The Equitable Access Score-card 2.0

The Protocol on Water and Health specifies that in pursuing the aims of access to drinking water and provision of sanitation for everyone, special consideration should be paid to ensure equitable access to these services for all members of the population. The Equitable Access Score-card 2.0 presented in this publication is an analytical self-assessment tool that assesses the ability of existing governance frameworks and measures to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation. It also evaluates public policies aimed at reducing geographical disparities, taking into account vulnerable and marginalized groups, and examines affordability concerns to ensure and equitable access to water and sanitation. The Equitable Access Score-card 2.0, developed in 2024, is an updated version of the original publication that integrates lessons learned during the application of the original tool in 12 countries over the past 10 years to better capture variabilities relevant to ensuring safe access to water and sanitation. Besides incorporating the tool, the publication contains recommendations on how to plan for the self-assessment and provides concrete examples of the benefits of using the Score-card in various settings. Parties to the Protocol, countries and other stakeholders are invited to use the Equitable Access Score-card to identify limitations and identify targeted action to bridge existing gaps in access to water and sanitation and thus to achieve the human rights to water and sanitation.