State Department report documents U.S. efforts to expand developing countries' access to safe drinking water, sanitation

The State Department on Monday released its 5th annual Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act report (.pdf) to Congress detailing "U.S. efforts to expand access to safe drinking water and sanitation, improve water resources management and increase water productivity in developing countries," NAN/234NEXT.com reports (8/17).

"In FY 2009, the United States (primarily through USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) invested about $774 million for all water sector and sanitation-related activities in 62 developing countries," according to a State Department press release. "Of that amount, USAID invested more than $481 million in drinking water and sanitation-related activities. As a result of USAID investments, some 5.7 million people received improved access to safe drinking water and 1.3 million received improved access to sanitation during FY 2009," according to the State Department. The release adds, "From 2005 to 2009, the United States invested more than $3.4 billion for all water sector and sanitation related activities" (8/16).

NAN/234NEXT.com details what the State Department report says about water and sanitation conditions faced in Nigeria, which described the country's water supply as being "unreliable" and estimated that 30 percent of Nigeria's 150 million people have no access to sanitation (8/17).