Global Sanitation Fund

WSSCC's mandate covers both water supply and sanitation. However, since the number of people without sanitation is much larger than those without water and since most organisations working in water and sanitation actually devote most of their resources to water, WSSCC has deliberately emphasized sanitation and hygiene. It is now recognized as being at the cutting edge of thinking on hygiene promotion and sanitation marketing and has made the strategic decision to concentrate its future work in these areas rather than on water supply.

During the 1990s, WSSCC's main activity was on networking and knowledge management. Then in the period 2000-2006, it expanded its work to include advocacy at both global and national levels, based on the experience it had gained during the previous decade. But the task of achieving the Millennium Development Goals - and the 2015 target for sanitation in particular - is so huge that every organization, including WSSCC, must increase and expand its work.

Good sanitation and hygiene, together with safe drinking water, have long been recognized as essential to keeping people healthy. Yet today, although sanitation has been called the greatest medical advance of the past 150 years, 2.5 billion people or about 40% of the world’s population do not have access to basic sanitation. The consequences in terms of human suffering and economic loss are enormous. To help meet the goal of ensuring improved sanitation and hygiene for all, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) has created the Global Sanitation Fund.

The purpose of WSSCC's Global Sanitation Fund is to help large numbers of poor people to attain safe and sustainable sanitation services and adopt good hygiene practices. The Global Sanitation Fund is a single pooled fund open to contribution from any source including governments, foundations, private sector and individuals. The money is allocated to Executing Agencies in carefully selected countries, which then grant funds to Sub-Grantees who implement the sanitation and hygiene work programmes agreed for each country. The whole system is being closely monitored by WSSCC, as well as in country and global audit mechanisms.

Please click on the links below to access more information about the Global Sanitation Fund:

To download the GSF leaflet please click on "Global Sanitation Fund - Investing in sustainable sanitation & hygiene" (ENG) or "Fonds Mondial pour l'Assainissement - Investir dans une hygiène et un assainissement durables" (FR).

The Global Sanitation Fund is a new programme within WSSCC. Its principles have been established, but the work is still in progress. If you encounter questions related to the Global Sanitation Fund you are invited to write an e-mail to WSSCC and we will be happy to take them into consideration. Moreover, by doing so, you will contribute to the clarity of the information displayed on the website and to our general communications about the Global Sanitation Fund.