USAID has launched its first global Water and Development Strategy to refine and focus USAID's approach to water programming. This five-year Strategy provides an increased focus on sustainability, scale and country selectivity, uses emerging science and technology and embraces partnerships for long-term impact.

Water security for regions, nations and individuals is a great development challenge confronting the world today. Since water is a foundational element of development, and by its nature a basic and essential resource, it cuts across nearly every aspect of USAID programs.

Strategic Focus

The goal of the Strategy is to save lives and advance development through improvements in water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs, and through the sound management and use of water for food security.

To achieve this goal the Strategy focuses on two key strategic objectives:

• Water for Health: Improve health outcomes through the provision of sustainable WASH
• Water for Food: Manage water for agriculture sustainably and more productively to enhance food security

Additional Resources

• Safeguarding the World’s Water (FY 2015)
• Sanitation Implementation Brief (July 2016)
• Agricultural Water Management, Implementation Brief (January 2015)
• WASH & Nutrition, Implementation Brief (July 2015)
• Water and Development Strategy Highlights
• Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act Annual Report to Congress (June 2013)
• Safeguarding the World’s Water (FY 2014)
• Global Waters - Digital Magazine

Real Impact Series

USAID’s Real Impact series highlights aspects of our water programming that support the Strategic Objectives of the USAID Water and Development Strategy. Each case provides insights to challenges faced, approaches used and lessons learned.

Water for Health

• Be Secure (PDF 2.0MB)
• West Africa Water Supply, Sanitation, And Hygiene Program (WA-WASH) (PDF 1.7MB)
• African Cities for the Future (ACF) - Kenya
• Hygiene Improvement Project (HIP) – Ethiopia
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Enterprise Development (WaterSHED) – Lower Mekong
• Water and Development Alliance (WADA) – Senegal
• Indonesia Urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (IUWASH)

Water for Food

• Feed the Future West – Haiti
• Smallholder Irrigation Market Initiative (SIMI) – Nepal
• Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) Plus - Ethiopia