household water treatment accompanied the drinking water and sanitation improvements.

Ensure the availability of universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation and put in place effective public distribution systems as soon as possible. (Strategic Objective C.1, Women and Health (x)

But, while we often assume that the benefits of improving water and sanitation systems always outweigh the costs, this is not always true.

The international community has committed itself to halving the proportion of people without access to water and sanitation by 2015.The most obvious and comprehensive solution is providing piped water and sanitation to all who lack it.

WASH emergency preparedness

UNICEF and the Water and Sanitation Program are collaborating on a number of initiatives.

The UN Habitat Water and Sanitation Trust Fund was launched in 2004, to promote Millennium Development Goal 7, target 10, on water and sanitation.

The UNDP Water Governance Programme and the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Programme are working together to develop rural and urban initiatives in water supply and sanitation.

Instead of using full time WASH professionals, most country offices will rely on other staff to serve as WASH focal points.

UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene strategies for 2006 2015

Table 1 Water and sanitation coverage (2002) and numbers of people to be served to reach the Target 10

The UNICEF contribution to WASH

This recognition put water and sanitation high on the agenda at Johannesburg.

UNICEF has developed interactive learning resources for young people on water, environment and sanitation.

Welcoming the establishment by the Executive Director of UN Habitat of a Water and Sanitation Trust Fund as a financing mechanism to support the creation of enabling environments for pro poor investment in water and sanitation in developing country cities,

Endorses the UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene strategies for 2006 2015 (E ICEF 2006 6) as the UNICEF official strategy document for programmes of support in the area of water, sanitation and hygiene.

Locations of facilities such as wastewater treatment plants and water quality measurement sites are referenced via river miles.

Water supply and sanitation in Israel are intricately linked to the historical development of Israel.

WASH and the Millennium Agenda

Figure 1 UNICEF WASH expenditure, 1990 to 2004 (In millions of United States dollars)

Information and support will also be provided for the training of WASH focal points.

In some areas including hunger and sanitation the situation is actually deteriorating.

These priorities include water scarcity and pollution sanitation, safe drinking water and health gender mainstreaming in water and sanitation integrated water resources management transboundary water issues and disaster reduction.

Venezuela has a total of 150 plants for sewage treatment.

Country offices implementing the basic WASH package will rely heavily on WASH professionals in other countries in the region, regional offices and headquarters.

Women and girl children, particularly those living in developing countries, are often prevented from extracting themselves from poverty by means of education and gainful employment because of the lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Subsidies for sanitation services and sewer connections, whether direct or cross subsidies, could be justified in terms of the public health and environmental benefits from widespread use of sewerage and waste water treatment.

The scope of emergency WASH activities is rapidly expanding.

Providing catalytic and continuous support for scaling up sustainable WASH programmes

Providing WASH in schools directly meets both requirements.

A balanced WASH programme has three interdependent pillars interventions to increase safe water and sanitation coverage, the promotion of behavioural change, and support to an enabling policy and institutional environment (see figure 2).

The reason we are there with what is required medical aid, sanitation, and clean water.

Figure 2 Three pillars for effective and sustainable WASH programmes

A mid term review of the Water and Sanitation Trust Fund is envisaged for early 2006.

The major outcomes formed the basis of the work programme of many African countries in water and sanitation.

Faced with potentially huge investment requirements, a phased approach is one option, constructing the sewerage network in the first phase, followed by installation of sewage treatment plants within an agreed timetable.