Bringing together water utilities and associations of utilities under a formal structure dedicated to building their capacity, expanding their knowledge base, and fostering performance improvements offers significant potentials. For one, it can provide members with the opportunity to talk to, and learn from, each other. Members can also collectively exert pressure on each other to improve their service delivery performance.
This is why when the Hashimoto Action Plan, promoted by the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB), called for improving the delivery of water services, one of its key strategies was the creation of regional networks that would foster partnerships among water utilities.
As part of their partnership agreement to fast-track developments in the Asia-Pacific’s water sector, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Global Water Partnership (GWP) are working to establish such a network in Central Asia. ADB has already established 2 similar networks for Southeast and South Asia. Both networks currently focus on benchmarking and continuous improvement, capacity development, twinning arrangements between utilities, and knowledge management and sharing.
This conference established the Central Asia and South Caucasus Water Utilities Association (CASCWUA).
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The objectives of the conference were to:
- discuss and endorse a Charter for the establishment of CASCWUA
- elect CASCWUA officials
- develop the network’s Action Plan for the next two years
- discuss financing mechanisms to sustain the network
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The conference was organized by ADB and GWP.
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Senior management officials from 17 water utilities in Central Asia and South Caucasus, and representatives from ADB, GWP, and UN-Habitat attended the conference.
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The conference was held at Hotel Eurasia in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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