Capacity

The African continent continues to be faced to major challenges in the water sector, particularly in terms of access to safe drinking water and water quality monitoring. Despite progress in recent years, 40% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa does not have access to safe drinking water. The challenge of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6.1 and 6.3, includes water quality.

The EU-WOP Programme is a four-year initiative, led by UN-Habitat’s Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) and funded by the European Commission IntPA. The program is enabling twenty-two international Water Operators’ Partnerships projects, involving over 50 partner organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America over the coming three years, in boosting the capacity and performance of utilities with the support of their peers.

Effective transboundary water cooperation can only be achieved through a solid and coherent institutional framework. Adequate financing, public participation and transparency are some of the key building blocks that sustain transboundary water institutions. This session aims to explore the ways in which governance frameworks can help to provide sustainably financed institutions, foster cooperation and deliver shared benefits to water users across basins.