BPD at Stockholm 08
In August 2008, BPD attended Stockholm World Water Week. In addition to staffing an exhibition stand, we co-convened two seminar sessions:
Making Regulation Work for the Poor: Accelerating Access to Water and Sanitation
BPD, GTZ, WSP and AFD co-convened to present this vital issue. A series of presenters and panellists debated four controversial statements:
- Regulators have little impact on improving access for the poor
- Tariff regulation is more relevant to richer communities than poor ones
- The regulator should directly engage informal providers
- Consumer voice mechanisms are beyond the reach of the poor
We heard stories from the Philippines, Tanzania and Zambia, as well as a range of wider experience from the audience and others.
Impending Disaster or Strategic Opportunity? Small Town Sanitation - It's a Big Issue
This session was co-hosted by BPD, WaterAid and IWA. Rather than in the large ‘megacities’ that dominate the headlines, the majority of rapid urban growth in developing countries is in small and medium towns. While existing infrastructure is typically sparse, the small size and lower density of small towns provides a window of opportunity for proactive intervention.
We heard about the 'known knowns', 'known unknowns' and 'unknown unknowns' of this crucial topic. The Gates Foundation, IIED, PsEau and PDM also participated in this session.