Lobby & Advocacy

The work of the international lobby and advocacy group focuses on increased financing of the WASH sector, the institutionalisation of budget tracking, increased awareness of the practical awareness of the Right to Water and Sanitation (RTWS) and recognition of the importance of maintained and enhanced ecosystem service provision for sustainable WASH delivery. Individual lobby activities will be carried out and joint efforts are covered by four programmes.

1. FIETS sustainability

The WASH Alliance have agreed with the Dutch government (DGIS) and the Dutch Water Authority and research institute Deltares to collaborate to explore how the FIETS sustainability principles could be applied to the broader water sector. Future lobby initiatives on the FIETS sustainability principles will be based on the outcomes of this initiative.

2. Increased and better targeted WASH Financing

The WASH Alliance will continue to actively contribute to discussions in the Netherlands Water Partnership on increased and better targeted financing. The lobby and advocacy group also collaborates with the End Water Poverty Network to achieve these goals.

3. Right to Water and Sanitation (RTWS)

On 28 July 2010 the United Nations explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. The Resolution calls upon States and international organizations to provide financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to help developing countries to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all. The WASH Alliance will develop a practical tool for the elaboration of national action plans on RTWS. This tool will be presented internationally at the launch of the International Year of Water Cooperation and Peace at the International Court of Justice on World Water Day 2013 in The Hague, as well as at the Stockholm Water Week in August 2013.

4. Watergrabbing

Watergrabbing refers to situations where powerful actors are able to take control of or divert valuable water resources and watersheds for their own benefit, depriving local communities whose livelihoods often depend on these resources and ecosystems. With more insight into the complexity of watergrabbing the WASH Alliance organised a thematic workshop at the Stockholm Water Week in 2012. The acquired knowledge will be captured in a report that is to be elaborated in 2013 and will be presented nationally and internationally.