Why are some innovations a success while others fail? Asian Development Bank (ADB) urban development specialists Hubert Jenny and Alexis Ngo looks at how to make innovation stick.

Innovation in the water sector mostly comes through technical breakthroughs, for example in water and wastewater treatment, water reuse and disinfection, or the use of rubber, plastic or polyethylene sheets instead of a concrete structure for water storage.

Recent years have also seen legal, institutional and financial changes. In 2005, the Asian Development Bank introduced a range of innovative financial products, while in 2007 Viet Nam passed legislation transforming water from a social good to a business commodity, opening up the entire sector to change.

An environment conducive to innovation in the water and sanitation sector is possible only with a real partnership between research, industry, operators and clients, where risk is properly identified, and shared and managed among all parties.

Contact: Hubert Jenny, email: jjenny@adb.org and Alexis Ngo, email: ango@adb.org

Source: ADB, Dec 2008

Tags: capacity development, financing, technology