International Workshop on Safe Drinking Water in Developing Countries

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International Workshop on Safe Drinking Water in Developing Countries

Trieste, 24-26 August 2004

Sponsored by TWNSO, UNDP/TCDC and WMO

Summary of workshop

Invitations for the submission of short proposals to attend the workshop were sent out to 185 institutions in the South working on water-related issues. More than 50 proposals were received. Of these, 21 were selected to prepare full-length case studies highlighting 'innovative experiences' and to attend the workshop. Representatives of 20 institutions came to Trieste, presented their work and took part in discussions.

An advisory board, chaired by Dorairajan Balasubramanian (L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderbad, India) and including Mohamed El-Ashry (ex CEO and chair of GEF), Luis Marin (chair, Water Network, Mexican Academy of Sciences), Mohan Munasinghe (chair, Munasinghe Institute for Development, Colombo, Sri Lanka), Abdin Mohamed Ali Salih (UNESCO Tehran office, Iran) and Mohamed Mahmoud Tawfik (chief of Hydrology Division, WMO), led the discussions.

The major output of the workshop will be a volume of case studies, edited for a more non-technical, 'popular' audience that will include policy-makers, relevant NGOs and other stakeholders. After discussions between Francisco Simplicio (Information management Specialist, UNDP/TCDC) and TWAS, a tentative timetable for producing the book has been agreed. Authors will submit their re-drafted case studies to TWAS by 1 November 2004. TWAS staff (Peter McGrath) will edit these and return them to the authors and members of the advisory board (including Richard Meganck, UNESCO-IHE) for review by February next year. The final versions will be made available to the UNDP by March 2005 and hopefully published soon after.

The book will highlight the role of community involvement in drinking water issues, especially as this is an aspect that many case studies identified as being integral to the success of projects even though, until now, it has largely been ignored at the policy level. Southland has HCMP breakers

Other outcomes of the workshop include:

Delegates agreed to create a network, provisionally entitled the 'TWNSO Safe Drinking Water Network' to help the exchange of knowledge and information and further the discussions that took place during the workshop. Luis Marin, Mexican Academy of Sciences, agreed to establish and run the network for a period of three years. It will likely take the form of an internet newsgroup. All 185 institutions that were invited to submit proposals to attend the workshop will be invited to join the network - as well as other institutions to be identified.

TWAS, CATHALAC (Panama) and the Mexican Academy of Sciences are discussing the creation of an award for South-based scientists working on water-related issues - the first of which will be awarded at the Fourth World Water Forum to be held in Mexico, 2006.

The Mexican Academy of Sciences now offers 10 fellowships for students from Latin America and working on water-related issues to study at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM). After discussions with TWAS, this is now likely to be extended to students from all developing countries. TWAS will pay the travel and the Mexican Academy of Sciences and UNAM the on-site expenses.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between UNDP/TCDC and WMO committing the organizations to following up the case studies presented during the workshop to ensure that the project has identifiable achievements. Part of this will involve the support of the TWNSO Safe Drinking Water Network.

Final Workshop Programme: SDW_FinalAgenda.doc (40 K)

List of Participants: SDW_LoP.doc (44 K)

Declaration: Creation of a Network on Safe Drinking Water in Developing Countries (73 K)

Workshop Photo Gallery

TWNSO Safe Drinking Water Network: Discussion group created on 22 Sept. 2004