Aims of the symposium

The symposium aims to:

a) provide a platform for learning about and sharing possible ways of improving initiatives on sustainable rural water services at scale
b) debate and analyse these emerging initiatives, and
c) identify common principles to facilitate improved policy and practise in water service delivery.

In addition, the symposium intends to strengthen synergy and collaboration across different initiatives and platforms to address sustainability.

Thematic streams:

• Service delivery models for sustainable rural water – topic managed by Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN)/SKAT. We will look at practical examples and ask what change processes are needed at sector level to come to more sustainable service delivery models.
• Water service governance at decentralised levels – topic managed by Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). We will explore practical case studies of how governance over services can be strengthened, particularly at decentralised level in order to provide sustainable services at scale.
• Financing for sustainable service delivery – topic managed by IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC). In this thematic stream, discerning the real costs of a sustainable service and how these may be financed will form key to the discussion and exchanges.
• Harmonisation and alignment in the rural sector – topic managed by the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) of the Government of Uganda with inputs from WaterAid. In this thematic stream, participants will dialogue on the potential of harmonising, aligning and coordinating initiatives in the water sector and will also explore cases where harmonisation may stifle innovation, particularly at the operational level.