Water is the foundation of global security – a cause that can unite us all

Clean water – especially on tap – is taken for granted. Yet around the world, one in 10 people, from newborn babies to the elderly, do not have clean water close to home. This affects health, education, employment and financial security. 

Climate change is making this worse, with floods contaminating sources and droughts drying them up. Imagine having to make the choice between sending your child to school or asking them to collect the essential water needed to cook for them. Imagine giving birth and having no safe water to wash yourself or your newborn. For millions, this is daily life. 

Everything starts with water. Babies are born healthier. Children grow up stronger. Women and girls spend less time collecting water and more time in work or school. Without it, the story is very different. Poverty deepens. Illness spreads.

Families are forced to move. That’s why investment in the basics of clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene across low-income countries is not just aid – it’s the foundation of global security and shared prosperity. 

And yet the provision of water, sanitation, and hygiene for those that need it most seems very low on the UK government agenda, with the full impact of last year’s steep UK aid cuts still unfolding. The UK’s overseas spending on water is far below 2018 funding levels, having fallen by roughly 60% by 2024. 

The UK must think beyond short-term crises. Investing in clean water now protects the British people and safeguards communities worldwide. Cuts to aid risk worsening the global drought crisis, making climate disasters, health emergencies, and economic instability worse for all of us. 

Read more:

• Water isn’t just an environmental issue – it’s a humanitarian emergency
• The world may be giving up on solving conflicts, warns Doctors Without Borders boss
• Why Starmer’s cuts to UK aid budget will hurt both at home and abroad

As populations grow and supplies dwindle, water insecurity is becoming a geopolitical flashpoint. We’ve seen first-hand an increase in internal migration due to climate-related disasters in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where we work.  

Water insecurity also fuels global health emergencies. Without clean water and handwashing, communities rely on antibiotics to treat preventable infections. This accelerates antimicrobial resistance. Drug-resistant infections do not respect national borders; they pose a growing risk to us all. We saw during Covid-19 how basic measures like running water and soap saved lives. 

Clean water is the backbone of economies, enabling growth for communities everywhere. And it’s a win-win investment. Investing in water, sanitation and hygiene is a hugely cost-effective use of public money. For every $1 invested in water and sanitation, around $10 is gained through averted costs.  

By focusing only on immediate crises and quick wins, the UK risks missing a trick: long-term investments in water and sanitation will help to safeguard both global and national security. But this is impossible if the government abandons its role as a trusted champion of international development, and continues devaluing aid spend, especially on global water access. 

This is a cause that can unite us all. Recent polling from WaterAid revealed that clean water, sanitation and hygiene was the British public’s biggest priority for UK overseas spending, irrespective of political preference, age or socio-economic background. 

When asked to rank their top three areas of spend, over half (54%) put water, sanitation, and hygiene in the top three, followed by health at 34%. 

Yet while the UK public recognises the fundamental importance of global access to clean water, politicians appear to undervalue the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene year after year. 

Toilets and soap may not be glamorous, but they save lives and keep the economy going. Wherever we live in the world, clean water sustains us – welcoming every birth, nourishing every meal and bringing dignity to every moment. 

The UK needs to urgently play its part in delivering clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to the one in 10 without – a fundamental solution to addressing climate change, global pandemics, and building an economy and society where no one is left behind. 

And you can help, by supporting WaterAid, helping communities across the world build the lives they want, with dignity. 

Tim Wainwright is CEO of WaterAid.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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