March 22 marks World Water Day 2015

March 22 marks the observance of UN World Water Day, when a number of celebrations, high-level forums, and awareness-raising events are held across the globe. The 2015 theme for World Water Day is 'Water and Sustainable Development'. This theme couldn't be more relevant, considering that nearly 750 million people lack access to safe sources of drinking water and a staggering 2.5 billion are without improved sanitation facilities.

OFID places water-food-energy nexus at the heart of its 2016-2025 strategic plan, in the firm conviction that only an integrated, holistic approach can address the challenges across the board, while compromising none.

OFID’s support of the water supply and sanitation sector in its partner countries reached US$1,109.1m at the end of 2014. This supported a wide range of operations, from large-scale water storage, treatment and distribution projects to village pumps and school latrines, as well as to schemes for the rationalization of water use in arid regions.

Some of this support comes in the form of grants. For instance, in 2014 to NGOs such the IFRC and the FPSC, among others, to help bring safe water supplies and sanitation systems to communities in Bolivia, Haiti and a number of under-served African countries.

OFID also regularly sponsors the participation of experts from developing countries to attend a number of water-related conferences, including those organized by the IWA and the IWMI.

In February 2015, OFID signed its first-ever public sector loan agreement with Argentina for a water supply project expected to boost the quality and quantity of potable water supply services for over 175,000 people in the Santa Fé Province. Also in February, OFID signed six loan agreements, the majority of which will help strengthen the and water supply and sanitation and agriculture sectors in the recipient countries.

At the 150th session of OFID's Governing Board on March 10, 2015, two public sector loans were approved to help fund water-related projects:

OFID is pleased to celebrate World Water Day and help place water and sanitation in the global spotlight. OFID is firmly committed to continue working with its partners to help tackle the challenges of water management—within the broader context of the nexus—and bring what it considers a basic human right to millions of under-served people.