Water and sanitation

Ensure universal and equitable access to water and sanitation

Universal and equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a fundamental objective to ensure a decent life for all inhabitants of the planet. It has a major impact on health, access to education, gender equality, the economy, and the environment. It involves building and operating infrastructure at an affordable cost, with distinct urban/rural approaches and special attention to vulnerable populations.

Offering efficient and sustainable services

The performance of services can be measured through several dimensions: operational performance (NRW, staff productivity, etc.), are they financial viability (cost coverage), or are the customers satisfaction (quality, availability, accessibility, etc.). It focuses on efficiency and overall cost optimization, and represents a condition for the sustainability of services, from both a financial and an environmental point of view. Offering efficient and sustainable services to users requires a global vision of challenges, and cannot be achieved without effective public governance.

Strengthening governance

To ensure optimal service and quality levels and to adapt to current and future challenges, water and sanitation utilities need to implement an adequate governance framework adapted to the local context and issues. This includes an enabling environment, strong institutions, consistent operational mechanisms, functional participation processes, etc.

Building stakeholders’ capacities

Local capacity development is a major concern and a key component of development assistance. Capacity building should enable beneficiaries to become more autonomous in the governance and management of services. It also contributes to the sustainability of our interventions.

Sustainable management of resources

Considering the context of climate change and increasing demand for water, it appears essential to preserve resources, both in quantity and quality. It is thus essential to implement an integrated management of water resources, as well as an in-depth search for efficient uses.

Managing water and climate risks and building resilience to crises

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme events, such as droughts and floods. Faced with these disasters, as well as those directly caused by man, the sector must prepare and equip itself with tools that enable the anticipation, prevention, and response to both frequent risks and emergency situations.

Promote effective partnerships between public and private actors

Mobilizing private sector expertise and financing can help improve service management and meet part of the sector's investment needs. The challenge is to implement clear and effective contractual frameworks and performance monitoring systems that enable the implementation of sustainable PPPs serving these purposes.