Water and Poverty Better water management can make a key contribution to poverty reduction. This is recognized in internationally agreed targets to halve the proportion of people without access to drinking water and improved sanitation by 2015. This will help remove the burden of disease and huge costs in time and for the urban poor, money that gaining access to water entails. But this is just part of the story. Improving the water security of poor people will help reduce poverty and support sustainable development in direct and material ways. Water is essential for the food security of the poor, not just for agriculture but also for trees and home gardens, for fish and other foods collected from aquatic ecosystems and for livestock. Water is an essential input into many livelihood activities, including manufacturing and services, and improved access to water for both urban and rural poor can create livelihood opportunities that can break the cycle of poverty. A more complete understanding of the relationship between water security and poverty reduction is needed to improve the management of water resources and the delivery of water services.