IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 782 
Affirming the commitments made by the United States at the World Summit 
on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, to improve 
worldwide access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 21, 2004 
Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of Cali-
fornia, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. ALLEN, and Mr. UDALL of Colorado) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
International Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Affirming the commitments made by the United States at 
the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Jo-
hannesburg, South Africa, to improve worldwide access 
to safe drinking water and basic sanitation services. 
Whereas the World Summit on Sustainable Development was 
held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 26 to 
September 4, 2002; 
Whereas the United States committed itself to the Johannes-
burg Plan of Implementation at the World Summit on 
Sustainable Development; 
Whereas the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation included 
the goal of halving the proportion of people who are un-
able to reach or afford safe drinking water and the pro-
•HRES 782 IH 
portion of people without access to basic sanitation serv-
ices by 2015; 
Whereas between 2,000,000 and 5,000,000 people die each 
year due to lack of access to clean water and adequate 
sanitation; 
Whereas the need for more efficient water and sanitation sys-
tems will increase rapidly as the world’s population is ex-
pected to reach 9,000,000,000 by 2050, with developing 
nations experiencing the most severe effects of water 
scarcity, poverty, and population growth; 
Whereas, although the percentage of people with access to 
clean water increased from 77 percent in 1990 to 83 per-
cent in 2002 and the percentage of people with access to 
basic sanitation services increased from 49 percent to 58 
percent during the same period, in 2002, 1,100,000,000 
people lacked access to safe drinking water and 
2,600,000,000 people lacked access to basic sanitation 
services; 
Whereas between $70,000,000,000 and $80,000,000,000 is 
invested each year, worldwide, to provide basic water and 
sanitation services; 
Whereas an additional $60,000,000,000 to $80,000,000,000 
per year is needed to provide basic water and sanitation 
services for the world’s population; 
Whereas the United States announced the Water for the Poor 
Initiative at the World Summit on Sustainable Develop-
ment in 2002; 
Whereas the Water for the Poor Initiative committed the 
United States to investing $510,000,000 over 3 years to 
improve worldwide access to clean water and sanitation 
services; and
•HRES 782 IH 
Whereas the vast majority of water aid does not go to the 
countries of greatest need: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) affirms the commitments made by the 
United States at the World Summit on Sustainable 
Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 
2002 to halve the proportion of people who are un-
able to reach or afford safe drinking water and the 
proportion of people without access to basic sanita-
tion services; 
(2) supports an increased effort to meet the 
commitments made by the United States at the 
World Summit on Sustainable Development; 
(3) calls upon all developed nations to join the 
United States in its commitment to improving access 
to safe drinking water and basic sanitation services; 
(4) shares the goals of the Water for the Poor 
Initiative, announced by the United States at the 
World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002; 
(5) supports the targeting of United States 
water aid towards the countries of greatest need and 
the communities in which it can make the greatest 
impact; and
•HRES 782 IH 
(6) calls upon the President to report to Con-
gress on the progress made by the United States to 
meet the commitments described in paragraph (1). 
Æ