• Regulation, an essential tool in the quest for universal service delivery and the achievement of the SDGs

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 27 November 2018. The city of Rio de Janeiro is hosting for the first time the Rio Water Week, from 26 to 28 November organised by the Brazilian Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (ABES). Focussing on ensuring access to water and sanitation for all by 2030, the event brings together international experts to discuss and exchange on water challenges, public policies, and existing solutions, technologies, and innovation.

The International Water Association is represented at Rio Water Week by its membership including Mr Enrique Cabrera, IWA Vice-President and Chair of IWA Publishing Board of Directors; Ms Carolina Latorre, Policy and Regulation Lead at IWA Global Operations Office; Mr Dhesigen Naidoo, from the Water Research Commission of South Africa; Mr Oscar Pintos, President of ADERASA; Mr Paulo Salles, President of ADASA; Mr Alejo Molinari, Benchmarking Manager at ERAS; Ms Vanessa Fernanda Schmitt, Advisor to the Board of Directors of ADASA and member of ABAR; Mr Jaime Melo Baptista, Coordinator of LIS Water; and Mr Rui Cunha Marques, Universidad de Lisboa. Top professionals in their respective fields, they address water governance and planning, efficient management, financing, and climate change at this international conference.

“The greatest challenge is to go beyond the borders of Brazil to interest and bring our great international partners to the discussion about the universalization of the sanitation services”, said Mr Roberval Tavares de Souza, President of ABES. The strategic role that IWA can play in this is straightforward, as it brings the international experience and expertise of its members into the discussions in Rio.

Earlier this month, IWA and the Association of Regulators of Water and Sanitation of the Americas (ADERASA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to bring experts of both networks together, seeking ways to promote the universalisation of water and sanitation services, and particularly to ensure that policies and regulations in the Region are enablers of innovation and sustainable development. The MoU reflects its commitment to the industry and the opportunities for the Latin American water sector and beyond. IWA’s presence in Rio is a tangible step in the fulfilment of this commitment.

At this conference in Rio de Janeiro, Carolina Latorre mentioned within the dedicated series of sessions to discuss the role of regulation in the water sector that “we need a mind-set change –from a contingency approach towards a water security one, and we can’t do that without regulation and engaged regulators.” She brings to Rio the experience of the five editions of the International Water Regulators Forum (IWRF), focusing on how regulators address the Sustainable Development Goals challenges towards resilience and sustainable universal access to water and sanitation. This has been at the heart of the discussions at the IWRF, which has gathered over 90 regulatory institutions from all continents to discuss their role in supporting and enabling the achievement of the SDG 6 at various level of action, e.g. basin, city and utility levels.

“Monitoring is an essential part of achieving the SDGs”, stated Enrique Cabrera, IWA Vice-President “however, the road ahead of us in terms of measuring and tracking the SDG targets is almost as challenging as the goals themselves, as we are far from having sufficient good quality data globally. The role of national agencies and regulators is a critical one and will be decisive in bridging the information gap. The good news is that, if we measure well, we will be closer to meet SDG6 in 2030”.

• ENDS –

Photo: Enrique Cabrera speaks at Rio Water Week 2018

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About the Rio Water Week

The Rio Water Week is organized by the Brazilian Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (ABES), and held for its first time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from November 26th to 28^th 2018. The event, which already takes place in other countries, such as Sweden and Singapore, brings together professionals and companies from Brazil and other countries and involves the academic community, experts and international organizations to discuss water in its broader conception, addressing challenges, public policies and the existing solutions and technologies in Brazil and around the world, placing strong focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6. The 2018 Rio Water Week counts of 365 sessions focusing on 9 key themes: water, sanitation and health for all by 2030; governance and planning; efficient management; education and training; financing monitoring; regulation; communication; climate change and innovation. http://riowaterweek.com.br/

Further Information on Brazil’s water sector

Article on IWA Connect by Carolina Latorre: Zooming in Brazil’s Water and Sanitation. Provision of water and sanitation services in Brazil is guided by a National Plan (2013 – 2033) that prioritizes (…) read more…

For more information, please contact:

Carolina Latorre Carolina.Latorre@iwahq.org

Ulrike Kelm Ulrike.Kelm@iwahq.org

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