India Pledges USD 700,000 To Promote Clean Water And Community Development In Tuvalu

New York, USA, 6th August 2023: India has pledged generous funding of USD 700,000 from its UN Development Partnership (UNDP) funds to back clean water initiatives and community development in Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation. The main focus of this support is on constructing a concrete water cistern at Tuvalu’s only public school, with a substantial capacity of 760 m3, to provide clean water to students, teachers, and school staff. This endeavour is expected to promote hygiene and reduce water-borne diseases in the school community.

The commitment was announced by Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who emphasized the strengthening of ties with Pacific island nations and India’s role as a dependable development partner. The decision to allocate these funds was in line with the “Sagar Amrut Scholarship” scheme for Pacific Island countries, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation Summit in May 2023. Additionally, the 12-point action plan unveiled during the summit aimed to address health, wellness, and community development sectors, aligning with the priorities of the Pacific island countries.

The water cistern project in Tuvalu aligns with India’s commitment to high-impact community development projects in areas identified by the Pacific countries. Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj expressed India’s philosophy of viewing the world as one family and reaffirmed India’s engagement with the Pacific island countries on matters of common concern, including climate change, sustainable development, capacity building, training, health, well-being, infrastructure, and economic development. She emphasized that this project, along with many others, represents India’s efforts to work collaboratively with fellow developing countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The India-UN Development Partnership Fund, established by the Indian government in June 2017, provides support to projects in developing countries that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Fund functions by the principles of South-South cooperation, emphasizing national ownership and leadership, equality, sustainability, local capacity development, and mutual benefit. The Indian government has committed USD 150 million over the next decade for the Fund, and to date, it has supported 75 development projects across 56 countries.