Global Water Initiative: new NGO partnership gets US$ 150 million

A new partnership of seven international NGOs has received a donation of US$ 150 million (EUR 103 million) for rural water and sanitation projects in 13 countries in Africa and Central America. The projects will focus on both domestic and productive (multiple) uses of water, integrated water resources management, trans-boundary issues, and regional watersheds.

The seven members of the Global Water Initiative (GWI) are: Action Against Hunger / Action contre la Faim (AAH / ACF), CARE, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), The World Conservation Union - IUCN, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Oxfam America and SOS Sahel.

Funding for the GWI is provided by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a multi-million dollar private foundation, controlled by the eldest son of the billionaire American investor Warren Buffett. Unlike most mainstream donors, the Foundation is giving the NGOs participating in the GWI, the time and opportunity to experiment and develop long-term solutions. Starting in 2007, the GWI will receive around US$ 15 million (EUR 10.3) a year for a period of ten years.

GWI works in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Contact:

• ACF-USA: James Phelan, jphelan@actionagainsthunger.org
• CARE: Lurma Rackley, lrackley@care.org
• CRS: Robyn Feiser, rfeiser@crs.org.gt
• IIED: Liz Carlile, liz.carlile@iied.org
• IUCN: Claire Warmenbol, claire.warmenbol@iucn.org
• Oxfam: Liz Lucas, LLucas@oxfamamerica.org
• SOS Sahel: Sue Cavanna, suecavanna@sahel.org.uk

Source: CARE, 23 Oct 2007 ; IRIN, 25 Oct 2007

Keywords

• Sanitation - On-site sanitation
• Water and livelihoods
• Water resources management