The U.S. Government WASH Framework is a guiding document for USAID’s water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programming. It was developed in response to the requirements of the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, which established the provision of affordable and equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a key component of U.S. foreign assistance projects.
The framework sets forth three inter-related dimensions of water management that should be addressed to achieve a water-secure world: improving access to water supply and sanitation and promoting better hygiene, improving water resources management among competing needs, and improving water productivity in agriculture and industry.
Improving access to water supply and sanitation and promoting better hygiene is a critical component of the framework. It involves strengthening the capacity and sustainability of small-scale providers, improving the operating environment and financial sustainability of utilities, mobilizing capital for infrastructure development, improving household and community-level hygiene and sanitation, and capitalizing on humanitarian assistance and disaster projects.
The framework also emphasizes the importance of improving water resources management, which involves satisfying immediate needs while protecting water quality and building the foundation for meeting future demands on water resources. This can be achieved through investments in policy and legal reforms, building local capacity, and strengthening water resources planning, management, and governance.
In addition, the framework recognizes the need to improve water productivity, particularly in agriculture and industry. This involves improving water efficiency and productivity, helping countries adapt to climate variability and climate change, and reducing water pollution.
The WASH Earmark is a US$300 million congressional appropriation for WASH activities, with a sub-earmark of US$125 million for Sub-Saharan Africa. The earmark is narrower and more targeted than the scope of either the full Paul Simon Act or the USAID/Department of State water framework. Eligible activities must have a stated intent to address the goals of increasing sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation and improving hygiene.
The framework and the earmark are designed to support investments that yield significant long-term impact per dollar spent and create impact at scale. They emphasize the importance of addressing the immense gap in achieving the international goal of providing affordable and equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and recognize the need for a collaborative approach to address this challenge.
The framework and the earmark are expected to continue in future annual USAID appropriations, with the definition of earmark-eligible activities changing from year to year. The annual appropriations legislation language must be consulted to determine the final eligibility criteria.
Overall, the U.S. Government WASH Framework and the WASH Earmark are critical components of USAID’s WASH programming, providing a guiding document and a source of funding to support investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing countries.