Water

WaterLinks reborn as nonprofit network
9 December 2011

Amy Leung delivering the Welcome Remarks at the 2011 Waterlinks Forum

WaterLinks, Inc. emerges as a new nonprofit network for Water Operators Partnerships in the Asia-Pacific.

At the annual WaterLinks Partners Meeting on 21 November 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, WaterLinks, Inc. was newly introduced as a not-for-profit organization that will take on promotion, coordination and faciliation functions for WaterLinks partners.

WaterLinks, initially a collaboration among ADB, the International Water Association, and US Agency for International Development, aims to promote the benefits and impacts of water operators partnerships in the Asia-Pacific and build the capacity of water and wastewater utilities to help increase and improve access to safe water and basic sanitation.

The meeting identified some of the future directions of the WaterLinks network, including the operationalization of the WaterLinks Inc; increased focus on the program design; expansion of the current focus area s (e.g., to include climate change, energy efficiencies, wastewater, waste to energy, desalinization); and the potential of additional North-South partnerships as a way of extending geographical coverage.

The event also featured a panel discussion with water operators who recently completed a twinning partnership, and water associations such as the Australian Water Association and the Pacific Water and Wastes Association.  The panel discussion focused on the interests of water operators in joining WOPs, the benefits derived by water operators, both as mentors and recipient at the same time exploring and identifying factors that would ensure the growth of the WOPs as a progam. The meeting was held as as session of the 2nd IWA Development Congress.

WaterLinks Holds 3rd Annual Forum
9 December 2011

Best Outcome in WOP: K-Water and Provincial Waterworks Authority of Thailand

The 2011 WaterLinks Forum, on 22 November 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, provided global and regional updates on water operators partnerships. In the Asia-Pacific region, a total of 65 water operators partnerships (WOPs) have been developed benefiting 14 countries and positively impacting the lives of more than 700,000 people now provided with water.

The forum featured two panel discussions. The first focused on new directions and approaches for WOPs especially in ensuring investment links to WOPs activities, challenges with respect to climate change as its effect on water operators, and the important role of national as well as regional water associations. The second focused on maximizing WOPs impacts and featured case studies of inspiring twinning partners, including the replication and scale up of 24/7 water supply in India implemented by Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran and the Public Health and Engineering Department of Rajasthan; the Phnom Phen Water Supply Authority of Cambodia’s plan to train peer utilities in Cambodia; activities of Indonesia’s water association, PERPAMSI, in promoting and facilitating in-country WOP initiatives; and the multiple recipient WOPs model adopted in the Philippines and Lao PDR.

Best WOP for Scale Up and Replication: Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Penang Bhd of Malaysia and PDAM Tirta Musa Kota Palembang.

The second WaterLinks Awards were also presented at the Forum. This year’s winners for “Outcome in a WOP” went to Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) and the Provincial Waterworks Authority of Thailand (PWA). The 10-month effort between these two water utilities resulted in improved water quality management operatinos at the Khon Khaen Regional Office of PWA that benefited 22,000 households.  The “Best WOP for Scale Up and Replication”Award was given to Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Penang Bhd of Malaysia and PDAM Tirta Musa Kota Palembang. Their 20-month partnership resulted in reduction of non-revenue water by 27% in pilot areas and subsequent scale-up in 35 separate district metred areas, benefitting more than 33,000 customers.

The WaterLinks Forum, held annually since 2009, has provided a strategic platform for water and wastewater operators and development partners who are involved in water operators partnership programs, in particular, twinning partnerships intended to improve water service delivery. This year, the Forum was organized as one of the sesssions under the 2nd IWA Development Congress.

WaterLinks is a collaboration among ADB, the International Water Association, and US Agency for International Development that aims to strengthen the implementation of Water Operators Partnerships (WOPs) in the Asia-Pacific.

WOPs is one of the Hashimoto Action Plan’s key areas in water where breakthroughs are vital to attain the MDGs. The action plan, announced by the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation in early 2006, called for breakthroughs in 5 other key areas: financing, sanitation, monitoring and reports, integrated water resources management, and water disaster.

In 2007, ADB launched its own Water Operators Partnerships Program to build the capacity of Asian water utilities so that they can improve various performance aspects—from technical to financial to sustainability considerations. In 2008, ADB helped establish WaterLinks, launched at the 2008 Stockholm World Water Week, to coordinate, develop, and implement joint support activities for WOPs.

WaterLinks develops and implements three principal activities to achieve tangible results in terms of expanded or improved access to safe water and sanitation and increased capacity.

On an annual basis, the partners will develop a work plan identifying activities and areas for cooperation. Their roles will be divided as follows: