Blogging on Water

Matt Damon: The Celebrity Shall Save You

2009-09-18T15:46:00.001-04:00

Matt Damon: The Celebrity Shall Save You

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OU International Water Prize Winner: Steve Luby

2009-09-08T16:12:00.006-04:00

I don't go in for the 'hero worship' one bit, but if I did Steve Luby would be a good candidate: he has dedicated his career - at least a great portion of it - to preventing and treating waterborne diarrheal disease. Recognition is long past due, and rah rah for the University of Oklahoma and its Selection Committee for awarding Steve Luby the International Water Prize. Please join them in October (27th - 29th) for the International WaTER Conference and choice prize ceremony if you have the means.

Oklahoma University International Water Prize

Purpose: The purpose of the OU International Water Prize is to recognize and honor an individual who has made significant international contributions, either through research or teaching or service activities, in the field of water supply and sanitation, with a focus on the world's poorest living in small villages/communities in rural or remote regions.

Details: The Prize is a biennial award sponsored by the WaTER Center at the University of Oklahoma and made possible by generous gifts from alumni and friends. The inaugural prize winner will be selected in 2008 and awarded at the 2009 OU WaTER Conference to be held in late October 2009. The winner will receive a $25,000 cash reward with half of the reward going directly to the recipient and half going to the WaTER-related non-profit organization of his/her choice. The winner will also receive replica of the WaTER symbol cast in silver and a bronze plaque. This is one of the first and largest prizes dedicated to the field of water supply and sanitation in remote areas of emerging regions.

Dr. Stephen P. Luby - 2009 OU International Water Prize Winner

Dr. Luby has worked for the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh since 2004. He is head of the Program on Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Sciences and also functions as the head of Agency for the Centers for Disease Control in Bangladesh. He earned a bachelor of arts in philosophy from Creighton University in 1981 and a medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas in 1986. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Rochester-Strong Memorial Hospital. Dr. Luby studied epidemiology and public health in the Epidemic Intelligence Service and the Preventive Medicine Residency of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Luby has authored over 120 scientific articles, the majority concerning communicable disease epidemiology in low-income countries.

Jurors for the 2009 Prize included:

Greg Allgood, Director of Procter & Gamble Pur Program
Michael Campana, Director of the Institute for Water and Watersheds, Oregon State University
Henock Gezahegn, PSI-Ethiopia
Daniele Lantagne, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA
Malcolm Morris, Chairman of Stewart Title Company in Houston, TX and co-founder of Living Water International and the Millennium Water Alliance

ONE Rallies for Clean Water at the Field Museum in Chicago

2009-09-02T14:17:00.004-04:00

See report below from Matthew Bartlett at the ONE Campaign:

[Don't forget to go to the ONE website and ask your Senator to cosponsor the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009:

http://www.one.org/us/waterfortheworld/ ]

This Monday in Chicago, ONE held a rally at The Field Museum’s Water Exhibit to celebrate the Paul Simon Water for the World Act. The event featured US Senator Richard Durbin, an original cosponsor of the Water for the World Act, and we were joined by many ONE members, local guests and partner organizations.

Before the event started, I caught up with Shayne Moore, a ONE member since inception. Shayne and I talked about the power of “Moms” in the world and the important role that women play both in ONE and in global development. Shayne even told me some of her work with partner groups and how as a mother of three, she felt strongly about supporting the life saving work of the Global Fund.

Sheila Nix, ONE’s executive director, opened up the event by talking about the lack of clean water in many parts of the developing world and just how crucial clean water is to global health issues. She went on to highlight the importance of the Water for the World Act and the potential it has to help usher in clean water to millions of lives around the world. Sheila also highlighted the prominent role that many of ONE’s partner groups play both on the ground in Africa, and in advocacy here in the US. Before she introduced Senator Durbin, she highlighted his efforts on the Water for the World Act, and his greater role in many other essential programs and for being one of the earliest and strongest backers of the Global Fund.

Senator Durbin then spoke about how ONE’s petition around Water for All put a growing bi-partisan force behind the legislation, saying that when it was first introduced, only a few other senators had signed on, but after ONE members across the country weighed in, alongside many other individuals and organizations, the list of co-sponsors is growing and Senator Durbin even noted Senator Isakson’s support from across the political aisle. Senator Durbin even singled out Water Advocates and noted Matt Damon’s special taped message to ONE members.

After the event, we took a quick tour of the water exhibit and after a few ONE members and guests were able to speak with Senator Durbin and thank him for his participation in the event, and for his actions in the Congress to help bring clean water to the world’s poorest people. I even had the chance to thank him for the chance meeting back in New Hampshire when I spotted him in a ONE shirt.

No matter where you live, clean water is one of the most crucial tenants to a healthy life. And no matter where you live in the US, your voice can help bring clean water to millions around the world when you take action with ONE.

Water and Sanitation Program / Handwashing Help

2009-09-01T13:46:00.003-04:00

From a friend at the Water and Sanitation Program in Washington DC:

I am currently working on WSP's scaling up of hand-washing-with-soap project. As part of this effort, we are compiling a list of "enabling technologies" that facilitate handwashing-with-soap.

Of course, tippy taps are the most common and well known but other technologies like soap dishes, soap nets, handwashing stations, cue cards, etc. also fit into this broad category of "enabling technologies." We suspect a large part of this research effort will involve documenting a wide range of tippy tap options. BUT we do not want to get stuck on tippy taps, and we hope to discover outside-the-box ideas and devices that people have seen in the field.

Do you have any experiences or have you seen anything that fits into this effort? If you have a photo, description, write-up, anything, that will be extremely helpful.Also, if you know of other folks that have experiences to share, please pass along my inquiry.

If you are aware of ideas, handwashing approaches/technologies that they need to be aware of, please reach out directly to Ian Moise at the Water and Sanitation Program:

Ian Moise
WSP - Scaling Up Programs
Hand Washing and Sanitation

imoise (at) worldbank.org

USAID Hiring Water and Sanitation / Diarrhea Expert

2009-09-01T08:28:00.002-04:00

I have received this note through various channels from USAID in Washington DC – a very interesting senior watsan position at USAID on its Environmental Health Team. Note the focus on ‘diarrheal disease and associated mortality’.

Public Health Advisor – Environmental Health
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

The USAID Bureau for Global Health, Maternal and Child Health Division (MCH), based at USAID headquarters in Washington DC, is seeking a Public Health Advisor to provide leadership in its environmental health activities. The major activities of the MCH environmental health team are focused on reduction of diarrheal disease and associated mortality for vulnerable populations in developing countries, especially children under 5, through improvements in drinking water quality and availability, sanitation, and hygiene. Other areas of activity vary over time, but may include improvement in indoor air quality, reduction of health vulnerabilities from climate change, and other topics related to health impacts from environmental degradation.

The successful candidate will participate in and provide leadership to the development of USAID environmental health strategies, plans, program guidance, and dissemination of results. S/he will provide specialized expertise to USAID Missions and host-country governments on new developments and the most effective approaches to environmental health problems in a region or country. S/he will be responsible for communicating such strategies and program results to diverse audiences within and outside USAID, including the U.S. Congress, external partners, and senior USAID and U.S. government staff.

This is a senior position requiring effective program management and communications skills. For further details on qualifications and to apply for this position, please see http://www.avuecentral.com/vacancy.html?ref=NRKVN.

Note that U.S. citizenship is required. Application deadline is 9/9/2009.

ITT and Water For People at World Water Week in Stockholm

2009-08-31T10:09:00.005-04:00

ITT has been a longtime supporter of the World Water Week in Stockholm. ITT's Bjorn Von Euler has done a lot of writing this summer and you might want to skim his Final Thoughts from Stockholm World Water Week 2009.

To reiterate one point that Water For People’s Ned Breslin made at Stockholm: “Please hold poor people accountable.”

Donors, implementing nonprofits, and local communities *all* need to be held accountable for the sustainability of their water and sanitation programming, each as much as the other. Often the best way to ensure decentralized ownership and thereby local sustainability is by making sure that the local communities have a financial stake in the program. This often comes as an upfront cash investment in the capital costs of the work (e.g. the community itself pays for 5-25% of the cost of the borewell) and most if not all of the ongoing operating costs. This contribution will be managed by a village water committee or its equivalent in an urban or peri-urban environment. That committee will also be charged with ensuring that the benefits of the program are distributed equitably, including to those families and individuals who are too poor to pay anything at all.

ITT, Water For People, and many other groups (for profit and/or nonprofit - this distinction is often lost on me) are doing what they can to “work themselves out of a job” - the true goal of global development work. Accountability and sustainability (including financial sustainability) are two facets of development which need to pervade the safe drinking water sector.

Guy Laliberté's Poetic Social Mission in Space | One Drop Foundation

2009-08-29T14:13:00.005-04:00

Holy cow. Mon dieu je veux dire.

About Guy Laliberté's Poetic Social Mission in Space One Drop Foundation

In September 2009, Guy Laliberté will undertake a groundbreaking, ground-leaving adventure of a lifetime. The Founder of Cirque du Soleil and the ONE DROP Foundation will become Canada’s first private explorer in space and the first to engage in a Poetic Social Mission in Space.

During his 12-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Laliberté’s unique social/humanitarian mission will have one clear purpose: to raise humanity’s awareness of water-related issues.

Traveling has always been a part of Laliberté’s life, and he has been researching the possibility of space travel since 2004. That being said, the timing and purpose needed to be right.

This is the time... The first Poetic Social Mission in Space is a symbolic moment for Laliberté.

After 25 years, Cirque du Soleil will be introduced to Russia, the country where Laliberté is training for his voyage and from where the Soyuz TMA-16 rocket will launch him and the Expedition 21 crew into space. The timing could not be more appropriate!

The purpose is also clear... Laliberté’s mission in space is dedicated to making an impact on how water, our most precious resource, is protected and shared. And he will be applying tools he has used so well for most of his life to bring about change: arts and culture.

Information about our world’s water-related issues will be conveyed using a singular poetic approach. The messages he will transmit from the ISS will build awareness for ONE DROP Foundation initiatives, its objectives and dream of "Water for all, all for water."

Read about ONE DROP's work in Nicaragua with Oxfam also - here.

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Stockholm Water Prize Awarded to Bindeshwar Pathak and Sulabh International

2009-08-29T13:05:00.005-04:00

I have been following Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak's work for years at Sulabh International, including a visit to his workshop and the Toilet Museum in New Delhi a couple of years ago. Don't forget to check out the Sanitation Fashion Show.

Great to see Sulabh win the Stockholm Water Prize a few days ago in Sweden. It's about time to see sanitation included in water discussions and global water events instead of it being the unruly red-headed stepchild at the kiddie table. We won't solve the global safe drinking water challenge, or stay on top of it when we do, if we don't deal with the untreated human waste of 2.5b people.

As the India Journal quoted:

If water is honored by the Prize being named after it, the importance of sanitation, its sibling, cannot be left far behind. The two complement rather than compete with each other,” Pathak said in his acceptance speech.

Yes. Go Dr. Pathak.

National Geographic - looking for water writers

2009-08-28T09:23:00.005-04:00

The National Geographic is looking for story pitches about the global water and sanitation challenge and its solutions for a new series in National Geographic News.

For aspiring writers and waterbloggers, the Geographic's Tasha Eichenseher writes:

If you have ideas and pitches you are shopping around, I'd love to read them. I believe our news site is getting about three million page views a month, so this is a great way to share what you've found. I'd like the news series to be primarily feature stories with a local flavor -- stories about the people and other species affected by diminishing water resources. Ideally we'll balance out stories of peril with stories of progress and hope. I am also interested in breaking news about new programs, tech solutions, scientific studies, and policies and their potential positive or negative implications. And definitely always looking for the quirky, unexpected, and bizarre.

Some more detail about the series:

Clean Water for All

By 2050 a third of the planet's people could be without a clean, secure source of water—a necessity for life. A special news series by National Geographic News explores the local stories and global trends defining the world's water crisis.

Scope:

50 new articles -- National Geographic News word-counts and rates apply (an average of U.S.$400 per story, depending on length.)

Themes include:

Water and Health
Sanitation
Conflict
Competition
Habitats and aquatic species
Climate
Engineering
Energy
Food
Population growth
Innovation
Tech solutions
Policy solutions
Embedded and virtual water
Sacred water
Interesting projects and people

Timeline:

September 15, 2009 – June 15, 2010

If interested, please submit pitches, including potential ledes and sources to Tasha Eichenseher at TEichens (at) ngs.org.

WSSCC Openings (Geneva)

2009-08-24T14:51:00.004-04:00

From one of the organizations doing some of the most interesting, effective work in the global water and sanitation sector currently: the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC):

Friends,

Please feel free to circulate these new post announcements at the WSSCC Secretariat in Geneva within your respective networks.

Ø Programme Manager, Networking and Knowledge Management
Ø Programme Manager, Advocacy and Communications

If the link doesn't work then go to www.unops.org and click under "Join the Team". Other WSSCC project officer posts for our Global Sanitation Fund and Networking and Knowledge Management departments will also be announced in the coming days on the UNOPS site and at www.wsscc.org.

USAID Water Finance Website - launched

2009-08-21T09:45:00.005-04:00

If one subscribes to the theory that true sustainability happens when development meets capitalism, then finance is clearly an important part of the solution to the global water and sanitation challenge, at many levels (e.g. capex, social entrepreneurs, microcredit/microfinance, etc.)

I do subscribe to that theory - with the 'poorest of the poor' caveat (grantmaking will likely never totally disappear) - so it's good to see USAID's Development Credit Authority launching their USAID Water Finance Website at Stockholm's World Water Week.

In USAID's words:

The Water Finance Website is designed to help you integrate finance into your broader WSH [Water, Sanitation, Hygiene] strategy. Financing is especially crucial to the development of WSH services because those services are very capital intensive. Just as WSH services need to be technically sound and sustainable from an environmental perspective, they also need to be financially sustainable in order to develop adequately. By including financing in the development of a strategy to promote pro-poor WSH services, you will be helping to assure that technical, environmental and health results achieved will continue beyond the end of funding any one individual activity.

Curious as to their definition of financial sustainability, I logged in and found this: "Financial sustainability is achieved when sufficient funding is available so that service providers can continuously reduce the number of poor and marginalized people who lack adequate access to WSH services."

One way or another, these services have to be paid for, by the government through public sector finance, or by private citizens, farmers, businesses. Those without such services are paying for that in time, healthcare costs, lost wages and other opportunities.

Note that most of the developed world does not of course meet this "financial sustainability" criterion for water and wastewater resources management or else we would not have a half trillion dollar financing infrastructure gap in the US alone. Stay tuned for more on water pricing.

Global Water Survey: Results

2009-08-20T07:39:00.003-04:00

Some encouraging news from Carl Ganter and the always-impressive Circle of Blue at World Water Week:

NEW GLOBAL PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY FINDS WATER ISSUES ARE THE TOP ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN WORLDWIDE

A quick summary from WaterTechOnline.com:

A close look at the results shows that people around the world view water pollution as the most important facet of the freshwater crisis, and that shortages of fresh water are very close behind. Across the 15 countries surveyed:

• 93 percent say water pollution is a very serious (72 percent) or somewhat serious (21 percent) problem.

• 91 percent believe that a shortage of fresh water is a very serious (71 percent) or somewhat serious (20 percent) problem.

Across the seven focus countries:

• Government is considered among the most responsible for ensuring clean water.

• 78 percent say “solving drinking water problems will require significant help from companies,” indicating that partnerships are an important component to resolving the world’s freshwater sustainability challenges.

• 76 percent say “I need more information to be able to do more to protect water.”

While people around the world agree on the importance of the issue, some key differences between the countries surveyed support the idea that solutions will have to be carefully tailored to local conditions.

These findings are helpful for water writ large, and highlight a couple of really important topics:

- At the end of the day, meeting peoples' needs for safe drinking water and sanitation is the responsibility of the governments around the world. If those governments chose to outsource some of the infrastructure provision, I have no issue with that per se. Those governments need to maintain the intellectual capacity to manage that relationship so that the outsourced provider is not simply focused on profit, but on the social contract.

- Solutions will indeed need to be tailored for each local condition. There are so many social externalities associated with water and sanitation/hygiene that the cultural piece of this puzzle may prove to be the most challenging.

- I need to dig into the report further, but I hope that its definition of 'pollution' includes not just industrial/chemical contaminants running into water supplies, but nasty biological contaminants like rotavirus and vibrio cholerae, which kill millions of people unnecessarily each year. However, considering that quality typically lags quantity, it's good to see quality taking the spotlight in this survey period.

And of course MUST give shout out to Molson Coors Brewing Co. for their support for this survey. Molson can spend its money (part of it from me...) on many things, and I am glad they chose this.

World Humanitarian Day

2009-08-19T07:27:00.004-04:00

Happy World Humanitarian Day!

From the United Nations media advisory:

Established by the General Assembly of the United Nations, 19 August 2009 is the first World Humanitarian Day. The designation of the Day is a way to increase public understanding of humanitarian assistance activities worldwide. The Day also aims to honour humanitarian workers who have lost their lives or been injured in the course of their work.

Why 19 August? - Six years ago, on 19 August 2003, the United Nations office in Iraq was bombed and 22 people lost their lives. Among them was Sergio Vieira de Mello, at that time the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq. While there have been many other fatal incidents involving humanitarian personnel the General Assembly decided to use the anniversary of this incident as World Humanitarian Day.

So a quick shout out to some of our favorite humanitarians:

Clarissa Brocklehurst of UNICEF's Water and Environmental Sanitation program.

Chris Williams of UN Habitat.

Jamie Bartram, formerly of the World Health Organization, now at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Lots more where these came from, but let's start here and get the festivities rolling.

WASH in Schools - UNICEF at World Water Week

2009-08-18T13:42:00.003-04:00

It's a busy time for global water and sanitation challenges at the World Water Week in Stockholm.

Of note: UNICEF is using its time there to promote part of its approach to the challenge, which they call WASH in Schools - Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Education in Schools.

If you are at all unsure about the impact that safe drinking water and single gender sanitation can have on schools, please watch a brief video that UNICEF has produced here.

And more on UNICEF's website:

http://www.unicef.org/wash/index_50832.html

And more from Water Advocates here.

I have been saying for a long time that the only thing that can compete with safe drinking water and sanitation on the hierarchy of development needs is girls' education. UNICEF's work with WASH in Schools pulls it all together nicely.

Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy - Awards Nomination

2009-08-18T11:51:00.004-04:00

Paul Newman launched the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy several years ago.

They have just announced the nomination period for their Excellence Awards in Corporate Philanthropy. From CECP:

There are three corporate award categories:

Chairman’s Award: company with 2008 revenues equal to or greater than US$20bn.
President’s Award: company with 2008 revenues between US$5bn and US$20bn.
Founder’s Award: company with 2008 revenues less than US$5bn.

Additionally, there is a Director’s Nonprofit Award, given annually to a nonprofit for its partnership with a corporation. The winning nonprofit receives a $25,000 check from CECP’s directors.

The Waterblogger would really like to see a water-related corporate/nonprofit partnership win this time around. There are a lot of examples, some of which are featured in CECP's own recent newsletter:

http://corporatephilanthropy.org/resources-lp/best-practices/the-corporate-philanthropist.html

The programs are evaluated by an independent selection committee according to the following criteria: CEO Leadership, Innovation, Partnership, and Measurement.

More information about the nominating process here.

UPI and Global Water

2009-08-17T09:11:00.005-04:00

An upcoming event I want to make you aware of:

Our Water

Water-related illness: Problems and Solutions

September 23, 11am - 2pm

Washington, DC

Hosted by United Press International, Our Water is the first in a series of topic-related forums that aim to bring together experts and decision makers, as well as traditional and citizen journalists to discuss some of the most pertinent issues facing our world today. Our Water will include a speakers' panel consisting of experts and organizations that are actively working to solve the pressing problems resulting from a lack of access to clean water around the world. This distinguished panel will provide vital information on economic and political aspects of the problems surrounding preventable water-related illnesses, as well as tangible solutions to this critical matter.

Why Water?

After oxygen, water is the most essential resource for the human body. Over half of the human body is composed of water, nearly 70% of the world is covered in water, and yet less than one percent of the freshwater on the planet is readily available for consumption. Without access to sustainable, clean water resources, people are forced to drink contaminated, unsanitary water. In more than 150 countries, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, and areas of sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa, South Asia, Central America and Europe, among others, between 2 and 5 million people across the globe die each year without access to clean water.

Panelists include PSI's Sally Cowal, Water Advocates' John Sauer, George Mason University's Abul Hussam, charity: water's Becky Straw, and CSIS' Katherine Bliss.

See the current list of panelists.

For more details, download UPI's Our Water press packet here or contact: lgilroy@upi.com

"Water is Medicine" Capitol Hill Briefing - Jae So of the Water and Sanitation Program

2009-07-30T16:55:00.004-04:00

From the July 29, 2009 Capitol Hill Briefing "Water is Medicine" please take a moment to watch Jae So's interview from the Water and Sanitation Program (a global partnership administered by the World Bank):

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-306686

Capitol Hill Briefing: Water is Medicine

2009-07-28T16:35:00.003-04:00

See you tomorrow in Washington DC!

Water is Medicine
Capitol Hill Briefing
July 29, 2009

On Wednesday July 29, 2009, the bipartisan Congressional Water Caucus and Water Advocates are hosting a Capitol Hill Briefing in Washington, DC on the vital linkages between safe drinking water, sanitation and global public health challenges:

** Water is Medicine: Safe Water, Sanitation and Global Public Health Challenges **

Speakers will discuss the gravity of the current global safe drinking water and sanitation challenge, and its critical impact on global public health, including the 25+ diseases due to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation. Speakers will also review what is currently being done around the world to help meet the need for safe water, improved sanitation and better health, and offer examples and case studies of what the U.S. government and others in the international donor community are doing to help meet and exceed the Millennium Development Goals for water, sanitation and health. The costs associated with this challenge will be addressed, as will the impact of inaction on health and economic development.

What: Capitol Hill Briefing, "Water is Medicine: Safe Water, Sanitation and Global Public Health Challenges"

Who: Speakers will include noted public health experts and leaders from prominent international aid agencies

· Christine Moe, Director, Center for Global Safe Water
Emory University

· Jae So, Manager, Water and Sanitation Program
Global Partnership administered by the World Bank

· Rich Thorsten, Director of International Programs, Water.org
Co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White

Moderated by John Oldfield, Water Advocates

When: Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 2pm - 3pm

Where: Capitol Visitor Center, South Meeting Room http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/Visit/
Please allow time for security clearance.

Please circulate this invitation widely.

RSVP to Water Advocates at wateradvocatesrsvp@gmail.com.

What recession? More jobs for water people...

2009-07-21T14:19:00.002-04:00

Water For People currently has five positions to fill. The following job listings are on their website:

Senior Accountant
Administrative Assistant
Marketing Assistant
Major Gifts Coordinator
Volunteer Services, Training and Research Administrative Assistant

If you are interested in any of the positions, please visit here.

Matt Damon, Gary White, and Water.org

2009-07-21T13:59:00.004-04:00

Matt Damon, H2O Africa co-founder, and Gary White, WaterPartners executive director and co-founder, have joined forces to co-found a new organization – Water.org – a non-profit focused on bringing access to safe water and sanitation to the developing world. Water.org will leverage grassroots awareness-building expertise and nearly two decades of demonstrated innovation and success in the sector to help the nearly 890 million people without safe water and the more than 2.5 billion people without safe sanitation.

Matt Damon, a long-time advocate for safe water issues, explains the importance of launching Water.org. “Every 15 seconds, a child in the developing world dies from water-related disease. After visiting project sites in Africa and Asia with Gary, I’ve seen the problem and the impact of safe water.” Damon said, “As a clear leader in the sector at delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for those in need, WaterPartners was the natural choice with whom to work to truly affect lasting change.”

Gary White sees a bright future for Water.org and the people it serves. “For more than 20 years I’ve been working to realize the vision of global access to safe water, and with the help of our donors, staff, partner organizations, and the H2OAfrica team, I’m confident we can accelerate our impact,” said White, the Executive Director of the new organization. White, who recently received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, said Water.org will set the stage for even broader impact in the sector. “It will open the door to advocacy work, and bring the water issue to new heights in the public’s consciousness.”

The merger of H2O Africa and WaterPartners will improve efficiencies, leverage expertise, and increase the overall social return on donations. Water.org will be an integrated advocacy and fundraising destination for safe water and sanitation issues. Through its partners worldwide, it will champion innovative business models, local partner development, project selection and oversight, program management, and post-development monitoring and evaluation. Later this year, the organization will launch an entirely new online experience that will bring unprecedented transparency and connectedness between donors and those in need.

My Water Career - job postings

2009-07-19T19:40:00.003-04:00

A resource for water-related jobs I have been perusing for some time:

www.my-water-career.com

Among new vacancies are the following positions:

UNESCO-IHE – Professor of Water Supply Engineering, The Netherlands The professor in Water Supply Engineering gives overall academic leadership to the core in its international education, research and capacity building activities.
Watsan Projects Manager, Badakhshan region, Afghanistan Effectively manage water and sanitation projects in line with objectives, budget and timeframe.
Civil Engineer with MSc equiv. (m/f/) for worldwide project assignments Proyry are looking for a Project Manager / Senior Project Engineer specialized in Water Supply.
Civil Engineer with MSc equiv. (m/f/), Germany Proyry are also looking for a Project Director / Senior Project Manager specialized in Water Supply for their Germany office.

And so on - great resource.

Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy: Global Water Crisis

2009-07-10T17:00:00.003-04:00

I think you might be interested in the most recent issue of The Corporate Philanthropist published by the Center Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (founded by the late Paul Newman).

The Corporate Philanthropist
Spring/Summer 2009 issue: The Global Water Crisis

“The shortage of clean drinking water and lack of access to sanitation in areas of the developing world requires the involvement of all sectors of society, including business. This edition of The Corporate Philanthropist focuses on the global water crisis, exploring how companies can partner and collaborate with multilateral organizations, governments, local enterprises, and nonprofit organizations in order to work towards innovative, sustainable solutions, while reinforcing business strategies. Articles highlight the philanthropic strategies at Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical, GlaxoSmithKline, ITT, and Pepsi, among many other companies.”

Articles include:

· The Water Crisis: A New Way Forward
· The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009
· Engagement with Multilateral Organizations
· Innovative Financing of Water Projects
· Water Needs Public-Private Partnerships
· Resources for Water Partnerships

Kudos to the many companies highlighted who are part of the solution. To the others: chop chop. This global water issue isn't going to solve itself. Some encouragement regarding the potential upside of water and corporate social responsibility initiatives:

Topline impact: business opportunities and market positioning, especially in the fastest-growing markets in the developing world.

Bottom line impact: save money and time, and minimize risk. Business decisions will be better if the water issue is incorporated early in decision-making processes, e.g. where to locate a new factory, how and from whom to source raw materials, how to establish and maintain relationships with local communities.

Prouder employees in rich countries, and prouder and healthier employees in poor countries.

Enhanced corporate reputation and image in the developed as well as in the developing world:
- Better relations with governments and local communities throughout thedeveloping world: water projects are an effective way of minimizing the risk of being seen as ‘just taking, not giving.’
- Better relations with financial and other stakeholders in the developed world – water is increasingly being highlighted in annual reports, and annual citizenship reports. Some companies are even publishing reports dedicated entirely to their management of water resources, for example Nestlé’s 2006 Water Management Report

Saves lives of children, and improves livelihoods - of poor women in particular -throughout the developing world.

Water is Medicine: Capitol Hill Briefing July 29, 2009

2009-07-09T16:07:00.005-04:00

Invitation - Water is Medicine - Capitol Hill Briefing - July 29

On Wednesday July 29, 2009, the bipartisan Congressional Water Caucus and Water Advocates are hosting a Capitol Hill Briefing in Washington DC on the vital linkages between safe drinking water, sanitation and global public health challenges:

Water is Medicine: Safe Water, Sanitation and Global Public Health Challenges

Speakers will discuss the gravity of the current global safe drinking water and sanitation challenge, and its critical impact on global public health, including the 25+ diseases due to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation. Speakers will also review what is currently being done around the world to help meet the need for safe water, improved sanitation and better health, and offer examples and case studies of what the U.S. government and others in the international donor community are doing to help meet and exceed the Millennium Development Goals for water, sanitation and health. The costs associated with this challenge will be addressed, as will the impact of inaction on health and economic development.

What: Capitol Hill Briefing, "Water is Medicine: Safe Water, Sanitation and Global Public Health Challenges"

Who: Speakers will include noted public health experts and leaders from prominent international aid agencies

Dr. Christine Moe, Director, Center for Global Safe Water, Emory University
Ms. Jae So, Manager, Water and Sanitation Program
UNICEF (invited)

When: Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 2pm - 3pm

Where: Capitol Visitor Center, South Meeting Room

Please circulate this invitation widely, and RSVP to Water Advocates at wateradvocatesrsvp@gmail.com.

Millennum Water Alliance - Job posting

2009-07-09T15:15:00.003-04:00

JOB OPPORTUNITY at Millennium Water Alliance – Senior Contract/Grant Officer

We wish to recruit a Senior Contract/Grant Officer to serve as a contact person and principal advisor to the MWA staff for compliance issues related to public and private sector funding.

Position is offered on a contractual consultancy basis and will be part time; approximately 200-250 hours a year. Office space is to be provided by the applicant. Please indicate compensation expectations.

Key responsibilities include:
1. Advise management and oversee compliance for various types of financial assistance awards, cooperative agreements, grants, sub grants, memorandums of understanding, etc.
2. Advise and recommend regarding, and coordinate and/or negotiate, new awards, amendments or modifications with various donor agencies, including compliance reviews.
3. Advise and recommend input and technical support during concept paper and proposal development and submission processes.
4. Advise, develop and implement various policies, procedures and systems to help comply with governmental policies, procedures, regulations and statutes, including micro-credit loan programs.
5. Draft appropriate legal agreements for awards, etc.
6. Advise and coordinate with other personnel within the organization to ensure adherence to donor requirements.
7. Develop and maintain relationships with various donor personnel so as to be as effective as possible and to keep apprised of policy and regulatory changes.
8. Oversee management of legal files.
9. Mentor and/or provide compliance training to staff.

Five years direct experience with contract/grants agreements and compliance with USAID preferably with an international NGO.

Please provide resume or CV, three references and indicate compensation rates.

Contact: Alvin Tans, Treasurer, Alvin.Tans@mwawater.org, 803-547-6541

Water for the Poor Act Congressional Report, June 2009

2009-06-26T17:30:00.002-04:00

The Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act Congressional Report, June 2009 was released today by the U.S. Department of State. I'll have a quick review of the document shortly. In the interim, please see Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's superb introduction to the document:

I am pleased to present the 2009 Report to Congress on the implementation of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act. Perhaps no two issues are more important to human health, economic development, and peace and security than basic sanitation and access to sustainable supplies of water.

I have witnessed this first-hand. Without reliable supplies of clean water, people cannot live, farmers cannot grow crops, and the environment on which we all depend cannot survive. Without proper sanitation, human health and dignity suffer, and the environment and water supplies often become contaminated. Together, we must work to ensure that no child dies from a preventable water-related disease, that no girl fears going to school for lack of access to a separate toilet, that no woman walks six kilometers to collect water for her family, and that no war is ever fought over
water.

In his inaugural address on January 20, 2009, President Obama said “[T]o the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.” I can think of no better way to honor the legacy of Senator Paul Simon, who did so much for so many, than to commit ourselves to achieving this vision and the ideals of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act.

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State