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Thousands to Benefit from WaterLinks Asian Regional ForumTuesday, October 13, 2009 BANGKOK -- Tens of thousands of people in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines will benefit from the partnerships that were forged between water and sewage utilities at the 2009 WaterLinks Asian Regional Forum in Bangkok. These include:
WaterLinks pairs water and wastewater operators to solve technical problems and meet burgeoning demand. It is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Water Association (IWA). At the Bangkok forum, there were 58 one-on-one meetings between water and wastewater operators willing to work together to solve their problems. The 150 water operators, associations and international development agencies who attended the forum were trying to expand services throughout Asia, the fastest growing and most populace region in the world. Asia is facing intensifying environmental and developmental challenges. One in three people in Asia lack access to safe drinking water. Over half do not have adequate sanitation. This year, hundreds of thousands of people across Asia have already benefitted from WaterLinks partnerships. These arrangements improved water quality for 12,000 residents in Nakorn Nayok, Thailand; provided continuous water delivery for 80,000 residents in Badlapur, India; expanded the piped water supply to 17,500 poor residents in Medan, Indonesia; and improved the quality of water for 19,000 residents in Danang, Vietnam. Thousands more people will benefit from new WaterLinks partnerships next year. WaterLinks currently has 17 water operator partnerships, or “twinning” collaborations, between water and wastewater operators in Asia, the United States and Australia. These partnerships improve operational efficiencies, address water contamination, ensure continuous water supply, and connect underserved communities to water and sanitation. “Expanding access to clean water, especially for the urban poor, is one of the most urgent challenges of our time,” said Olivier Carduner, Director of USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia. “By helping water experts share experiences and information, WaterLinks’ twinning partnerships are providing cost-effective ways for water operators to deliver improved or expanded service for urban residents.” WaterLinks “has been very successful in stimulating peer-to-peer knowledge exchanges between water operators in Asia and other regions,” noted Arjun Thapan, Director General of the Southeast Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank. “ADB is ready to expand its program in coordination with WaterLinks’ partners.” The premise for WaterLinks is simple and effective, said Paul Reiter, Executive Director of IWA. “Operators and cities that are leaders in providing effective water and wastewater services are keen to share experiences with their peers in Asia. WaterLinks provides a platform for channelling good ideas and good will." ### END ### Additional Information: WaterLinks is a regional network that supports Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs) between water and wastewater operators in Asia to promote improved access to safe water and basic sanitation in Asia. WaterLinks develops and implements three principal activities: twinning partnerships, capacity building, and knowledge dissemination. www.waterlinks.org The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a broad-based development institution for the Asia and Pacific region, committed to reduce poverty through lending and non-lending activities to support pro-poor sustainable economic growth, good governance and inclusive social development. Under a Regional Technical Assistance program funded by the Japan Special Fund, ADB is implementing a WOPs Program in Asia which includes the establishment of water utilities networks in South Asia, Central Asia and support the existing network in Southeast Asia. www.adb.org/water The International Water Association’s (IWA) core purpose is to unite water professionals in achieving sustainable water management on a local, national and international level. The Association is a non-profit, self-governing organization comprising over 10,000 members across 130 countries from the scientific, utility, consultant, regulatory, industrial and technology communities. IWA’s work covers all fields of the water cycle, from supply, industrial water use and sanitation in both developing and developed countries. www.iwahq.org The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the United States Government agency responsible for providing U.S. economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide. Through its Regional Development Mission in Asia (RDMA), USAID promotes regional cooperation to make, replicate and sustain environmental improvements. Environmental Cooperation-Asia, an RDMA program, promotes improved access to clean water and sanitation in support of the U.S. Government’s Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act and the Millennium Development Goals. www.usaid.gov | |||
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