Financing WASH: How to Increase Funds for the Sector While Reducing Inequities: Position Paper for the Sanitation and Water for All Finance Ministers Meeting

This Position Paper addresses three key issues that are receiving limited attention in the water and sanitation sector discussions on finance:

1. The lack of finance for strengthening the enabling environment;
2. The untapped use of micro and blended finance;
3. The inequities in allocation of finance in the sector.

These issues require urgent attention from Ministers of Finance as they work with relevant ministries to develop financing strategies that will enable their respective countries to meet the ambitious targets set forth in Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. In addition to achieving SDG 6, direct outcomes of addressing these key issues include the following desirable impacts:

1. Infrastructure that is maintained and lasts, so that people can be confident that they have regular, reliable access to water and sanitation services;
2. The sector becomes more attractive to much-needed additional private and public financing;
3. The poorest and most neglected benefit from public finance investments.