Plugging the leak : can Europeans find new sources of funding to fill the MDG water and sanitation gap

The starting point for this study was to investigate the possibilities for raising additional funds in Europe to help bridge the funding gap to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation in developing countries. The MDGs have been translated into a number of targets, and target 10 is to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation. To achieve this, changes have to take place, many of which do not require resources. However, every review has shown that there is a huge funding gap at present, although there is little agreement on the size. The central premise of the study was that water and sanitation services in most European countries function to a level where water borne diseases are rare, and that Europe could be willing and able to contribute further to reducing the 4 billion cases of diarrhoea that cause 2.2 million deaths each year in developing countries, mostly among children under the age of five. The aim of the study was to explore a pan European approach to promote awareness, solidarity and extra funding. The document identifies a number of possible combinations and scenarios for a Europe-wide initiative. The advantages and disadvantages of selected scenarios have been assessed, within a framework that also considers the ‘drivers’ that could motivate individuals and organisations to give more, and the channels through which such resources could be collected and distributed. [authors abstract]