Assessing DFID’s results in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
UK aid has reached 62.9 million people with water, sanitation and hygiene interventions over five years, but must do more to ensure these improvements are sustainable.
Summary
Over the 2011 to 2015 period, the UK government set itself the goal of providing 60 million people with clean water, improved sanitation or hygiene promotion interventions (a type of development assistance known collectively as WASH). In 2015 it reported that it had exceeded this target, reaching 62.9 million people.
We conducted an impact review of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) WASH portfolio to identify whether its results claims were credible, and to explore whether programmes were doing all they could to maximise impact and value for money.
For this review we awarded DFID a green-amber rating, recognising the impressive results, but also underscoring the need to better maximise the impact and sustainability of UK aid in this important sector. We made four recommendations for improvements.
Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals relevant to this review are:
