‘Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024’ provides a special focus on inequalities and finds that, while there has been progress over the past decade, billions of people still lack access to WASH services creating health risks and greater social exclusion.

The report finds that people living in low-income countries, fragile contexts, rural communities, children, and minority ethnic and indigenous groups face the greatest disparities.

Key findings include that:

• Despite gains since 2015, 1 in 4 (1 billion people globally) still lack access to safely managed drinking water, including 106 million who drink directly from untreated surface sources.
• 4 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation, including 354 million who practice open defaecation.
• 7 billion people still lack basic hygiene services at home, including 611 million without access to any facilities.
• People in least developed countries are more than twice as likely as people in other countries to lack basic drinking water and sanitation services and are more than three times as likely to lack basic hygiene.
• In fragile countries safely managed drinking water coverage is 38% lower than in other countries.
• While there have been improvements for people living in rural areas, there is still a gap in service delivery. Safely managed drinking water coverage rose from 50% to 60% between 2015 and 2024, with basic hygiene rising from 52% to 71%. Meanwhile, drinking water and hygiene coverage in urban areas has stagnated.
• Data from 70 countries shows that while most women and adolescent girls have menstrual materials and a private place to change, many lack sufficient materials to change as often as needed.
• Adolescent girls aged 15-19 are less likely than adult women to participate in activities during menstruation.
• In most countries with available data, women and girls are primarily responsible for water collection, with many in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia spending more than 30 minutes per day collecting water.
• As we approach the last five years of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline, achieving the 2030 targets for ending open defaecation and universal access to WASH services will require acceleration, while universal coverage of safely managed services appears increasingly out of reach.

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‘Inspiring’, ‘exciting’, ‘enhancing’ and ‘enlightening’ – these were some of the words used by the first cohort of IWA’s LeaP Leadership Programme for Young Water Professionals (YWPs) about their immersive retreat in the stunning Malaysian state of Sabah, in the northern part of the island of Borneo, on 19-22 November 2024.

The retreat is the centrepiece of this new programme, which will culminate in attendance at the 2026 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. The group gathered in Sabah comprised: Bénigne Ishimwe Mugwaneza, Rwanda; Chotiwat (CJ) Jantarakasem, Thailand; Federick Pinongcos, USA; Igor Luketina, Austria; Laurence Strubbe, Switzerland; Linda Li, Canada; Matthew MacRorie, UK; Natalie Páez-Curtidor, Colombia; Oscar Timothy Balongo, Tanzania; Shivon Mehta, India; Yaw Abrampah, Ghana; and Yumeng Zhao, China. 

The retreat provided space in a rich environment for this diverse group of YWPs to stretch themselves, collaborate, share experiences, and challenge themselves and their ideas. With a location famed for its mountains, beaches, rainforest, coral reefs and abundant wildlife, much of which can be found in its parks and reserves, this was a retreat that fed the senses and called on the YWPs to adapt to an environment outside of their comfort zones.

Elevating the most talented

LeaP encourages a cohort of 12 exceptional YWPs to embark on a transformative journey to professional empowerment, helping them each to realise their full potential and expand their horizons. 

The programme provides successful candidates from diverse backgrounds and regions with the opportunity to forge robust professional networks and enhance their leadership skills over a 12-month period, through an immersive programme that provides a springboard for their careers and, with it, their personal and professional development. What makes this programme unique is that it’s not just about learning – it is about living the experience and empowering the individual to effect meaningful change. Fuelled by curiosity and courage, participants are advised to prepare to be challenged, rewarded and empowered as they elevate their strategic vision and leadership capabilities.

IWA is investing in the leaders of tomorrow

Supported by the Emerging Water Leaders Endowment Fund, the LeaP programme aims to nurture the leadership of high-potential YWPs by: 

• Transforming their leadership – empowering them to think and act globally 
• Building their confidence to inspire and influence others – accelerating their impact at a local, societal and global level 
• Providing the opportunity for them to learn how to adapt and thrive in ambiguous, complex and fast-changing environments
• Strengthening their foundations for future success by overcoming personal or professional barriers
• Raising their impact and visibility within IWA, with the potential to take on leadership roles in the Association over the coming years.

Providing structured learning, the programme consists of: a four-day retreat; four hours a month of preparation and project time; five hours a month in virtual learning, coaching or project team meetings; a virtual workshop in September 2025; and attendance at the 2026 WWCE.

Marking an important step in advancing IWA’s vision to build a deeply committed and connected group of future leaders, this innovative programme aims to accelerate the professional development and growth of the participating YWPs, promising to: 

• Stretch participants’ leadership skills, while helping to build a diverse group of Alumni IWA leaders, connected and engaged with IWA
• Combine inspirational thinking from specialist speakers and leadership experts, by providing deep personal learning through targeted topics, a powerful strengths diagnostic tool, and self-managed projects aided by challenge and support from facilitators, coaches and peers
• Encourage diversity of thought, perspectives, cultures and backgrounds to ensure that the richness of the group’s global and diverse experience is maximised.

This rich and aspirational programme is led by a Programme Committee made up of key IWA members, who will contribute to the programme by getting involved in the community sessions, working as project guides, and providing advice on the delivery of the programme.

Immersive retreat

The LeaP retreat in Sabah was a powerful four-day experience that combined radical self-inquiry, practical skills, shared learning, and meaningful conversations. Held at an eco-literacy campus set in 34 acres of natural beauty, the location featured a guest house providing communal living and powered by solar energy, and using rainwater harvested from its rooftops.

This unique retreat was relaxed and informal. Standing apart from more traditional IWA events, it provided a safe environment to explore ideas and support rich learning. A key focus of the event was on aligning ‘who you are’ with ‘how you lead’ while fostering space for growth and connection.

This began with participants reflecting on the profound notion that ‘change begins within ourselves’. These reflections culminated in setting clear intentions for the next 12 months of the programme. Participants explored pathways for personal and collective transformation, using tools such as the Logical Levels of Change (LLOC), a powerful framework for examining human experiences, and the Situation-Behaviour-Impact-Action (SBIA) Feedback Model.

Community-led engagement

On day two of the retreat, participants spent the day with leaders of the villages of Kg Kolosunan, Kg Babagon Toki and Kg Tampasak – three communities profoundly impacted by the construction of the Babagon Dam in the 1990s. 

The YWPs heard first hand how the dam submerged entire homes, displaced families and disrupted livelihoods. While the Babagon Dam now provides 57% of the state capital Kota Kinabalu’s clean water, these communities remain excluded from its supply, relying instead on traditional gravity-fed water systems.

However, this is also a story of resilience. These communities are now at the heart of Forever Sabah’s Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) pilot project, which champions the protection of the Babagon Watershed and the creation of a Babagon Catchment Water Fund. This initiative aims to compensate the communities for their environmental stewardship while fostering sustainable socioeconomic development.

This led to a workshop where the YWPs collaborated, constructing 3D models of communities in three different geographical realities, based on reflections and discussions around the following important questions: Who was missing from the picture, and is this a sustainable reality, or do things need to change? The exercise sparked deep discussions about inclusivity, equity, and the importance of holistic approaches to water management.

The day was filled with powerful conversations, emotional reflections, and inspiring stories of hope. It reminded all of the participants that water is about more than infrastructure – it’s about people, partnerships, and creating a future that leaves no one behind.

Reflecting on these activities, a key takeaway that resonated throughout the group was that leadership is about people. It’s about listening to their concerns, fostering resilient communities, and tackling challenges with an open mind.

The participants also explored what these insights mean for IWA YWPs and the broader IWA network, and joined in their commitment to raising awareness, sharing their learnings, and fostering change. The concept of the ‘Window of Tolerance’ sparked meaningful discussions. When challenges arise, many of us tend to panic or shut down. Mastering the ability to function within this ‘window’ is crucial for approaching difficult situations with clarity and balance.

The final day of the retreat marked the beginning of an exciting year ahead as participants embarked on collaborative projects designed to address critical water challenges and strengthen their leadership journey. The participants selected the following three themes on which to focus their projects:

• Pollution and Contamination Control
• Circular Economy in the Water Sector
• Achieving SDG 6.1 and SDG 6.2.

So, what’s next?

Over the course of the programme, participants will tap into the power of the IWA network, supported by the Programme Committee and project coaches, to make a tangible impact in the water sector.

Key features of the programme include:

• Coaching sessions enabling participants to discuss their strengths with experienced coaches and explore how these can propel their leadership journey
• Masterclasses focused on essential leadership topics, such as influencing with impact and leading in uncertain environments
• IWA Communities Insights sessions providing opportunities for engaging discussions with influential IWA members shaping both the Association and the water sector
• Mentoring sessions offering participants the chance to interact with mentors from within the IWA community, gaining valuable guidance and insights

Influencing with Impact Programme

On 16 January 2025, participants attended the first masterclass of the Influencing with Impact Programme. Expertly moderated by Sally Domingo-Jones and Henri Stevenson, from The Oxford Group, the session equipped LeaP’s YWPs with essential skills to master the art of influence.

The session began with an inspiring update from the first cohort, who reflected on their journeys since the retreat in Borneo. Building on their experiences, the discussion delved into the following key objectives:

• Identifying who and what they need to influence
• Recognising stakeholder personality preferences and needs
• Adapting their influencing style – one size does not fit all
• Developing soft skills to engage stakeholders effectively
• Applying these insights to real-world scenarios.

Participants also engaged in breakout discussions, exploring challenges to effective influencing and strategies for adapting their approach based on stakeholder personalities and their own strengths.

The ball is rolling!

Empowering the next generation of water leaders is at the heart of IWA’s mission, and this masterclass was a step towards shaping confident and impactful professionals. We wish them good luck and we look forward to seeing the development of this exciting new programme! 

More information

iwa-network.org/iwa-leap-leadership-programme

Emerging Water Leaders Endowment Fund

Announced at IWA’s World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2022, the Emerging Water Leaders Endowment Fund was launched with a generous donation of $1 million by former IWA President Glen Daigger and his wife, Patty. As an endowment, the fund aims to create a lasting legacy dedicated to supporting activities that bring about meaningful change in the lives of Young Water Professionals (YWPs).

The endowment fund has been invested, and the returns are being used in IWA’s new LeaP Leadership Programme. Officially started in November 2024, LeaP is supporting high-achieving YWPs – providing mentoring and leadership training – helping them to build their professional networks within the global water community. 

LeaP empowers YWPs to realise their full potential and make a greater impact on vital water issues. Through the programme, participants gain a strong foundation in leadership and management skills, which promises to help fast-track their professional development and benefit the water sector through their diverse experience and knowledge – gaining a breadth of expertise that will be critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Develop Goals (SDGs).

While LeaP is already transforming the careers of 12 YWPs from diverse backgrounds, it is critical that the endowment fund continues to thrive and grow. The fund provides an outstanding opportunity to invest in a sustainable, equitable and resilient water future. 

IWA is calling on everyone who can to consider making a donation. Whether your gift is large or small, your donation will be used to support IWA’s vision of creating a network of exceptional water professionals striving for a world in which water is wisely, sustainably and equitably managed. If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please see the IWA website www.iwa-network.org

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The initiative has already set up five operational ‘Rain Schools’ in the Mekong River region, aided by financial support from the Mekong-Korea Cooperation Fund (MKCF) and supported by the Mekong Institute (MI), creating a number of educational hubs to provide water management training and resources.
The Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), in collaboration with South Korea and Seoul National University (SNU).

Rain Schools focus on the construction of rainwater storage facilities and filtration systems in schools, enabling student access to clean water and promoting student education in effective rainwater management.

The first Rain School to be established in Southeast Asia was located at the Nguyen Binh Khiem School in Ha Long City, Vietnam, in 2022. The rainwater collection system installed there consists of a single storage tank incorporating a special film that treats the water as it flows down from the roof. The system also incorporates multiple treatment stages that avoids the failure of the whole system if failure of one stage should occur. There are now Rain Schools operating in Cambodia, South Korea and Vietnam.

The Cambodian Rain School Initiative also aims to establish community-based rainwater harvesting systems, sharing relevant knowledge with Korea by establishing a water management network with SNU.
MoEYS, RAC and SNU are seeking support from the United Nations (UN) with the aim of extending the initiative across 1,000 primary schools across Cambodia. This will be a careful step-by-step process, implemented in phases with MoEYS prioritising public primary schools as these schools are particularly vulnerable to drought. Cambodia is also discussing potential partnerships with international organisations such as the UN, WHO and UNICEF, focused on training.

The innovative Rainwater for Drinking (RFD) systems installed at Rain Schools are based on a deep understanding of the value of rainwater, reflecting local and historical cultural traditions. Each RFD provides 500 litres of safe drinking water per day, providing enough purified drinking water to meet demand at schools all year round.

The initiative is endorsed by the UN Water Action Agenda, promoting awareness and collaboration across the region by engaging students in addressing global water challenges through educational activities. The initiative also aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the water-related targets of UN SDG 6.1.

Global Rain School activities were the subject of a presentation delivered to a side event at the UN Water Conference, attended by students from a number of countries and bringing together stakeholders to discuss the pivotal role of rainwater management and explore potential strategies for future broader implementation. An article in The Source helped to introduce the schools to water professionals resulting in a Rain School Camp taking place in South Korea.

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What are the key challenges for capacity building in the sanitation sector for amplifying/mainstreaming or institutionalising the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) framework and principles?

Osward M Chanda, IUS Advisory Board member

To empower relevant stakeholders and organisations in general – and onsite sanitation in particular – advocacy and awareness campaigns should be the starting point for decision-makers to understand and prioritise onsite sanitation systems in addition to conventional sewerage systems.

Service providers do not consider non-sewered systems as part of their scope of responsibilities. New sanitation approaches, including non-sewered sanitation, and non-conventional approaches to sewerage services will require a change of mindset. Thus, there is a need to prioritise capacity enhancement around CWIS frameworks and principles for all sanitation professionals.

There are insufficient financial resources and incentives to undertake capacity building activities at local level. There is the need for a sustainable sanitation financing framework with specific allocation towards capacity building activities, and work must be undertaken to address the unclear legal and regulatory environment to improve action on capacity building.

Stakeholder coordination for mainstreaming CWIS principles is critical for the institutionalisation of CWIS principles among communities, community-based organisations, local authorities, service providers/utilities, funders and line ministries.

As little attention is paid to the poor and the most vulnerable in society – those who stand to benefit more from the CWIS framework and principles – for CWIS to be successful there is the need for advocacy and capacity building, so the people who stand to benefit the most are carried along in the mainstreaming process.

Engagement through mobilisation, sensitisation and advocacy (as part of capacity building activities with communities, including social and gender mainstreaming) would enable the CWIS framework to be better tailored to offer solutions that address the distinct requirements of communities.

Finally, data collection remains a challenge. Data is essential to drive the process of institutionalising CWIS, as the sanitation sector traditionally has lacked the technical capabilities and proper tools needed to gather, manage and analyse sanitation data across the sanitation value chain.

There is a need for robust data collection and management systems to provide a basis for evidence based policy decision-making, and ensuring that these data systems can inform and monitor city-level, sector and national progress of CWIS.

Annabell Waititu, IWA IUS Task Force member and Vice President of Programmes at Big Five Africa

CWIS is a significantly new shift from the traditional model of sanitation. In the past, everybody looked on sanitation as the responsibility of the household. Because of this, policies are inadequate to support institutions adopting CWIS. So, we need to be thinking where we should begin.

In terms of capacity building, it is very important for us to ask ourselves who needs what training and what policies are available. For example, in Kenya the regulator was only focused on water services, but now they must regulate sanitation as well – yet they don’t have standards for sanitation, and it is difficult for these to be decided upon. Regulation is difficult if the standards are not there, and it is unclear what the rules are for different organisations. Things are very unclear, and policies are needed to guide decision-makers.

Service providers such as the water utilities in Kenya were not dealing with civil sanitation previously, so we need to look at the kind of staffing and the skills we have – expertise in non-sewered sanitation for example. It will take time to come up with good policies that will address all the issues and all the interests of the individuals concerned, as well as introducing the different kinds of technologies that should be working to improve sanitation for communities. Water service providers have engineers who can deal with civil engineering, but they don’t have expertise in CWIS.

Please could you provide an example of success that would be valuable to others in the sector.

Chanda says:

Incorporating the CWIS approach in infrastructure planning has not only proven to be efficient, but has also provided a range of solutions/models that have shown a lot of positive impacts.

In Kenya, during feasibility studies for four water supply and sewerage projects, the approach led to the scaling up of CWIS integration in most programmes implemented by other water and sanitation development agencies.

The CWIS SAP tool for investment decision-making led to modelling of different investment scenarios, such as use of sewer only, mixed use (sewer and non-sewered sanitation) and onsite sanitation, to determine the best investment option.

The implementing agencies gained from additional data collected on the number and type of containment, transport and treatment systems, which informed decision-making. They then came up with service delivery mechanisms and different business models to incentivise the private sector and ensure there are options for revenue generation for the utility. Those agencies used the improved terms of reference that incorporate CWIS activities and qualified CWIS personnel in their new consultancy assignments.

In Zambia, the Lusaka sanitation programme has carried out a successful city-wide capacity building intervention, involving all actors and laying the foundations for understanding the city’s sanitation challenges, inculcating and equipping them with the essential knowledge framework and resources to plan, execute and oversee the CWIS approach as part of their day-to-day mandate.

The actors are the Lusaka City Council, Ministry of Health, and Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSSC). As part of capacity building initiatives, the project supported and operationalised the LWSSC sanitation monitoring system. This is fully integrated with other software systems of the Lusaka City Council and the Ministry of Health, enabling data aggregation, reducing duplication, and enabling actors to implement and manage their various programmes and projects in the sanitation sector. It also provides them with analytical tools to analyse and improve decision-making. At the strategic level, it enables government, through the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, to transparently see the performance of the sanitation sector.

Waititu says:

We have had quite a bit of success in Nairobi,because we have seen a few projects that are really addressing the issue of non-sewered sanitation, looking at the entire value chain and making sure that the construction of sanitation facilities is appropriate. These projects have worked with local communities to ensure that sewage is captured and contained. They have also provided education on the importance of appropriate containment. This environment has helped develop partnerships and improve opportunities for investment.

Attention is being given to the safe transportation of sewage for treatment. The waste is then treated and turned into fuel, with products produced for industrial and household use.

There is also work being done to professionalise manual sanitation work, providing better training, uniforms, PPE and other equipment, accompanied by education for communities about what is suitable to be disposed of in sanitation facilities, which has helped sanitation workers do their work more efficiently. This has made a huge difference. Manual sanitation workers are now professional and respected, and they are supporting the whole process of sanitation in informal settlements in urban areas. l

More information

iwa-network.org/projects/inclusive-sanitation

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Urban sanitation has come a long way since the turn of the century, with Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) providing a much-needed impetus since 2016. The CWIS approach incorporated various developments around equitable and sustainable service delivery, and redefined sanitation as a comprehensive service considering the entire service chain, embracing both sewered and non-sewered technologies. For water professionals, CWIS represents a crucial shift in how we approach urban sanitation, moving beyond a conventional infrastructure focused approach to welcome innovative service models.

CWIS is an approach built on the foundations of the Human Right to Sanitation that was ratified in 2012, and the sanitation related targets that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) introduced in 2016. CWIS emphasised that an enabling environment for sanitation – including policy, institutions and accountability, inclusive and equitable planning, financing, and capacities – were essential for any technological intervention to deliver results sustainably.

State of the art of CWIS

Since its inception, CWIS has evolved through various research and implementation experiences. From more than 75 scientific articles and practitioner-targeted reports that were labelled as CWIS – and that directly used the concept – an IWA paper discussing its ‘state of the art’ was published recently.

In this paper, four conceptual frameworks on CWIS are identified, which were developed by the Asian Development Bank, Eawag, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Bank respectively. There is considerable overlap and commonality between these frameworks. They do not explicitly contradict each other, but rather simply attach different importance to the various aspects of the concept.

Conceptual priorities

Most of CWIS publications reviewed covered institutions, regulations and planning, while technologies and public health have been given less coverage. This is not to claim that CWIS sees the latter as less important, but simply that the latter have had major coverage in conventional urban sanitation literature, and CWIS literature seems to have given more balance to the ‘software’ aspects of urban sanitation.

Despite the significant quantum of knowledge products related to CWIS, there is a lack of practical guidance on adopting the CWIS approach to effect holistic change. IWA’s Inclusive Urban Sanitation Stories have curated a valuable collection of examples that have demonstrated the CWIS approach through various policies and practices in low- and middle-income contexts.

Emerging issues that are highly relevant for urban sanitation, including climate resilience, integration with urban development, and sanitation worker safety, have been missed from much of the sanitation literature. The spirit of CWIS will keep evolving and, in time, incorporate new evidence, and so produce new concepts.

World Water Congress & Exhibition 2024

IWA’s World Water Congress & Exhibition in Toronto, Canada, served as an excellent platform for discussion. This was apparent from the increased prominence of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and particularly sanitation, in the conference agenda.

During the event, several useful formal and informal discussions related to CWIS took place. One important thread that emerged was during a technical session that showed a combination of technologies at different scales could co-exist in the same city and be optimised to achieve multiple goals. For example, a city could have a mix of centralised and decentralised sewer-based systems, varied types of on-site blackwater and greywater treatment, and even reinvented household-level treatment. Such a mix could potentially be optimised for not only improved public health and environmental protection, but also for greenhouse gas emissions, and resource efficiency and recovery.

Another major theme that emerged was around the innovation of WASH systems – addressing both technology and service models. A wide range of innovations in regulations, financing and low-cost technologies were showcased in various sessions, showing the potential actors (or stakeholders) that may be involved in sanitation provision. Finally, several discussions in youth-driven sessions and university partnerships, such as ‘WASH Canada’, focused on enhancing capacities for the next generation of water and sanitation professionals, highlighting the critical importance of any new approach to WASH, including CWIS.

Developments in the sector

The CWIS approach has benefitted from the long-standing commitment of various sector institutions, which have supported its conceptualisation, the development of decision support tools, and capacity-building initiatives. The shift in the strategies of certain donors towards a more technology-driven approach will undoubtedly have an impact on the momentum of CWIS. Notwithstanding this shift, it is important to recognise that CWIS has gained considerable traction among key implementation actors over the years. Governments, multilateral development banks, and UN agencies have embraced CWIS principles, demonstrating the broader acceptance and sustainability of the approach.

As the sector evolves the focus should now be on consolidating the progress made thus far and building upon this foundation. Whether projects are labelled as ‘CWIS’ or not, the approach has given the sector a comprehensive set of factors to work with, bolstering a holistic view of sanitation. The approach should continue to evolve, incorporating the latest knowledge, and remain fluid in its contextual applicability.

More information

Discussion paper on the State of the Art of CWIS (IWA Publishing):

iwaponline.com/ebooks/book/934/Discussion-PaperCitywide-Inclusive-Sanitation

CWIS resources (Eawag-Sandec): www.sandec.ch/cwis

Sankara Narayan, A., Dorea, C., Willetts, J. et al. 2024. ‘A portfolio approach to achieving universal sanitation’. Nature Water. doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00336-0

IWA’s IUS initiative plans to support the evolution of CWIS through a global consultation process that aims to gather insights from diverse stakeholders. Emphasising input from local authorities, utilities and service operators, this consultation will compile ‘voices from the field’ to capture practical experiences and knowledge that inform the development of more effective and responsive global sanitation solutions. This effort will culminate in the CWIS Global Forum, scheduled for 2025 at IWA’s Water and Development Congress & Exhibition. Further information will be made available through IWA’s communication platforms.

To find out more, visit: iwa-network.org/projects/inclusive-sanitation

The author: Abishek S Narayan is a researcher at Eawag, Switzerland, and a member of IWA’s Inclusive Urban Sanitation Task Force

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At any given moment, day and night, a quarter of a million people are aloft, jetting at 800 km/h at an altitude of eleven kilometres, where temperatures are extremely low and the atmosphere is rarified, with insufficient oxygen to sustain life. Yet astonishingly, each member of this 8-mile high community enjoys ready access to clean drinking water, safe sanitation, and effective waste disposal.

This is even more astonishing when one considers that at that same moment, between 2 and 4 billion people on the ground lack these basic necessities.

This is not for lack of trying to tackle this deprivation. The 1980s International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade sought universal coverage in ten years, an aspirational goal we fell short of achieving. Then came the Millennium Development Goals, seeking incremental improvements over the period 2000-2015. With a limited number of goals (eight), they focused on a number of key development issues: poverty, education, health and environment. Access to improved sources of drinking water and improved sanitation were mere targets under Goal 7 on environmental sustainability. While we globally achieved the drinking water target, albeit on the basis of debatable indicators, we very clearly missed the sanitation target. And even for drinking water, the disparities between countries and within countries remained great.

Now the era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is well underway, with 17 aspirational goals, 169 targets and 232 indicators seeking nothing less than global transformation within the next dozen years. There is a dedicated water and sanitation goal, which takes a holistic view going beyond access to water and sanitation services to wastewater management, environmental water quality, water efficiency, integrated water resources management and protecting the integrity of aquatic ecosystems are the key targets.

The SDGs make up a comprehensive framework, one that demands a systematic approach with robust capabilities, yet one that holds out the potential for an immeasurable return on investment. However, our efforts to translate lofty words into enduring structural change makes us ask, once again: Where do we focus? Who does the work? And how do we pay for it?

The first question emphasises the reality on the ground: what are the drivers, what are the stress fractures, and how do we deal with the overlay of global climate change? The other two questions highlight fundamental resource questions: the limits of our human resource base (well-trained and qualified labour) and financial constraints. The fates of these three perspectives are inextricably linked. Yet devoting our experience to just one goal–SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all–may help us reach answers that unlock a powerful new confluence of natural, human and financial currents.

Resilient natural systems

The upside of past failures is that we can incorporate lessons learned. The problems may be old; what’s new is our understanding of the scale of the problem, the contextuality of the interplay of various drivers and the potential solutions at our disposal.

The former narrow focus on expanding access to improved sources of drinking water and improved sanitation has given way to the aforementioned broader scope of SDG 6. Even for targets 6.1 and 6.2, the indicators have been refined: it is no longer just about access to improved sources or facilities, but safe, reliable and affordable services or outcomes. The holistic approach is exemplified by the new paradigm for sanitation, which is no longer simply about providing access to safe sanitation installations, but the entire chain that follows: wastewater management, resource recovery, and preventing chemical pollution and microbial contamination of our aquatic ecosystems.

Above all, we no longer see resources as being static and isolated, but rather as dynamic forces in constant interaction. At one level, we have our local water supply system, our waste management system, and our stormwater systems. Each component is inextricably linked within a larger urban system. And that itself is part of a complex basin in which competing demands for finite water come from many diverse sectors–food, industry, health, energy, transport, and the environment.

How do we sustain what is, in reality, a system of systems of systems? SDG 6 suggests we consider the whole process through systems thinking.

Consider waste. Today, 80 percent of effluent flows back to nature untreated with serious public health and environmental implications. Even in the European Union, only 40 percent of rivers, lakes and estuaries meet minimum ecological standards for habitat degradation and pollution. Globally, the picture is a lot worse. We can lament this as an ongoing failure of the world to adopt the West’s favoured treatment systems. Or we can see an opportunity to value local context, work back from the problem, incorporate new technologies (such as granular sludge, thermal hydrolysis and anammox processes), and over the next 20 years usher in a golden era for wastewater and sanitation provision–an era of systems with a smaller footprint, improved energy, and lower costs.

Rather than foist one approach everywhere on all, SDG 6 promotes the entire sanitation service chain, and offers both sewered and non-sewered solutions or hybrids. The service chain can be overlaid by a value chain, indicating which are the economically most viable pathways. SDG target 6.2 defines adequate sanitation as “a system for the collection, transport, treatment and disposal or reuse of human excreta and associated hygiene”. Rather than view faecal matter as a liability to treat, systems thinking unlocks a perspective of beneficiation, from which to extract and recover valuable assets through opportunistic feedback loops. In this way, cost sinks become profit centres.

Resilient systems recognise that watersheds can be both a source – as an input factor in economic production of food, paper, metal, energy – and/ or a sink with negative by-products of economic activity including pollution of surface and groundwater bodies.

Revitalised human capacity

A systems approach, integrating service provision and robust infrastructure, does not materialise on its own. SDG 6 targets require highly capable people who can build and maintain secure access to basic necessities and complex resources. That is why the shortage of appropriately skilled labour in the water sector should concern us all.

Public and private water institutions struggle to maintain basic service levels. Water utility staff are stretched beyond capacity. Skilled graduates flock to more lucrative jobs in other sectors. Positions vacated by (predominantly male) retirees go unfilled, as women remain grossly underrepresented from educational and vocational tributaries.

Between 2010 and 2014, IWA carried out a study in fifteen low- and middle-income countries to inventory the dimensions of the sector’s human resources gap. Too often, there simply were no data. You can’t manage what you can’t measure, and most nations don’t track current let alone future shortages in any detail. Without reliable evidence of who needs what human resources when and where, our sector can’t write a business plan and make a persuasive case to attract sufficient investment.

Where we do find data, the picture looks bleak. The operation and maintenance of water and (especially) sanitation systems were chronically neglected, with human resources under-allocated and often inadequately skilled. Rural areas over-depend on volunteers and semi-skilled workers. Education and skills development requirements are not appropriately assessed, while institutions suffer low levels of access to tertiary education courses. The sector is also undermined by gross gender imbalance.

The very elements of our profound and universal human resource crisis also hold seeds of opportunity. It is an avoidable crisis.

If information gaps have scared off investment, robust collection of quality data will provide compelling evidence for investment in recruitment, education and skill development in the sector. If as the Chinese proverb says “women hold up half the sky”, then it surely makes sense that females should be trained and employed to support half of the water sector. Indeed, when parsing the data from a recent survey by the AWWA, women were reported to have a greater average concern than men about every water issue, especially water loss, climate change, conservation, and affordability.

If the future challenges facing water and sanitation go beyond the narrow needs of technical know-how, then the sector will grow resilient through diverse recruitment strategies that attract a broad range of people from non-traditional areas such as economics, sociology, urban planning, architecture, business management and information technology. Finally, if chronic underfunding of human resources in the water and sanitation sector has negatively eroded cross-cutting socioeconomic issues, then it follows that boosting investment in water should generate ripple effects and multiple benefits across other sectors including health, education, food security, economic and social development.

An outcomes-driven era–rooted in hard evidence, a tight focus, linked benefits, diverse skills and gender equity–sets the foundation of meaningful ‘bankable opportunities’ that can vastly expand human capacity within SDG 6.

Robust financial efficiency

Each opportunity must be supported by innovative financing mechanisms, anchored to cross-sectoral collaboration and mobilised by substantial increases in public and private sector spending. This brings us to the other part of the resource question: how do we pay for global transformation?

We have a good idea of the price tag. One year ago at the IWA Water and Development Congress in Buenos Aires, Mr Guangzhe Chen, Senior Director, Water Global Practice at the World Bank presented an estimate of the cost of achieving SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2 alone: US$114 billion per year.

Less obvious is where those funds will come from. More than 80 percent of countries report insufficient financing to meet their SDG targets, despite average increases of 5 percent in national WASH budgets. Moreover, the maximum level of Official Development Assistance for drinking water supply and sanitation reached US$18 billion in 2014, suggesting that aid commitments fall too short to cover investment needs.

So we must not only identify and mobilise more funds but also design innovative mechanisms that will channel those additional financial resources to where they are most needed. Creditworthiness doesn’t just happen. It hinges on the ability of utilities to maximise technical and financial efficiency, built by strong political leadership that improves governance and scales technical and administrative capacity.

In the past, with good intentions, governments have subsidised water and sanitation services to ensure affordability. That can’t continue. Doing so frames the sector as a public charity, a financial drain. By contrast, smartly designed, “Leave No-one Behind” cost-recovery tariff structures can alleviate pressures on scarce public funds, incentivise pro-poor policies, reduce risks, and fund critical public functions. This also will give us a handle on how to reconcile cost-recovery and affordability requirements, complying with the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Indeed, through SDG 6 our water sector can thrive through a more diversified approach that blends public funds, concessional revenues, and private commercial investments that support water-related infrastructure. This blended finance approach– further supported by credit enhancements in the form of guarantees or revenue intercepts that allow risk sharing– will reduce real or perceived risk levels of investment for the private sector and accommodate the affordability constraints of commercial finance.

Commercial financing is not always viable, due to perceived risks or market failures. There, our focus should be on strengthening country and sector policies, institutions and regulation to address these market failures and develop an enabling environment for the private sector. Where risks remain high and raise the cost of commercial capital, we can explore options to lower financing cost through risk-sharing instruments.

Resilient systems. Reinvigorated capacity. Diversified and amplified funding sources. These are the foundations that will ensure strategic investments in SDG 6 yield a healthy return, and unlock a confluence of natural, human, and financial currents that transform our sector from a dependent resource sink into an overflowing fountain of strength.

Dr Kala Vairavamoorthy is Executive Director of the International Water Association

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One of the very first things that struck me when I came to the Netherlands, was how inconsequential drinking water was for people. Virtually, every household can drink water directly from the tap. The situation back in my country Kenya, couldn’t be more different: it’s not safe to drink directly from the tap because of challenges in properly treating the water, or the introduction of contaminants into the water supply networks through leakages, poor maintenance and vandalism.

In Kenya, those who can afford it, have resorted to buying bottled water for drinking, which at times extends to cooking. Those unable to afford bottled water, resort to boiling or treating the tap water…if the taps run at all. Inevitably, this leads to additional costs for access to safe water, which falls most heavily on those least able to afford it.

Why is this, after all, isn’t access to clean water a basic right for every human being? It is too easy to lay the blame on the relative economic capabilities of the two countries. Upon deeper reflection, it seems to me that it all boils down to political commitment and prioritizing the water needs of citizens. Water, and its management, has always been a political issue in the Netherlands. Dutch regional water boards, or Waterschappen, responsible for managing water barriers, waterways, water levels, water quality and sewage treatment, have existed since medieval times. To achieve the seemingly impossible, Kenya needs the same level of political priority placed on water management. That will only be possible through increased financing for the water utilities that are charged with water supply and wastewater treatment.

Whether publicly or privately run, the hallmarks of successful utilities are quality of service, operational efficiency, and equitable tariff systems that provide access for all the population. Whichever way one looks at it, proper financial investment underpins all these pillars and should translate into the improved performance of utilities and better services for customers.

The quality of services offered by water utilities is connected to the financial health of the utility, and it’s natural that a financially healthy utility should be able offer outstanding services. Improved financing and financial sustainability will benefit a number of related areas. Appropriate infrastructure will help ensure access to safe water is possible by making sure everyone is included in the distribution network. This will in turn impact on operational efficiency.

Operational efficiency is pegged to three areas. Firstly, water losses, which are linked to poor systems or infrastructure, and which can only be remedied by new or rehabilitated systems, which require finance. The second part is bill collection, which will only be welcomed by costumers if the services offered are good, but which provides a basis for sustainable services. The third component is labor productivity. Better staffing, appropriate training and results-based remuneration are key to ensuring better services.

Improved financing will help improve infrastructure necessary for ensuring access is made possible to everyone in the region, essentially everyone will be included in the distribution network. Quality of service offered by water utilities is also dependent on the financial health of the utility, it’s only natural that a financially healthy utility, will be confident enough to offer outstanding service. Operational efficiency of a water utility, is pegged on three areas, which are also tied to proper financing, the first one is water losses. Water losses are linked to poor systems or infrastructure which can only be remedied by newer or rehabilitated systems which requires finance.

The second part is bill collection, which essentially is welcomed by the costumers if the services offered by the utility are good, poor services could of course be linked to myriad reasons, but a healthy financial state of the utility quickly gets this dealt with. The third and last component of operational efficiency is labor productivity, better staffing and remuneration is key to ensuring the operation of the staff leads to better services which impacts on other areas of operation and service delivery.

The last pillar of utilities is their tariff levels, which indicate whether a utility is operating profitably or below cost-recovery levels. A healthy tariff level, one that is beneficial to both the utility and its consumers, is only achievable when a utility is financially healthy in the other areas of its operation.

So, is it possible that the majority of Kenyans will be able to drink directly from the tap, and for utilities to ensure almost everyone has access to clean water by 2030, the deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals? There are many challenges between now and then, but increased government financing, with the appropriate long-term planning, for water utilities is a critical first step. If the Kenyan government commits to improving water, wastewater and sanitation services, it won’t only be achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for water, but contributing to virtually all the other SDGs.

That is a big ‘if’, but it’s not about economic capabilities, it’s about political commitment and prioritizing the water sector.

Omolo is an intern in the IWA’s Basins of the Future Programme.

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The International Water Management Institute has appointed two new executives with broad experience in the conservation and use of transboundary rivers.

Claudia W. Sadoff arrived in October 2017 to serve as Director General of the Colombo, Sri Lanka-based scientific research organisation. She brings to the post three decades of building a global network of development partners, and distinguished experience as a global researcher and development practitioner.

“Through sustained and strategic efforts, Dr Sadoff has made a major contribution toward the achievement of global water security,” said Donald Blackmore, Chair of the Institute’s Board of Governors.

Sadoff previously led the World Bank’s Water Security and Integrated Water Resources Management division where she engaged with development experts and policy makers at the highest levels addressing challenges from climate adaptation to drought and flood response, and transboundary river basin management. Most recently, she has led major studies on water security in the Middle East and on water management in fragile and conflict-affected states.

“IWMI is uniquely well placed to champion the cause of improved water management worldwide, and I look forward to offering my knowledge, experience and energy in support of the Institute’s mission to deliver evidence-based solutions for water management,” Sadoff said.

To that end, one of her first decisions was to bring on board Mark Smith as IWMI’s new Deputy Director General (Research for Development), starting in May 2018. Smith comes from 10 years serving as Director of the Global Water Programme at IUCN, where he led major, cross-sector initiatives–BRIDGE, SUSTAIN-Africa and WISE-UP to Climate–at the interface of water resources, development, conservation, food security, governance and resilience.

As Deputy Director General, Smith will lead IWMI’s science agenda to address global development challenges for water security and natural resources management. His responsibilities will include assuring research quality and relevance; leading the identification and prioritisation of innovative research areas; and ensuring that IMWI’s work contributes effectively to the SDGs, the global climate agenda, and CGIAR’s Strategy and Results Framework.

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The Public Water and Sanitation Company of Quito, EPMAPS Agua de Quito, has been providing water and sanitation services to Ecuador’s capital for 57 years. Today we serve more than 2.4 million residents of the Metropolitan District of Quito, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In doing so, we apply rigorous quality processes, something that has been recognised by the Ecuador Bureau of Standards, INEN. EPMAPS is the only company in the country to have obtained the INEN quality seal, after complying with 69 parameters of the institution’s Standard 1108.

I have had the good fortune to work for this pioneering company for 31 years, in many departments and projects. This has been personally and professional enriching, but nothing is more satisfying than to know that I’ve been able to contribute to improving the quality of life for my fellow residents.

In that time, we have experienced many challenges such as risks related to a possible eruption of Mt. Cotopaxi, climate change, and flooding, and seen many changes related to the city’s high population growth.

EPMAPS’ business model has Good Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility practices at its heart, and we combine this with short-, medium-, and long-term planning. This model is the foundation for our three pillars of service: sustainability, efficiency and quality. These are supported by one additional pillar: continuous improvement.

When I was appointed as General Manager my priority was to continue the company’s institutional reinforcement. This particularly focuses of governance, planning, ensuring best practices are followed, and striving to identify how and where we can continuously improve. We also focus strongly on delivering a solid Social Responsibility strategy that contributes to the water and sanitation section of the Sustainable Development Goals.

It was this vision that helped us became the first company on the planet to be evaluated using AquaRating. An international standard, AquaRating offers a comprehensive focus on the challenges water and sanitation utilities face, evaluating their performance through indicators and management practices, and providing a framework for improvement. The results can hopefully be replicated in other companies in the country and region.

Potable water and sewage networks serve 99 percent and 93 percent, respectively, of the Metropolitan District of Quito’s residents, an area that includes urban, suburban and rural districts. Since 2010, we have worked hard to reduce the the service gaps between the urban and rural areas, reducing them to 3 percent in potable water and 12 percent in sewerage coverage, in comparison to 7 and 20 percent seven years ago.

Behind these statistics are real people. Today, 371,371 more people have access to water and sewage services than in 2010. This decrease in service gaps has been achieved by pursuing our goal of providing services to the most vulnerable groups in the city, to improve their well-being and overall quality of life. Our success has been made possible by taking an approach that places greater emphasis on engagement with the community’s that we serve, resource stewardship, and investment decisions that consider the social, economic and environmental costs.

As a water professional, being able to share in the joy of the people we serve, having the opportunity to change lives for the better, is reason to feel a profound satisfaction even as we strive to achieve more.

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In Chile, approximately 1,700 community organisations supply water to 13 percent of the Chilean population in rural areas. They are non-profit organisations that manage the operations and administration of services for rural populations. First established in 1964, and successful for over 50 years, a new national law on Rural Sanitation Services has been introduced to focus these efforts on addressing current gaps and future challenges.

The law focuses on filling gaps in sanitation provision, climate change challenges, and improving service quality. It also aims to stimulate efficient public/community alliances to improve water services and contribute towards accomplishment Sustainable Development Goal 6 in Chile.

From Paper…

Chile is not unique. Around 30 percent of rural populations in Latin America and the Caribbean depend on community-managed water supply and sanitation services. The United Nations have identified two priorities necessary to achieve SDG 6 in the region: solving the lack of access in water and sanitation; and achieving the sustainability of community organisations that provide these services in rural areas across the region.

However, their long-term financial and governance sustainability is not yet assured. Considering the key role these organisations play in delivering critical services to poorer and often more marginalised communities, in Chile and elsewhere in the region, strengthening their management capacity and technical skills could be a low-cost solution that has impact.

To Action…

Since January 2017, the approval of Chile’s new Rural Sanitation Services Law has given new rights and responsibilities to the sector. It emphasises the importance of the sector in promoting its own sustainability, with a particular focus on rural sanitation.

In  response, the National Federation of Sanitation and Water Services (FESAN) has proposed a National Capacity Building Plan (PNFC). The goal of the PNFC is to strengthen the management capacity of community organisations, while preserving their participative character. It focuses on ensuring social equity, with fair and affordable rates for the most disadvantaged sectors of society; and, in compliance with the new norms introduced by the law, the social and environmental sustainability of water resources.

Both community leaders and water operators have mostly learned how to deal with these issues over time by trial and error. That may have been legitimate previously, but today the level of complexity of the tasks, functions and procedures that must be carried out requires a comprehensive training programme. The establishment of self-managed Community Learning Centers, allow community organisations to acquire the knowledge, experience and tools that enhance technical, legal, operational, administrative, financial, behavioural and social skills.

The training program was implemented in 2016-17, as a pilot project. It has proved very successful in Central Chile with sixty participants from forty rural services, including management and staff. Through the training, Water Supply Services (APRs) can develop and improve their management, financial and operational services. The participation of Universidad de Santiago, will allow the PNFC to be validated academically with the awarding of a Diploma.

Under the rural sanitation services law, these organisations will all participate in long-term investment plans, development work, extension and network upgrades. All in all, with the participation of the state and its investments to improve the system, the sustainability of the water supply system and the delivery of improved sanitation in rural areas should be much progress. As will the development of staff capacities, enabling them to apply more efficient strategies, procedures and methodologies to achieve integrated and sustainable water management.

Through the 1,700 small rural and sanitation services at least 3,500 people who work in them will receive training, and that will positively impact the 2 million Chileans living in rural areas. The benefits of the programme will also reach beyond these rural communities, helping the nation achieve its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

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