Malawi risks missing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target for universal access to safe water unless the government invests $218 million (about K416 billion) yearly to accelerate initiatives towards the UN goals.
Currently, the Malawi Government spends about half of the required investment on initiatives to increase access to clean water, according to WaterAid Malawi.
To date, Malawi Government and development partners have invested about K433.1 billion to increase access to clean water in regional projects running up to 2030.
However, given the required investment and the situation on the ground, stakeholders have cast doubt on whether the country can attain the UN SDG Six to increase access to safe water by 2030.
WaterAid Malawi, quoting United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) data and the World Bank, said Malawi needs an annual capital injection of $238 million up to 2030 if the targets are to be attained.
“Currently, less than $100 million [about K173.4 billion] is available annually,” said the organisation which is involved in building and repairing boreholes and piped water systems, among others.
In a 2025 study titled ‘Political economy analysis on Wash financing for public health and cholera control and prevention’, WaterAid Malawi established that significant political challenges also hinder progress.
The study showed that inadequate financial and human resources, political influence in allocation of Wash facilities presented severe implications to Malawi’s efforts of achieving SDG 6.
On the other hand, World Health Organisation and Unicef Joint Monitoring Programme data released in August 2025 put Malawi’s national coverage for safely managed drinking water at approximately 18 percent, the benchmark used to measure progress under SDG 6.
The data further show that between six and seven million people still lack even basic drinking water services.
Commenting on the developments, Water Services Association of Malawi executive director Vitumbiko Mkandawire yesterday said that while Malawi is yet to achieve universal access, the urban water utilities have made gradual progress in water quality, universal metering and improved revenue collection in some boards.
He said: “But major challenges remain, especially high non-revenue water, slow expansion of coverage, financial constraints in some boards, and rapid urbanisation. At the current pace, Malawi will need accelerated investment and efficiency improvements to meet SDG 6,
“The boards have implemented major projects [treatment plants, network upgrades] but the full benefits are held back by high non-revenue water, aging networks, stalled projects due to financing delays, and rising demand.”
Over the past decade, the country’s five water boards have been unveiling expansion plans.
In 2025, Central Region Water Board (CRWB) lined up 16 projects valued at $683 million (about K1.2 trillion), but previously said it had secured about 20 percent of the resources for the projects, which were part of their five-year strategic plan 2021-2026.
In 2020, Blantyre Water Board (BWB) unveiled a five-year strategic plan which targeted to increase water production and customer base by 2025 but water challenges still persist while Southern Regional Water Board (SRWB) in 2019 also launched a five-year project to upgrade and rehabilitate the Liwonde-Balaka Water Supply System.
Malawi Government received a loan of €90 million (about K181.7 billion) from the European Investment Bank, a grant of €25 million (about K50.4 billion) from ACP Trust Fund and a grant of €5 million (about K10 billion) from African Investment Trust Fund for the Water-Energy Framework Project.
Out of the financing, government allocated €47 million (about K94.9 billion) towards the implementation of the Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) Water Supply and Sanitation Services Improvement Project (NWSSIP) running until May 2030.
NRWB spokesperson Edward Nyirenda said in an interview yesterday that the project is expected to impact 936 656 beneficiaries by increasing access to sustainable and reliable potable water supply in Mzuzu, Ekwendeni, Mzimba, Rumphi, Nkhata Bay, Chintheche, Chilumba, Karonga, Songwe and Chitipa.
He said the scope, among others, includes installing hybrid solar photovoltaic systems with battery energy storage systems in Chitipa, Karonga, Chilumba, Rumphi, Mzimba, Nkhata Bay, Chintheche, Mzuzu and Songwe with a total generation capacity of 5 711.5 kilowatts (kW).
From the same funding, CRWB was allocated €33 million (K66.6 billion) for implementation of the CRWB Water Supply and Sanitation Services Improvement Project (CWSSIP).
CRWB public relations manager Zephelino Mitumba said in an interview yesterday that the project is targeted to impact 51 976 beneficiaries in Salima Town and a total of 278 136 beneficiaries across the region by June 2028.
On the other hand, BWB is implementing the Malawi Water and Sanitation Project-1 (MWSP- 1) running until 2029 with Malawi Government contributing $3.5 million (about K6 billion) and the International Development Association of the World Bank financing a $145 million (K251.4 billion) grant.
BWB project coordinator Peter Kadewere observed in a written response yesterday that Blantyre continues to face significant challenges, including intermittent water supply, high levels of non-revenue water, aging water transmission and distribution infrastructure, inadequate sewerage systems and poor solid waste management.
WaterAid Malawi shows that the country has been working towards access to water, sanitation and hygiene (Wash) for several years and yet progress towards SDG 6 has been slow.
Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development officials were not immediately available for comment on measures being put in place to address the funding gaps.
