Next week as thousands of practitioners gather at annual World Water Week in Sweden the focus is on cooperation, echoing the UN’s declaration of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation.
The World Bank Group has promoted international cooperation around water for decades. Back in 1960, the Bank supported the development of the Indus River Treaty between India and Pakistan, and was actually a signatory to this treaty. Today, we understand that international cooperation around water remains central to ending extreme poverty and building shared prosperity.
In southern Africa, for example, there are 15 international river basins providing the water that is vital for growing food, improving sanitation, generating energy, maintaining ecosystems, and servicing growing economies. But cooperation for water is not just about cooperating across international boundaries. It is also about cooperating between different parts of the economy, across sectors, and among key players.
To that end, over the next week we will participate in sessions on several aspects related to cooperation in the sector. If you aren’t able to join in Stockholm, please join us online – here and on Twitter. Stay tuned for new content in the coming week on topics such as, the potential role of the domestic private sector in increasing access to water and sanitation services for the poor, the energy-water nexus, urban sanitation, Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM), and Economics of Sanitation Initiative (ESI), among other topics.
We also want to know what knowledge you are learning and sharing at World Water Week. We are following #wwweek closely to find out.
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