Clean, safe water isn’t just a health issue – it’s about education too

Billions will still be without safe water and sanitation even in 2030, writes Rob Hope

A resident collects drinking water from a communal municipal tap in Cape Town, South Africa (EPA)

Next week, Boris Johnson and Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta will co-host the Global Education Summit – an important opportunity to help shape education for children around the world.

There will rightly be an emphasis not just on education itself, but also on its wider benefits, from economic development to greater social equality.

I naturally applaud the ambition and I also recognise the scale of the challenges and potential impacts, having worked with colleagues in African and Asian universities for decades. The summit aims to achieve five-year pledges from the global community to help transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories.