As we celebrate 20 years of impact, we are proud to share our Annual Report 2024-2025, highlighting a year of transformation, resilience, and renewed commitment to the millions living in urban low-income communities.
The urgency of urban WASH
Today, more than half the world’s population lives in cities, a figure projected to reach two-thirds by 2050. This rapid urbanisation, compounded by climate stress and funding constraints, makes the challenge of providing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) more urgent than ever. In the past year, we have seen firsthand how prolonged droughts in Zambia and intensified flooding in Mozambique have tested the resilience of these vital systems.
Impact at a glance
Despite these challenges, our 2024-2025 results demonstrate the power of a systems-based approach:
- 984,951 people reached across our core countries with improved water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities or information.
- $655,488 in finance mobilised to support the financial sustainability of local service providers.
- Breakthrough Research: The 10-year Maputo Sanitation (MapSan) trial in Mozambique showed how high-quality shared sanitation resulted in a 31% reduction in child stunting, offering a scientifically validated solution for dense urban low-income communities.
Looking ahead: Our 2025-2030 Strategy
This report marks the beginning of an ambitious new chapter. Our 2025- 2030 Strategic Plan introduces three “Big Initiatives” designed for scale and sustainability:
- Rolling out regulation in Africa (RORA): Creating the rules and accountability needed to ensure services reach everyone, not just the wealthy.
- Shared toilets for improved child health (STICH): Leveraging our research to transform shared toilets into a global public health priority.
- Extending WASH services that both reduce and are resilient to climate impacts: Supporting cities to adapt to extreme weather with solar-powered water systems and flood-resilient infrastructure.
As we evolve our identity to Water & Sanitation for Urban Populations, our purpose remains unchanged: to strengthen the systems that deliver dignity, health, and opportunity to all.
[Download the WSUP Annual Report 2024-2025 Here]
Join us as we continue to pioneer solutions for the world’s most vulnerable urban residents. Together, we can build inclusive and resilient cities.