UK-funded Water and Sanitation Programme closes after a decade of impact in Mozambique

Representatives of the UK and Mozambican governments gathered in Maputo today to mark the close of the T-WASH programme — one of the most ambitious water, sanitation and hygiene partnerships the UK has delivered on the African continent. The ceremony was attended by Mozambique’s Minister for Public Works, Fernando Rafael and UK Development Director Dominic Ashton, reflecting the depth of a partnership that has brought safe water to over 1.8 million people across rural Mozambique since 2009. Over 1.8 million people in rural Mozambique now have access to safe drinking water, as the UK marks the close of its decade-long Transforming Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (T-WASH) programme at a ceremony on 31 March 2026.

A further 3.3 million people have benefited from improved sanitation and hygiene conditions — the result of a $79,9 millions (5.4 billion meticais) UK investment in Mozambique’s rural water sector since 2009. Women and girls have benefited most significantly. Research carried out through the programme found that access to clean water improved women’s physical and emotional health, reduced the time spent collecting water, and improved girls’ school attendance in some communities.

Since 2018, the programme has supported a shift from small boreholes to larger, privately operated water systems. As the programme closes, the UK government and its partners will continue to support Mozambique’s rural water sector. The focus will shift towards mobilising climate finance and private investment, reducing dependence on traditional aid funding and securing the long-term sustainability of infrastructure already built.

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The UK Development Director in Mozambique, Dominic Ashton, said: “As this programme closes, we are shifting how we work our commitment to Mozambique’s water and sanitation sector, towards mobilising climate finance and private investment. Our partnership with the government of Mozambique has shown that sustainable access to water must ultimately be driven by strong local systems.” T-WASH reflects the UK government’s commitment to its plan for change, including breaking down barriers to opportunity and building resilient communities in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

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