IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre
Bridging the knowledge gap and joint learning with partners for improved, low-cost water supply, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries.
Water shortages: political upheaval and economic stagnation loom, UN report warns
Demand for water is increasing due to population growth and mobility, rising living standards, changes in food consumption, and increased energy production, especially biofuels. These are among the conclusions of the 3rd United Nations World Water Development Report, released in March 2009. The latest edition emphasizes the role of water in development and economic growth.
In Focus: WASH News Blogs
News blogs set up by IRC and partners on water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in developing countries,
Household water treatment: researchers stick with their conclusion that scaling-up is premature
Wolf-Peter Schmidt and Sandy Cairncross respond to reader’s comments on their journal article which was quoted in the Source Weekly item “Household water treatment: scaling-up is premature say researchers” of 13 March 2009
West Africa Regional Sanitation and Hygiene Symposium
Accra, Ghana, 10 Nov 09 - 12 Nov 09
This is a first announcement and call for abstracts for a regional symposium on sanitation and hygiene. The symposium is envisaged to be the first major event in collaboration between RCN Ghana, WaterAid, and IRC in West Africa for a longer term regional sharing and learning process that seeks to identify and scale up proven good practices in the sanitation and hygiene sector. Deadline: 1 June 2009.
Strengthening Transparency, Integrity and Accountability: Preventing Corruption in Water
The Hague, The Netherlands, 21-23 September 2009
Participants attending the course will be able to plan anti-corruption initiatives in the water sector on the basis of the latest available research and evidence. They will be equipped with tools to use to understand the complexity of corruption in the sector, and tools and approaches to take positive, prevention-focused actions to improve systems of integrity and accountability.
Transparency: public accountability through “Citizens’ Voice” initiative, Cape Town, South Africa
The “Raising Citizens’ Voice in the Regulation of Water Services” is a public education initiative driven by the National Regulator (currently within the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry [DWAF]).
Smart Finance Solutions
This booklet on Smart Finance Solutions, like its equivalents on water and sanitation, gives examples of how different financial mechanisms are being used to finance water, sanitation projects and small local businesses that contribute to reaching MDG-7.
Read more or download Smart_Finance_Solutions.pdf (1.41 MB)
Infrastructure fund: Japan announces green loan fund for crisis-hit developing countries
Japan has announced a US$ 5 billion loan fund to help developing countries hit by the global credit crisis to put in place running water, solar power systems and other environmental infrastructure.
Strengthening the capacities of local organisations and people
The key question of this session at the Fifth World Water Forum in Istanbul is: "What organisational and individual capacity development is necessary to enhance the performance of service delivery and how do we ensure that capacity development reflects local needs?"
What's new here?
About IRC
Since its foundation in 1968, the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) has facilitated the sharing, promotion and use of knowledge so that governments, professionals and organisations can better support poor men, women and children in developing countries to obtain water and sanitation services they will use and maintain.
