Switzerland makes a splash with water development projects
WHO says 1,000 children under the age of five die every day because they lack access to clean water.
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Switzerland has helped eight million people get better access to clean drinking water and efficient irrigation systems for agriculture, says the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Presenting its mid-term report on 2017-2020 targets, SDCExternal link also highlighted providing hygienic toilet facilities to three million people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The government agency has also teamed up with a Swiss start-up incubator in the Middle East, which has helped 650 firms launch water, sanitation and waste projects in the region.
SDC’s work in this area contributed towards the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes the requirement to make better use of water resources.
Some 844 million people currently lack access to clean water, SDC stated on Tuesday. According to the World Health Organization, 1,000 children under the age of five die every day because they lack access to clean water and sanitation.
The Swiss government has recently set the international cooperation priorities for the period 2021-2024. This sets out four focus regions: North Africa and the Middle East; sub-Saharan Africa; Central, South and South-East Asia; and Eastern Europe.
International cooperation will prioritise poverty reduction and human security, forge closer links with the private sector and seek international cooperation on migration issues.
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In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
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As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
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After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
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A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
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The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
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Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
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Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.