Water and sanitation utilities operating in cities and communities around the world are on the front lines of efforts to get access to safe and well managed water and sanitation services to all, the aim of SDG 6. These operators – with over 100,000 of them estimated at local level - are counted upon to ensure water and sanitation services are inclusive, resilient, financially sustainable and environmentally sound. Many, however, struggle to manage their hefty responsibilities.
- the EU's international role | international cooperation
- Friday 31 May 2024, 13:00 - 14:30 (CEST)
- Brussels, Belgium
Practical information
- When
- Friday 31 May 2024, 13:00 - 14:30 (CEST)
- Where
- InfoPointBrussels, Belgium
- Languages
- English, French
- Organisers
- International Partnerships InfoPoint
Description
Here’s where Europeans are helping their peers. Many European utilities have financial, technical, social, and managerial skills to share with their peers on a not-for-profit basis. Through solidarity partnerships, they are supporting utility professionals in other countries to strengthen their capacities to provide locally-adapted, efficient, sustainable and inclusive services. With rising urban populations, environmental pollution and climate change increasing the pressure on these essential local service providers, collaboration between utilities can help accelerate solutions to address these common challenges.
This session will showcase some of the many ways that European utilities have been helping their peers build more robust and resilient services for all. They will discuss motivates them and and how they do it, by looking at a diverse set of Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) supported with EU funds through the EU-WOP programme.
Speakers
- Chantal Marijnissen, Head of Unit, INTPA F2 - Environment, Sustainable Natural Resources
- Bernard Van Nuffel, President of VIVAQUA and Aqua Publica Europea
- Julie Perkins, EU-WOP Programme Manager, GWOPA/UN-Habitat
- Arnaud de Vanssay, INTPA F2 - Environment, Sustainable Natural Resources
- Delphine Biquet, Societe Wallone des Eaux
- Benedikt Ahner, Hamburg Wasser
- Siemen Veenstra, Vitens-Evides
- Dyfed Aubrey, Head of UN-Habitat European Liaison Office
Language: English and French
Q&A session languages: English and French