Safe water: Access and Equity for All

Creating improved access to safe water through culturally appropriate solutions.

Person washing their hands at a tap
As a basic human right, every person on earth should have access to safe water. This means water that is fit for purpose and accessible to the user—both physically and financially. Water access is also an equality issue, as women, those living in poverty and other underrepresented groups are disproportionately affected by insufficient access to safe water.
Our work on safe water prioritises human health and wellbeing in all aspects—physical, mental and spiritual. In support of Sustainable Development Goal 6, we’re working on creating improved access to safe water through culturally appropriate solutions that have life-changing impacts for communities.

Our activities

  • Co-designing community-level projects for water and food security

  • Humanitarian engineering programs that improve access to clean water

  • Research on health impacts of available drinking water sources

  • Research on critical linkages between water, climate and equity

  • Support and outreach for capacity-building in STEM

  • Support for sustainable livelihoods through agriculture and aquaculture

  • Water quality and wastewater research and technologies

  • Projects related to water management and public health

  • Building resilience to extreme weather events in vulnerable communities

  • Facilitating opportunities to give disadvantaged groups a voice.

Sustainable Development Goals addressed:

No poverty
SDG 1
Zero hunger
SDG 2
Good health and wellbeing
SDG 3
Gender equality
SDG 5
Clean water and sanitation
SDG 6
Reduced inequalities
SDG 10

Other impact areas

Water governance and security

This area drives equitable water management to ensure just and sustainable outcomes for towns, agriculture and the environment. The work focuses on and building resilient and sustainable communities, improving water quality, alleviating poverty and reducing conflict.

Healthy Oceans and Resilient Coastlines

We focus on activities to protect ecosystems and infrastructure at the intersection of marine and freshwater environments. A key priority is identifying and adapting to anthropogenic threats including storm surge, sea level rise and pollution. 

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