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138 SHARING KNOWLEDGE© ReutersStrengthening water utilitiesthrough peer-support partnershipsAlthough the goal on water (MDG 7.C) was met five years ahead of target, 700 millionare still without drinking water and 2.5 billion lack access to basic sanitation. As theglobal population becomes more urbanised, a more sophisticated response is requiredBy Dr Faraj El-Awar,Programme Manager, Global WaterOperators’ Partnerships AllianceThe international communitywelcomed the news that the UNMillennium Development Goal(MDG) to halve, on 1990 levels, theproportion of people without access todrinking water was successfully reachedahead of the 2015 deadline.In real terms this means some two billionmore people now have access to drinkingwater and, as one of the first goals tobe met, this achievement should not beunderestimated.But while we should celebrate thissuccess, we should not forget the largenumbers of people who still lack waterand sanitation services, some 700 millionand 2.5 billion respectively. We must alsoremember the backdrop for these numbers– for example, the additional challengesthat have arisen since the creation of theGLOBAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS 2014