May 22 marks the International Biodiversity Day.

 

Our Members have a key function as providers of public services in drinking water, wastewater treatment, and protection of the environment. As key partners for local authorities, private water operators are an essential piece of the puzzle to protect people and the planet.

On May 22, all pieces come together!

[https://www.cbd.int/biodiversity-day/messages](link)

Read more about the International Convention on Biological Diversity https://www.cbd.int/

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International Biodiversity Day

Call to action for SWA Partners on climate change

 

The Sanitation and Water for All Partnership has published a blog that AquaFed co-wrote with Tanzanian NGO MACS, about what we think the SWA can do to help tackle climate change. The SWA has prioritised this issue for this year and is planning many activities.

[https://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/news/call-action-swa-partners-climate-change](link)

 

In our blog we call on the SWA to remain solutions-focused and to keep an eye on quick wins as well as longer term policy changes. The SWA has huge potential and very strong convening power and in the blog we list specific actions  the partnership can take.

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Our Call to Action on Climate Change (with SWA)

A Salute to Mr. Gurria, Waterman of the OECD

AquaFed joins in celebrating  Angel Gurria's 15 years of water work at the OECD.

The team, the Presidents and all our Members were privileged and honoured, and motivated to work with the OECD under his strong leadership on a wide range of water issues; from financing to governance, from the promotion of human rights to pushing governments  to prioritize water in their national budgets. Over the last 15 years, under his sterling leadership, the OECD has been a driving force in the implementation of the SDG agenda.

 

3 main achievements were highlighted from 15 years of work on water:

    water paradigm change: from resource challenge to economic problem
    recognition that multi-level governance and finance are key to success
    a body of evidence, insights and tools that support policy design and implementation

 

44 Water leaders, amongst which our President Mamadou DIA, sent personal video messages to Mr. Gurria.

AquaFed thanks him for bringing in the private sector operators as robust partners and essential stakeholders into essential and future-determining debates and actions.

The Water Governance Initiative (Principles) and the  numerous initiaves on Financing Water (including the Round Table), and in particular he development of the concept of the 3Ts (Taxes, Tariffs and Transferts) that finance the water sectors, are key areas were still a lot of action is crucially needed.

As was stated yesterday; for the last 17 months, numerous countries have called for handwashing and hygiene, but if the infrastructure does not follow...

We echo the statement by Henk OVINK, co-chair of the 2023 Intergovernmental Conference on Water: "The world needs to step up action to deliver the changes that we need".

Mr. Gurria also recalled that the World is not on track with regards to SDG6: 2,2 Billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water; and over 4 Billion - more than half of the world's population, lack access to safe sanitation.

 

There is plenty of work ahead, and we look forward to continuing working with the OECD Horizontal Water Team.

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A Salute to Mr. Gurria, Waterman of the OECD

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