Water and sanitation is a key sector where much effort is needed: with over a billion people without access to drinking water and 2.6 billion lacking basic sanitation, developing the relevant infrastructure constitutes a major challenge. Halving the proportion of people without access to drinking water and sanitation by 2015 would require doubling the current investments. To meet these tremendous needs, many countries have sought the involvement of the private sector.
ADB and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have agreed to jointly explore the critical issue of private sector participation in the water and sanitation sector. This partnership is anchored on OECD’s new project on Sustainable Financing to Ensure Affordable Access to Water and Sanitation. Along with special focus on pricing, innovative financing business models, and realistic financing strategies, the project also aims to develop practical guidelines to optimize private sector participation in water and sanitation infrastructure. These guidelines shall be developed through multi-stakeholder dialogues and reviews of specific country experiences.
This expert meeting with ADB follows a similar roundtable organized jointly by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the OECD in Lusaka, Zambia on 27-28 November 2007.
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The expert meeting aims to advance the debate on sustainable financing and management of water and sanitation infrastructure. Participants to the meeting will
- Share experiences on recent trends, challenges, and opportunities regarding private sector participation in water and sanitation infrastructure projects in Asian countries
- Discuss the key institutional and regulatory framework to attract beneficial private sector involvement
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders
- Examine the role of financial tools in supporting greater private investment in the sector
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- First draft of guidelines, derived from the Asian experience, on mobilizing additional and beneficial private sector involvement in water and sanitation sector.
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The meeting is being jointly organized by ADB and OECD.
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The expert meeting will bring together representatives from governments, regulatory agencies, private sector, civil society, the OECD, and ADB.
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The meeting will be held at the Auditorium D, ADB Headquarters in Manila, Philippines.
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