Water action plan : a DFID policy paper

Sustainable access to safe water is one of the key indicators of international development. This Action Plan describes how DFID will take forward its commitments in water and sanitation and continue to contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in a way that recognises that such efforts are most effective when they support developing countries governments' own plans. The main elements are : 1) making sure water issues figure prominently in policy discussions with their main partner countries, 2) providing evidence of the links between improved water supply and achieving the MDGs, and ensuring that they are making use of this evidence in their policy dialogue, 3) improving the way the international systems works. They will focus their support on a smaller number of key international partnerships and networks, particularly those that can improve co-ordination in the water sector.
DFID's target strategy paper on water states that : 1) access to water is vital if progress is made towards all the Millennium Development Goals, 2) focus of DFID's efforts is on the links between water and poverty, and recognises that different poor people have different needs, 3) national governments must lead the way and efforts must contribute to and be guided by their Poverty Reduction Strategies.
DFID takes the commitment to review progress with this Action Plan in a year and report back to the WSSD Task Force. They will initiate a regular water forum in the UK to communicate their policies and to share ideas whit development partners.