US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and World Bank President Robert Zoellick signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Tuesday to collaborate in assisting developing countries’ efforts in water security and water quality.
In recognition of World Water Day, Clinton signed the MOU on behalf of 17 federal government agencies, marking what is said to be the largest-ever alliance of U.S. government agencies with those of the World Bank Group.
The partnership involves federal departments and agencies such as NASA, which will share remote-sensing technology that enables countries to identify and measure their water resources, so as to guide strategies to manage them sustainably.
The agencies are expected to contribute intellectual capital and technical expertise in the following areas:
- providing information and expert advice to help manage water resources effectively
- facilitating reliable, sustainable access to water to meet human needs, support livelihoods and protect ecosystems
- supporting water, sanitation and hygiene to prevent disease
- predicting drought and floods
- rehabilitating watersheds and wetlands
- improving water use and irrigation practices
The U.S.-World Bank partnership aims to help governments meet local communities’ needs and assist in reducing tension over shared waters. The agreement also will expand the sharing of U.S. water knowledge with developing countries through staff exchanges and expert meetings.
"The water crisis is a health crisis, it’s a farming crisis, it’s an economic crisis, it’s a climate crisis, and increasingly, it is a political crisis. And therefore, we must have an equally comprehensive response," Secretary Clinton said.
Today’s partnership grew out of Secretary Clinton’s call to broaden the United States’ international collaboration on water. The United States is the World Bank’s single largest shareholder and one of the largest donors to regional development banks. From 2005 to 2009, the U.S. government invested $3.4 billion dollars in water-related foreign aid.
“Look at almost any poverty issue: You will find water. A lack of safe water and adequate sanitation is the world’s single largest cause of illness, responsible for two million deaths a year. That’s four people every minute–most of them children,” Zoellick said.
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