Source Weekly 2009, 04

Published - 02 Apr 09

International

World Water Forum: water unites but forums divided

Three forums on water remained divided during the 5th World Water Forum. Civil society and other organisations boycotted the World Water Forum in two separate events, the Alternative Forum and the Counter Forum.

Population growth: global water crisis ‘to strike by 2030′

Growing world population will cause a “perfect storm” of food, energy and water shortages by 2030, the UK government chief scientist Prof. John Beddington has warned. Demand for fresh water will jump by 30% by 2030, as the population tops 8.3 billion.

Africa’s water crisis: a quarter of a billion dollars down the drain

An estimated US$ 215-360 million have been wasted on rural water projects in Africa, because donors, governments and nongovernmental organisations have built infrastructure but ignored the need to maintain it.

Ghana: World Bank invites civil society to monitor its water and sanitation projects

The World Bank will provide up to US$ 1.2 billion in interest-free loans to Ghana over the next three years, and has launched a landmark initiative that challenges civil society organizations to help deepen accountability by monitoring the implementation of Bank-funded projects in the country.

Senegal: private sector to operate all rural water supply systems

The Government of Senegal has decided to transfer the maintenance of all rural water systems to private operators before January 2010.

Middle East: USAID and IWA sign strategic partnership to advance water utilities

Access to clean drinking water and sanitation for the urban poor, water safety and quality management, leadership gaps and climate change are the focus of support to water utilities by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Water Association (IWA).

Palestine: 6.2 million dollar agreement signed to manage wastewater

The Government of Japan, in partnership with the Palestinian Water Authority and the UNDP/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People signed a US$ 6.2 million agreement to launch the cross boundary wastewater management project in the occupied Palestinian territory.

South East Asia and Pacific: report highlights need for improved sanitation and water

The Australian government welcomed a report that highlights the sanitation and water challenges facing developing countries in the South East Asia & Pacific region.

China: biggest ever water clean-up launched

The Chinese government has launched its biggest ever water clean-up project of more than 30 billion Chinese yuan (around 4.4 billion US dollars) over 12 years.

India, Haryana: no toilet, no wedding campaign having an impact

Women in Haryana, India, are fighting against insanitation by insisting that their daughter marry into a household with a toilet. The campaign is part of the government's objective of improving sanitation practices across the agriculture-dependent state.

Nepal: extra marks for students with a toilet at home

Many students of Dhikpur Village Development Committee (VDC) in Dang Deokhuri District, southwestern Nepal, get an additional 10 marks in their exams if they construct a toilet in their home. Local women and young people came up with the idea to make the village clean and the schools agreed.

Dominican Republic, Mexico: decentralisation of water services and water resources management

The Dominican Republic’s water and sanitation authority Inapa and the Spanish international cooperation agency for development (AECID) have launched a joint project to decentralise rural potable water and sanitation systems in San Juan province, the presidential office said in a release.

Nicaragua, Lake Managua: for 82 years the world’s biggest toilet

Nicaragua has started to clean up the huge source of water in this country, after dumping its untreated wastewater into Lake Managua for more than 80 years.

Peru: Congress approves water law

Peruvian legislators approved the country’s new water law after eight years of debate, congress reported in a release. Under the new law, water is guaranteed as a human right and cannot be bought and used as private property.

Bindeshwar Pathak: Indian sanitation innovator & social reformer awarded 2009 Stockholm Water Prize

The 2009 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate is Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh Sanitation Movement in India.

Gatze Lettinga: Singapore prize for Dutch water scientist

This year's winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is Professor Gatze Lettinga from The Netherlands for his Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor (UASB) technology.

Dr. Fadia Daibes Murad: Palestinian water law and policy expert dies in car crash

Palestinian water law and policy expert, Dr. Fadia Daibes Murad, has died in a car crash on her way back from the Water Forum in Istanbul to Ramallah.

Professor of Water Supply Engineering m/f (1.0 FTE), Unesco-IHE, The Netherlands

Unesco-IHE, Department of Urban Water and Sanitation, Water Supply Engineering (WSE) core, is looking for a Professor of Water Supply Engineering to give overall academic leadership to the WSE core in its international education, research and capacity building activities.

Apply before Sunday 03 May 2009

(Senior) Lecturer in Sanitary / Wastewater Engineering m/f (1.0 FTE), Unesco-IHE, The Netherlands

UNESCO-IHE, Department of Urban Water and Sanitation, is looking for a (senior) lecturer Sanitary / Wastewater Engineering in the MSc Programme in Municipal Water and Infrastructure

Apply before Sunday 19 April 2009

(Senior) Lecturer in Water Supply Engineering m/f (1.0 FTE), Unesco-IHE, The Netherlands

UNESCO-IHE, Department of Urban Water and Sanitation, is looking for a (senior) lecturer in Water Supply Engineering in the MSc Programme in Municipal Water and Infrastructure

Apply before Sunday 19 April 2009

Technical Officer (Networking & Knowledge Mgt), WSSCC, Switzerland

The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is looking for someone with some practical and conceptual understanding of the key issues in the water and sanitation sector.

Apply before Saturday 04 April 2009

Strengthening Transparency, Integrity and Accountability: Preventing Corruption in Water

The Hague, The Netherlands, 21-23 September 2009

Participants attending the course will be able to plan anti-corruption initiatives in the water sector on the basis of the latest available research and evidence. They will be equipped with tools to use to understand the complexity of corruption in the sector, and tools and approaches to take positive, prevention-focused actions to improve systems of integrity and accountability.

Hygiene behaviour: an eleven country review of handwashing with soap

Handwashing with soap (HWWS) may be one of the most cost-effective means of preventing infection in developing countries. However, a recent study from 11 countries found that on average, only 17% of child caretakers wash hands with soap after the toilet.

Transparency: the policy implications of accountability in municipal service delivery in Sudan

A recent paper from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlights the importance of issues of local government accountability to citizens, analyses how changes in accountability mechanisms have been accomplished in a specific case, and examines the policy implications.

Transparency: public accountability through “Citizens’ Voice” initiative, Cape Town, South Africa

The “Raising Citizens’ Voice in the Regulation of Water Services” is a public education initiative driven by the National Regulator (currently within the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry [DWAF]).

Greywater reuse: household kit developed for Middle East

A kit designed to treat household wastewater for reuse has been developed for rural areas in the Middle East and North Africa by the Regional Water Demand Initiative of IDRC. The cost of the kit can be recovered within a year if productive use of the treated wastewater and cost savings in cesspit evacuation are taken into account.

Financial crisis: a blessing in disguise for the Latin American water sector?

Investing in infrastructure is one of the measures repeatedly mentioned to combat the global financial crisis. In Latin America, Peru and Colombia are examples of countries that are investing in the water sector as part of their anti-crisis plans.

Soft loans: Sweden introduces new scheme, Norway closes its scheme down

As Sweden launches a new untied mixed credit scheme for project financing, Norway is closing down its troubled scheme.

Microcredit: Sierra Leone youth group gets loan to run public shower

Youth cooperative, the Water Sie Boys, received US$ 9,000 to run a public shower for slum-dwellers in Freetown.

Infrastructure fund: Japan announces green loan fund for crisis-hit developing countries

Japan has announced a US$ 5 billion loan fund to help developing countries hit by the global credit crisis to put in place running water, solar power systems and other environmental infrastructure.

Assessing microfinance for water and sanitation : exploring opportunities for sustainable scaling up

This study examines the potential market for expanding small-scale banking and credit services to the poor, enabling them to pay for sustainable water and sanitation.

Toilet technology flipbook

The low cost toilet technology flipbook assists to find out about the advantages and disadvantages of a range of latrine technologies

Smart finance solutions: examples of innovative financial mechanisms for water and sanitation

This booklet gives examples of how different financial mechanisms are being used to finance water, sanitation projects and small local businesses that contribute to reaching MDG-7.

Financing mechanisms for peri-urban, small towns and rural water supply

The objective of this paper is to assess experiences and current trends in sector financing and to review and assess different options for and provide recommendations on specific financing and subsidy mechanisms to be used by Danida in the delivery of water supply infrastructure in peri-urban areas, small towns and rural areas.

Managing water for all : an OECD perspective on pricing and financing

This report is a summary of the results of OECD work in water resources management (WRM) and water service provision.

Lessons from Karachi: advocacy for improved urban sanitation and water services

This study was conducted as part of the project, ‘Improving urban water and sanitation provision globally, through information and action driven locally’. The aim of this study report is to highlight the importance of mapping and documentation, for effective relationship building and advocacy.

Akvopedia Sanitation Portal updated

Akvopedia, the open water and sanitation resource of Akvo.org, has updated its Sanitation Portal with over 50 technologies. This portal describes sanitation technologies which can be applied from the household level to the village level.

WASH Google groups: Sanitation & Hygiene, Communication, Sector Learning

The IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre has opened up three of its Google groups to other WASH sector professionals.

Water Loss 2009

Cape Town, South Africa, 26-30 April 2009

The aim of the conference is to present and discuss the latest developments, strategies, techniques and applications of international best practices in water loss assessment, management, leakage reduction and control, and improvement of customer metering.