N. Charleston, S.C. — Sept. 15, 2021 – Water Mission is a member of a consortium led by The Aquaya Institute that has been awarded a five-year, $18.9 million Cooperative Agreement from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL-Water) program. REAL-Water will evaluate strategies for expanding access to safe and sustainable rural water across the developing world.
Eight out of ten people without basic water services live in rural areas. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030 requires a thorough understanding of rural water supply challenges and solutions.
The Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL-Water) program will support research on three primary topics:
1. Professionalization of rural water service delivery
2. Strengthening of water quality monitoring in rural areas
3. Improved planning for water resources
REAL-Water will support policy makers, development partners, and service providers to make strategic decisions and implement best practices for water management through implementation research. It will also ensure coordination with related USAID programs that contribute to the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and Water Resources Management (WRM) knowledge base, in alignment with the USAID Water for the World Implementation Research Agenda.
REAL-Water is an initiative of the Center for Water Security, Sanitation and Hygiene (CWSSH) in USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security with support from the Office for Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health.
REAL-Water partners include:
1. Aguaconsult, United Kingdom
2. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), India
3. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
4. Skat Foundation’s Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN), Switzerland
5. Safe Water Network, USA
6. Water Mission, USA
About Water Mission
Water Mission is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization that designs, builds, and implements safe water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has used innovative technology and engineering expertise to provide access to safe water for more than 7 million people in 57 countries. Water Mission has over 400 staff members working in its headquarters and around the world in permanent country programs located in Africa; Asia; North, South, and Central America, and the Caribbean. Notably, Charity Navigator has awarded Water Mission its top four-star rating 14 years in a row, a distinction shared by less than 1% of the charities rated by the organization.
Source: Water Mission International