Sustainable solutions for emerging economies

To achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 6 of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, will require a massive effort by the water and sanitation practitioners, especially those in low and middle income countries.

We are beyond a simple model of expanded investment in infrastructure, there are numerous challenges and they are linked in often complex ways. For example, progress in the sector is significantly hampered by an overall shortage of appropriately skilled people in the workforce.

IWA has published a preliminary analysis from 15 countries in 2014. Developing and emerging economies have made efforts to cope with the challenges, training, establishing competency frameworks, organizational development and implementing institutional frameworks.

This is only one issue for which the fifth Water and Development Congress & Exhibition in Colombo, SriLanka creates an opportunity to share, mutually reinforce and accelerate work in progress.