*EPF208 03/18/2003
Fact Sheet: Joint U.S.-Japan Initiative to Provide Clean Water to World's Poor
(Two countries to pursue parallel projects wherever possible) (1170)

A U.S. State Department fact sheet issued March 14 says the Clean Water for People Initiative was launched at last year's World Summit on Sustainable Development as a joint endeavor of the United States and Japan to provide safe water and sanitation to the world's poor. The fact sheet updates the progress achieved under the initiative. It was released to coincide with the World Water Forum being held in Kyoto, Japan March 16-23.

Following is the text of the fact sheet:

(begin fact sheet)

Unites States-Japan Initiative
World Water Forum 2003

Clean Water for People Initiative
Progress and Achievements Since Johannesburg

At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg last September, 2002, the United States and Japan launched the Clean Water for People Initiative, a joint endeavor to provide safe water and sanitation to the world's poor, improve watershed management, and increase the productivity of water. The Initiative was created within the context of the U.S.-Japan Partnership for Security and Prosperity announced in June 2001 by President Bush and Prime Minister Koizumi. The U.S. and Japan will strengthen their cooperation and pursue joint or parallel projects wherever possible, aiming at maximizing the efficiency and synergy of their efforts. Water management projects will improve the availability of clean drinking water in the developing world, and enhance sustainable management of coastal and river basin water systems. The partnership will accelerate and expand international efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals and implement the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation including halving, by 2015, "the proportion of people who are unable to reach or afford safe drinking water," and "the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation." The Initiative is open to all countries, including developing countries, regions, international organizations, and civil society partners.

Series of Events Leading up to the Third World Water Forum

The following series of events tracks the progress that has been achieved to date on potential partnership activities in developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa:

Announcement of the Initiative. In August 2002 the United States and Japan jointly announced the Clean Water for People Initiative at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. The Initiative will build upon the following U.S. and Japanese activities in water resources management for developing countries:

-- The United States will provide more than $970 million over the next three years to improve access to water and sanitation, promote watershed management and proper hygiene practices, and increase the productivity of water. In addition to grant support, the U.S. will provide local currency investment guarantees to encourage private investment in water services. Examples of activities include the West Africa Water Initiative (WAWI), the Community Water and Sanitation Facility, and the Development Credit Authority program.

-- Japan has provided more than 40 million people with access to safe drinking water and sanitation in the past five years. These efforts will continue in the future. The Japan Initiative aims at improving access to safe and stable water and sanitary sewage systems. Japan will implement its grant and loan aid as well as technical cooperation for this purpose in close cooperation with local municipalities, NGOs and the business sector.

Moving the Partnership Forward. Representatives from Japan and the United States held meetings at various levels to discuss how to move the partnership forward and to identify specific countries/regions and areas of cooperation in the water sector. In addition to these policy dialogues, the following activities to address the needs of West Africa were undertaken by the two countries:

-- West Africa Water Initiative Partners Meeting in Washington. Upon the invitation of the United States, Japan attended a donor's session of the WAWI Partners Meeting on December 30, 2002.

-- U.S.-Japan Joint Visit to Ghana. In January 2003, representatives of the Embassy of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Office in Ghana met with USAID/Ghana and Washington staff and visited JICA and World Vision sites in the north. The visits highlighted the potential of the WAWI partnership to deliver water supply and sanitation to a great number of very poor people in West Africa.

-- Japan-U.S. Joint Visit to Senegal. Also in January, USAID, Embassy of Japan, and JICA officials toured Japanese and World Vision water activities in Senegal to explore water-related partnership opportunities. Both parties pledged to work to secure resources to operationalize the Clean Water for People Initiative, either in Mali as part of WAWI, or in Senegal as a new water activity.

Development Credit Authority Seminar in Bangkok. In January 2003, upon the invitation of the United States, a representative from the Japan Bank for Inter-national Cooperation (JBIC) attended a USAID Development Credit Authority (DCA) Seminar in Bangkok with a view to exploring the possibility of making use of the DCA approach in the Japan-U.S. water partnership.

Highlights of the Initiative: Identification of Countries and Sectors for Potential Cooperation

West Africa

-- Ghana, Mali, Niger and Senegal were identified as possible initial target countries for the Japan-U.S. cooperation in the water sector in West Africa. The two countries will focus on water supply and sanitation, with WAWI as a core initiative. The United States will implement WAWI in close cooperation with NGOs, private organizations, and other partners. Japan will utilize small-scale grant aid to support NGOs. It is also sending missions to Mali and Niger to design water supply projects and will share the outcomes of these missions with the United States.

-- Japan will also promote its action for the eradication of guinea worm in West Africa, in close cooperation with the Carter Center.

Asia

-- The two partners will focus their efforts on addressing the issues of water supply and sanitation, the prevention of arsenic contamination in drinking water, and coastal management in Asia.

-- Japan is implementing a number of projects in water supply and sanitation throughout the Philippines and Indonesia, including those in island provinces. It is also carrying out flood control projects in urban areas as well as irrigation projects mainly in rural areas. Particularly in the southern part of the Philippines, the Mindanao region, Japan will utilize its Yen Loan for the development of small-scale community infrastructure, including a water supply and sanitation facility. The United States will implement a coastal management project in the same region.

-- Another country that has been identified for U.S.-Japan collaboration is Bangladesh. The United States will conduct a geological survey on arsenic contamination in groundwater. Japan and UNICEF will work together to combat arsenic contamination of drinking groundwater.

Possible Collaboration Between Loan and Investment Guarantee. In order to determine the possibility of collaboration between the Yen Loan of JBIC and the DCA of USAID, Japan and the United States will undertake consultations on the issue to identify a number of pilot countries in Asia and other regions for the implementation of the collaboration scheme.

(end fact sheet)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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