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Peru

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Peru

Peru's water and sanitation crisis

Out of its population of 34 million people, 17 million people (50% of the population) lack access to safe water and 14 million people (43%) lack access to a safe toilet. Access to safe water and sanitation has improved in Peru in recent years, yet significant shortfalls in both public infrastructure and household facilities remain.

Peru’s diverse landscape includes a rapidly expanding urban population, leading to urban slums which have limited or no access to safe piped water, impacting the health of the people living there. This is in addition to communities in the remote regions of the Amazon and Andes with no access to piped or treated drinking water or safe human waste disposal. Droughts and stress on aging infrastructure pose threats, as well.

Despite these challenges, the Peruvian microfinance market is among the most developed in the world. Water.org sees great potential in this market to increase access to water and sanitation through our smart solutions.

17 million lack access to safe water
Capital: Lima
Population of 34 million
14 million people lack access to a safe toilet

Our impact in Peru

Launched in 2013, Water.org’s programs in Peru prioritize regions that have a strong microfinance presence and high demand for water and sanitation improvements. Water.org’s financial partners have a strong presence nationwide, but especially in Lima, the northern coast and the southern highlands. Through WaterCredit, our partners are disbursing loans for indoor bathrooms, water and sewage connections, improved sanitary installations, and tanks for water collection and storage.

We currently work with financial institutions, a cooperative association, a federation representing municipal banks, and a microfinance association. Our partners have disbursed 1.7 million water and sanitation loans over the past few years, providing access to safe water or sanitation to 6.5 million people. And, thanks to new financial partners, we are increasingly present in the Andes, the jungle and rural areas, reaching, as always, the families living at the base of the economic pyramid that need access to safe water and sanitation at home.

6.5 million people now have access to safe water or sanitation in Peru.

Woman in Peru doing laundry in a red bucket with her child tied around her back.

A vision for future impact in Peru

Over the next several years, Water.org will prioritize increasing access to water and sanitation financing nationally through new and expanded partnerships with local financial institutions. We will scale our new partnerships with group lending institutions and support the growth of the gender-specific WSS lending products we are creating with them.

We are also launching pilots with partners to test out tailored lending products for medium and small/medium enterprises that participate in the local water and sanitation value chain.

We are helping financial institutions develop new products best suited for local demand, reaching more people faster in both urban and rural areas of Peru.

In addition, we will make connections between private water utilities and our partners, seeking to help them generate sustainable models to ensure families in need have access to the infrastructure and connectivity of these utilities.

  • Stories of Impact

    Nelly's heart

    Water is a smart investment. The best investment the world can make to reduce disease, increase income, keep kids in school, and change lives. Nelly believed this to be true, and now she knows it for a fact. Thanks to Water.org’s smart solution known as WaterCredit, the hardworking, loving, single mom who wanted to give her family safe water and a better life was able to do it.

    Read more
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  • Stories of Impact

    Empower families in Peru with safe water and toilets

    Together we've empowered millions of people in need of safe water and sanitation in Peru. Through small, affordable lives are being changed and futures are bright. Read more about how Water.org is working with local partners in Peru to bring families the water connections and toilets they need to live hopeful, healthy lives.

    Read more
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  • Stories of Impact

    She can move mountains

    Yolanda is a hopeful, determined woman. We know this because every day she works to provide water for her family. Her home sits above the city of Cusco in the Andes Mountain range at more than 2,000 feet from the center of town. Yolanda purchases buckets of water from residents in town. At least every other morning, she makes her way down the steep, rocky road from her house to buy as much water as she can carry back up the more than one mile vertical trek.

    Read more
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See all Peru stories

Peru impact statistics

People reached 6.5 million

The number of people who now have access to safe water or sanitation and the health and opportunity they bring.

Capital mobilized (USD) $1.9 billion

Our partners mobilize funds from capital markets to provide water and sanitation loans.

Loans disbursed 1.7 million

Our local partners make loans to people in need for life-changing safe water and sanitation solutions.

Number of active partners 6

We work with financial institutions, service providers, international agencies, and governments to make an impact.

Repayment rate 98%

Every repaid loan means another family in need can get affordable access to safe water at home.

Average loan size (USD) $1,112

Small loans can help make a big difference by providing long-term solutions for families in need around the world.

Percent of women borrowers 45%

Women are primarily responsible for household water collection and are solving the water crisis for their families.

Households living under $8.30/day 69%

We are committed to helping people living in poverty get access to safe water and sanitation solutions at home.

To help end the water crisis in Peru, donate today.

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