2009 WaterLinks Forum
In 2009, WaterLinks held its first annual forum, which invited water and wastewater utilities, water associations and networks, and international donor agencies to raise awareness and generate interest in the WaterLinks programme. The Forum aimed to achieve the following objectives through a series of plenary sessions and small group discussions over the course of the two-day event:
• Promote benefi ts of utility partnerships
• Examine key elements and pre-requisites for effective utility partnerships
• Attract more utilities and donors to participate in WaterLinks
More than 160 Asian water and wastewater operators, associations and international development organizations joined the first WaterLinks forum on September 28-30, 2009, in Bangkok on “Promoting Effective Water Operator Partnerships in Asia”. Organized by USAID, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the International Water Association (IWA), the meeting highlighted the benefits of partnerships, identified potential new partnerships, and showcased capacity-building efforts. In addition, ten leading Asian water operators shared their best practices at an innovations fair. WaterLinks also hosted an interactive program with 58 sessions for utilities to exchange information in establishing potential new “twinning” partnerships. Representatives from UN-Habitat, WHO, World Bank, JICA, and AFD also joined the program to explore opportunities for collaborative engagement with WaterLinks. WaterLinks is a joint initiative of USAID, IWA and ADB.
Three pairs of water operators signed letters of intent to initiate new partnerships which will improve or expand water and sanitation services to people in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The Korean Water Resources Corporation signed a partnership with Thailand’s Provincial Waterworks Authority and dispatched three experts to audit water quality management practices in the municipality of Khon Kaen in Northeast Thailand. Manila Water of the Philippines will cooperate with Surabaya, Indonesia to expand services to low-income urban residents. IWK of Malaysia will be working with Davao Water District from the Philippines on improved septage management. USAID will facilitate all three partnerships through its Environmental Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia) program.
During the Forum, Thailand’s Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) presented Mrs. Saowanee Khuntong of Betong Waterworks in Yala Province an award for exemplary service in managing the waterworks. PWA recognized Mrs. Khuntong for her 30 years of service including her leadership in the search for new water sources to meet the needs of a growing urban population. With PWA, USAID’s Environmental Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia) program conducted a “gender scan” of PWA to identify the policies that have successfully elevated women to key leadership positions and to identify an inspirational role model.
For more information, proceed to the 2009 WaterLinks Forum Web site