WaterLinks Annual Forum Held in Kuala Lumpur
1 Dec 2011On November 22, 2011, more than 60 water services providers, practitioners, and development agencies convened at the 3rd Annual WaterLinks Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to share information and experience on new directions in water operators partnerships.
2011 WaterLinks Award Presented
1 Dec 2011On November 22, 2011, WaterLinks presented the 2011 Awards to two partnerships that achieved outstanding results in enabling improved access to water services and scaling-up of good practices. The Provincial Waterworks Authority of Thailand and the Korea Water Resources Corporation received the award for enhancing water quality management practices and in Khon Khaen, Thailand, resulting in more than 100,000 people with safer access to water services.
WaterLinks Established as Independent Non-Profit in the Philippines
25 Nov 2011Established in 2008 as an informal network with assistance from USAID, WaterLinks has been incorporated in the Philippines as non-profit organization dedicated to promoting access to clean water and safe sanitation in Asia through twinning partnerships and regional knowledge sharing. On November 23, 2011, the Board of Trustees of WaterLinks met for the first time in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to discuss expanded operations and continued growth of the network.
Replicating Good Water Quality Management Practices in the Philippines
25 Nov 2011On November 23-25, 2011, the San Jose Del Monte Water District, and its partner the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water), organized a 2-day workshop with USAID Environmental Cooperation – Asia (ECO-Asia) support through WaterLinks to promote the replication of good surface water quality management practices in San Jose del Monte. 13 Philippine water districts that utilized raw surface water source learned practical innovations implemented by the San Jose del Monte Water District to improve water treatment and water quality sampling operations.
WaterLinks to Assess Readiness of Urban Water Utilities in Asia to Adapt to Climate Change Impacts
25 Nov 2011Through WaterLinks, USAID launched a new initiative to assess the readiness of water and wastewater service providers in Asia in responding to the impacts of climate change. On November 24-25, 2011, 13 water services providers from across Asia met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to initiate a joint effort to identify climate-change related risks to their operations, and potential actions for reducing risks. Water services providers from Singapore and Western Australia also presented practical innovations for addressing climate change impacts.
Taiwan Assists Philippines to Expand Wastewater Treatment
16 Sep 2011On September 8-10, 2011, USAID facilitated a 3-day training and consultative workshop in Calauan, Philippines to replicate the application of natural wastewater systems around Laguna Lake. The expansion plans originated from the practical innovations developed by the Calamba Water District (CWD) and the municipalities of Angono and Lucban with technical support by the Taiwan Chia Nan University (CNU) through a water operator partnership (WOP) facilitated by ECO-Asia under the WaterLinks network.
WaterLinks Promote Water Operator Partnerships in Stockholm.
26 Aug 2011On August 23, 2011, during the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) “Eye on Asia” session as part of the Stockholm World Water Week, USAID’s Environmental Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia) Water and Sanitation program presented ongoing activities on water operator partnerships (WOPs) under WaterLinks. The presentation highlighted WOP activities and results funded by USAID and ADB to date, and the transition of WaterLinks as a network into an independent organization. With more than one hundred attendees, the session generated greater awareness of WOPs as a tool for capacity building.
Malaysia’s Wastewater Operator Shares Practical O&M Tips with Peers from Indonesia and Philipines
29 Jul 2011In the 3-day technical visit and training from July 26 to 28, 2011, 13 staff from two wastewater operators in Indonesia and five in the Philippines gained vital knowledge and practical skills in operating and maintaining septage treatment plants and desludging fleets from Malaysia’s Indah Water Konsortium (IWK). The exchange entailed site visits to IWK’s facilities and desludging fleets in Kuala Lumpur and Malacca, hands-on training, and discussions. Participants learned treatment plant operations, subcontractor management, and short-/long-term O&M strategy development.
USAID Promotes Safe Water Provision in Asia
8 Jul 2011On July 5 and 6, 2011, USAID through its Environmental Cooperation – Asia (ECO-Asia) program participated in the launching and first partners’ meeting of the Asia-Pacific Water Safety Plan Network initiated by World Health Organization and the International Water Association at the Singapore International Water Week 2011. As a founding partner of the network, USAID through ECO-Asia contributed to the overall network establishment, its objectives and strategic functions.
Palm Beach County and Manila Water Operators Initiate Twinning Partnership on Climate Change Adaptation
3 Jun 2011From May 31-June 3, 2011, the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department and Manila Water Company, Inc. and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. initiated a new twinning partnership to introduce analytical tools for conducting climate change adaptation assessments for the Manila water supply service systems. The U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is also providing technical assistance in related to integrating climate change adaptation analysis into water resource planning, and helping to evaluate climate risk factors.
