From April 2024 to March 2025, WSUP delivered a year of strong performance, strategic expansion and growing global influence, demonstrating how systems-based urban water and sanitation solutions can deliver results at scale for low-income communities.
Guided by five strategic goals, WSUP focused on embedding WASH within broader urban development, strengthening service providers, deepening partnerships, shaping effective policies and regulations, and expanding its geographical footprint. The year marked a pivotal moment of consolidation and readiness for scale as the organisation prepared to launch its new 2025–2030 Strategic Plan.
Reaching nearly one million people with improved services
Over the financial year, WSUP’s direct programmes and Advisory services reached 984,951 people with improved water, sanitation and hygiene services or education. This included:
- 73,635 people gaining improved access to clean water
- 638,385 people accessing safe, dignified sanitation
- 272,931 people reached with essential hygiene information
These results reinforce WSUP’s belief that high-quality, sustainable services for underserved urban residents are achievable when institutions, finance and regulation are strengthened alongside infrastructure.
Expanding reach and strengthening systems
The year saw WSUP expand into new cities in Bangladesh and Mozambique, while WSUP Advisory initiated work in Tanzania and Malawi, extending the organisation’s influence beyond direct implementation. Alongside this growth, WSUP invested in its foundations—launching a new monitoring, evaluation and learning framework, renewing finance systems, and strengthening organisational effectiveness across its global workforce.
A deeper focus on Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) was embedded through an internal learning programme and the establishment of a dedicated task force to ensure inclusion is systematically reflected across all programmes.
Mobilising finance and shaping global policy
WSUP played a critical role in mobilising £3.7 million in grant finance for the WASH sector, supporting the scale-up of proven service models and improving the financial sustainability of utilities and service providers.
The organisation also strengthened its position as a global thought leader. The World Health Organization commissioned WSUP to lead the development of a Global Roadmap for Advancing Sanitation Regulation and took on an increasingly prominent role within the Coalition for Climate-Resilient Sanitation, finalising sector-wide technical guidelines with WHO and UNICEF.
Country-level impact across Africa and Asia
Across its core countries, WSUP delivered tangible, systems-level change:
- In Bangladesh, work expanded to Cumilla and Kalaroa, supporting climate-resilient water supply and long-term city planning, alongside research into women-led sanitation enterprises.
- In Zambia, WSUP responded to a national drought by supporting solar-powered water systems, resilient network upgrades and real-time leak monitoring.
- In Ghana, a WSUP-supported low-income customer unit at Ghana Water Company grew into a fully fledged department, now serving over one million customers.
- In Madagascar, market-based sanitation was strengthened through Toilet Sales Agents, while circular economy approaches were integrated into school WASH programmes.
- In Mozambique, WSUP and the regulator AURA achieved a landmark sanitation tariff framework, unlocking future investment and systemic reform.
- In Kenya, delegated management models in Kisumu improved efficiency and extended reliable water access to over 25,000 residents, alongside national-level sanitation regulatory reforms.
Positioned for the next phase of growth
The year concluded with the launch of WSUP’s new five-year Strategic Plan and the organisation’s updated name—Water & Sanitation for Urban Populations—reflecting an enduring commitment to inclusive, citywide solutions.
Looking ahead to 2025/26 and beyond, WSUP has set an ambitious goal: to grow from 42 million people reached to 60–80 million by 2030. With three bold Big Initiatives—rolling out sanitation regulation across Africa, scaling shared sanitation to improve child health, and delivering climate-resilient WASH services—WSUP enters its next chapter equipped with clarity, evidence and momentum.
As cities continue to face mounting climate, demographic and infrastructure pressures, WSUP’s 2024–2025 performance shows that systemic, partnership-driven approaches can deliver lasting impact, at scale, and where it is needed most. Read more in the WSUP Audited Accounts 2024-25