Millennium Development Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources (forest, biodiversity, energy, climate change) Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation Stop the unsustainable exploitation of water resources by developing water management strategies at the regional, national and local levels which promote both equitable access and adequate supplies. Millennium Development Goals Web Site

Millennium Task Force on Water and Sanitation

To help the international community reach the MDGs, the United Nations established the Millennium Project to be able to quantify what measures and resources will be needed to meet the MDGs and to identify the best strategies for meeting the MDGs. The UN-Secretary General and the UNDP Administer commissioned the Project. Ten thematically-oriented Task Forces made up of independent experts performed the majority of the work, with each Task Force being responsible for recommendations for achieving one or more of the MDG targets.

The Task Force on Water and Sanitation (Task Force 7) focused primarily on the strategy for meeting MDG Target 10, accesses to water supply and basic sanitation. Access to water supply and sanitation is also crucial for meeting most of the goals such as poverty eradication, improving material health and combating major diseases. The findings and recommendation of the Millennium Task Force 7 can be found in its Final Report.

MDGs and the Water Governance Programme

UNDP addresses the MDGs through global and country level programmes. These programmes respond to the needs as articulated by the national governments and are therefore demand driven. The water management needs are addressed in a cross-cutting manner through programmes such as biodiversity, energy and climate change. In addition to this, the Water Governance Programme has developed an strategy that is integrated in its approach to the water crises. Capacity development, gender and integrated water resources management practices are a few of the approaches employed to meet the targets of the MDGs.

For more information - Publication on Water Governance for Poverty Reduction