Oral Answers to Questions

Fleur Anderson Excerpts

Wednesday 4th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Anne-Marie Trevelyan]

The short answer is yes.

[Fleur Anderson (Putney) (Lab)]

5. What recent assessment her Department has made of the effect of water projects in tackling climate change.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Wendy Morton)]

More than 700 million people do not have enough water every day, and climate change will make it worse unless more action is taken. DFID is supporting poorer countries to understand how climate change will affect water availability and to manage their water resources sustainably. DFID spends about £300 million a year on water, which since 2015 has given over 51 million people across 30 countries clean water or a decent toilet.

[Fleur Anderson]

Some 800 million people across the world still do not have access to clean water, and clean water is the first line of defence in coping with climate change. We are currently seeing a need for handwashing, for which people need clean water, but the most climate-vulnerable countries across the world have some of the lowest levels of clean water. Only 5% of global climate finance is spent on helping countries adapt to climate change. Will the Minister increase funding for water, sanitation and hygiene projects to tackle the impact of climate change and adapt—

[Mr Speaker]

Order.