Water for All: WaterLinks

WaterLinks

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 Activities

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.

	Twinning Activities Facilitating and co-funding twinning activities between water supply and wastewater utilities
	Regional Capacity Building Supporting regional capacity building of Asian water and wastewater operators
	Information Sharing and Networking Disseminating best practices and organizing networking events to broker new partnerships

Partner Responsibilities

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

Support regional capacity development initiatives
Coordinate with USAID on jointly facilitating selected twinning arrangement

Support knowledge development and dissemination
Promote twinning arrangements within its member network

Establish and maintain WOPs user website
Contribute to capacity development and knowledge sharing