More, Greener Investment Urged for Poorest Nations

Civil society organizations are calling on leaders of the least-developed countries (LDCs) and their donors to make water and sanitation a development priority. The Civil Society Forum, representing dozens of non-governmental groups, made the appeal at the end of the United Nations-sponsored LDC conference in Istanbul on May 9-13. “We call for governments and donors to give a new priority to water and sanitation for all by 2020,” the statement said. “The problem is not one of water scarcity but of political will.” The forum wants LDCs and donors to recognize goals set by the New York-based Sanitation and Water for All partnership aimed at improving drinking water supplies in developing nations...