Leading the conversation: Accountability for Water sets the agenda at World Water Week.
Accountability was firmly planted on the agenda at this year’s World Water Week through a “super interactive” event entitled ’How accountability is accelerating progress on SDG6’.
The session was held online on 26th August. Accountability for Water and Sanitation and Water for All partners organised the event to stimulate knowledge about accountability research and practice.
It examined the role of accountability in strengthening systems to deliver WASH services and WRM, featuring contributions from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners across the water sector.
Introductory presentations reflected on experiences of accountability from the point of view of a donor, FCDO in Tanzania, and civil society, the Freshwater Action Network in South Asia (FANSA).
We made the event as interactive as possible, with participants encouraged to bring their own experiences of improving accountability and to share challenges they have identified.
Following introductory remarks from facilitators, participants split out into breakout rooms to discuss four topics, which we will summarise in separate blog posts:
Implementing an advocacy plan for improved accountability in the WASH sector;
Mutual accountability and multi-stakeholder partnerships in national WASH systems;
Building a (policy-focused) research agenda for accountability for WRM, drinking water and sanitation;
Closing civic space and navigating the politics of accountability.
Lessons from recent research were shared through introductory presentations in each group, including an SWA study of mutual accountability and national multi-stakeholder platforms, Water Witness’ analysis of global research into accountability initiatives in the WASH and water resources sectors, and other ongoing research from partners into accountability interventions and approaches in Africa. The event brought together experiences of water practitioners from various countries, including India, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Attendees grappled with the opportunities and limitations of accountability interventions in the water sector. Each room had a rapporteur who shared a summary of key discussion points with the rest of the group.
In total, over 160 people attended from over 30 countries. The event was convened by a coalition of organisations: the African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation (ANEW), UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, IRC WASH, KEWASNET, PASGR, Sanitation and Water for All, and Water Witness.
Thank you all for making it an excellent session.