UNICEF 06/12 report: Children's Deadliest Diseases

Pneumonia and diarrhoea are leading killers of  the world's youngest children, accounting for 29 per cent of deaths among children under age five worldwide - or more than 2 million lives lost each year. Highly concentrated in the poorest regions and countries and among the 

most disadvantaged children within these societies,  nearly 90 per cent of deaths due to pneumonia and diarrhoea occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. These deaths are largely preventable through optimal breastfeeding practices and adequate nutrition, vaccinations, hand washing with soap, safe drinking water and basic sanitation, among other measures. Read more

'Water for Life' UN-Water Best Practices Award

Application period: 30 June-15 September 2012

The prize is awarded yearly in two categories, one in best water management practices, the other in best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and education practices.

Every year special emphasis is put on the theme selected for the next World Water Day. World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of water and advocating for the sustainable management of water resources. Each year, UN-Water highlights a specific aspect. In 2013, special focus will be given to "Water Cooperation" as 2013 is the  International Year of Water Cooperation. The prize will be awarded at a special ceremony on World Water Day, 22 March 2013. More information...

Got a Great Fundraiser? Share it now! 

Rotarians are always looking for great ideas to help raise funds for WASH programs. Send us a short description of your successful club or district fundraiser, 1 or 2 pictures, and a link to more information (your website or email address) and the top entries will be included in a special newsletter edition in August 2012. 

And, if you have wisdom to share on why a fundraiser DIDN'T work tell us about that too.  We all might learn a valuable lesson!

Send your entry to marcom@startwithwater.org by August 15th.

Water and Health Conference

October 29 - November 2, 2012

The 2012 UNC Water and Health Conference: Science, Policy and Innovation will address drinking water supply, sanitation, hygiene and water resources in the developing and developed worlds, with a strong public health emphasis. Learn more. 

Micro-Irrigation Specialist wins World Food Prize

For developing the principles behind more efficient irrigation systems - and for spreading those ideas around the world - Dr. Daniel Hillel, a soil scientist, has been awarded the 2012 World Food Prize. Hillel found that consistently applying small amounts of water to the root zone increased yields and decreased water use. It was a significant improvement over the old high-volume, low-frequency method whereby fields were flooded and then dried. In this era of increased water scarcity, Hillel's work has had profound impact. Read more...

Improving Rural Sanitation: Report Issued

The Water and Sanitation program is a multi-donor partnership administered by the World Bank to support poor people in obtaining affordable, safe, and sustainable access to water and sanitation services. The program has provided technical assistance to support government efforts to scale up rural sanitation since 2007. This report synthesizes key findings, conclusions, and recommendations from the country specific endline assessment reports. This in turn will provide guidance and insight to others seeking to create large-scale sustainable rural development projects. Read more...

Mark June 21, 2013 in your calendar!

Navigating technology options for sanitation is not easy. Learn from world experts. Understand how to select the most appropriate technology. Build sustainability. 

Join us: The Fifth World Water Summit - Friday June 21st, immediately prior to the 2013 Rotary International Convention. Location:  Lisbon, Portugal.

Save the date!  June 21, 2013, Lisbon. 

The Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group is a group of Rotarians whose purpose is to support Rotary clubs to effectively plan, finance, implement, monitor and evaluate water, sanitation, and hygiene programs, where they are most needed in a collaborative, cost-effective, timely, and sustainable manner, true to the principles of Rotary International. Wasrag operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by, Rotary International.