2010 WaterLinks Forum

Manila, Philippines : 4 May 2010 - 5 May 2010

Background

Jointly established in 2008 by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Water Association (IWA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), WaterLinks is a regional partnership network intended to catalyze achievement of the Millennium Development Goals target for water supply and sanitation across Asia and the Pacific. It aims to promote the replication and scaling up of innovations through water operators' partnerships (WOPs) programs, conduct of regional training events, knowledge sharing, and networking between and amongst water operators.

The 2009 WaterLinks Forum, with the theme Promoting Effective Water Operator Partnerships, was held in September in Bangkok, Thailand. This year, the Forum was held in Manila with the theme "Replication and Scale-Up of Good Practices in Water Service Delivery in Asia."

Objectives

  • Identify the challenges and opportunities available to recipient twins following successful twinning partnerships
  • Identify a regional strategy for promoting regional and national replication and scaling-up through WOPs and other capacity building initiatives
  • Strengthen the WaterLinks network by actively engaging other development partners and network organizations

Organizers

The Forum was jointly organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Water Association (IWA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Environmental Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia) program.

Participants

Water utilities from across Asia and the Pacific, Europe, United States, and Australasia; regional and national water associations; and development partners who are currently or planning to support WOPs in Asia and the Pacific attended the WaterLinks Forum.

2010 WaterLinks Awards

The WaterLinks Awards gives due recognition to the outstanding achievements of WOPs facilitated under Waterlinks in terms of outcomes, sustainability, and potential for replication.

The first WaterLinks Awards, given on 5 May 2010, was presented to deserving water utilities for exemplary performance. The twinning partnership between PDAM Tirtanadi in Indonesia and IWK Malaysia, facilitated by USAID- ECO Asia, received the WaterLinks Award for Outcome.

Davao City Water District and Ranhill Utilities, Malaysia, a twinning arrangement under ADB's WOPs program, received the WaterLinks Award for Scale up and Replication for successful NRW management. DCWD reduced its NRW level from 28.46% to 25.58% in 12 months. Moreover, the effort on NRW management is now being replicated by other water districts in Mindanao.