The Asian Development Bank (ADB) declared its pledge to water and sanitation investments in the 2020 Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) Asia and the Pacific Finance Ministers’ Meeting.
“We know that every dollar invested in water and sanitation results in a four-fold return,” said ADB Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development Bambang Susantono. “Together with reduced healthcare costs and greater productivity in the workplace, water and sanitation investments bring long-term returns to individual households and the wider economy. It also helps reduce inequality and empower women.”
Representatives of various development agencies and finance ministers from Asia and the Pacific participated in the virtual meeting and discussed solid ways to guarantee universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Finance ministers highlighted success stories in the region where governments were able to implement a mix of financing and regulation to ensure people’s access to water and sanitation, which also generates substantial benefits for the economy, public health, and the environment.
ADB is also responding with numerous new integrated WASH and health-related technical assistance, loans, and strategic alliances. Aside from being a pandemic response, ADB’s WASH support will also focus on water-related diseases, health, and livelihoods in the long term. The program will be using an inclusive approach targeting vulnerable groups.
