Partnerships for Better

Urban Water and

Sanitation Services in
Asia and the Pacific
Mai Flor
Regional Workshop on NRW Management and Water Operator Partnership
Saint Petersburg, Russia
July 1, 2015

presentation
CONTENT

Background Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs)

About WaterLinks and WOPs

WaterLinks WOP Principles and Process

Case Studies on WOPs

Lessons Learned

Future Activities

water operator
PARTNERSHIPS

Initiated by 1st Hashimoto Action Plan (2006)

Calling for breakthroughs in vital areas of water
services delivery, especially through water operator
partnerships (WOP), to help reach MDGs

Range of donors and organizations support WOP

globally
USAID, GWOPA, ADB; regional WOP networks in Latin
America, Africa, and Asia

Focus on practical knowledge sharing and twinning

partnerships

about
WaterLinks
From a platform of WOP activities in 2008,
WaterLinks has become an independent NGO
registered in the Philippines in 2011.
Facilitates WOPs, regional trainings, knowledge
development with urban water/wastewater
operators across the Asia-Pacific region
Asian platform for WOP under the umbrella of
UN-Habitats Global WOP Alliance (GWOPA)

WaterLinks
MISSION

Mission: catalyze
measurable change in the
delivery of safe water and
sustainable sanitation
urban services

WaterLinks
CORE
ACTIVITIES
WOPs
TRAINING & TOOLKITS

WATERLINKS AWARD

WATERLINKS FORUM

program
RESULTS

Facilitated 69 WOPs in the

region since 2008 (USAID funded)

Helped improve/expand access

to safe water and sustainable
sanitation for over 1,000,000
urban residents

Catalyzed replication of over

150 good practices and
innovations

Strengthened capacities of
2,500+ practitioners

Leveraged 1:1 funding through

cost share and buy-in

WaterLinks
WOP Focus Area

NRW
Management

Water Quality
Management

Wastewater
Management

Climate
Change
Adaptation

Not-for-Profit WOPs
operate on a non-profit
basis

Results

Measureable outcomes
and impacts

Partner contribution

WaterLinks
PRINCIPLES
Reciprocal

Replication

Practitioner-to-practitioner
Demand driven
Mutual benefits

Transfer proven innovation

Scale-up and expansion (local to
regional)

WOP FACILITATION
PROCESS
Identification

Introduction

Identify interested Match potential

operators
partners
Create operator
Develop WOP
profiles
concept
Determine
Facilitate WOP
agreement
preliminary
interests and
priorities

Establishment

Implementation

Expansion

Verify partner
Implement work
Disseminate WOP
priorities, needs,
plan
achievement and
interests and
Track progress and lessons
contributions
results
Support
Develop joint work Initiate scale-up
development and
plan
preparations
implementation of
Formalize
scale-up and/or
partnership (MoU)
replication

case study

PDAM KOTA DENPASAR (Indonesia)

RANHILL UTILITIES (Malaysia)
NRW Management
19 - month partnership
PDAM serves 800,000 population with 160,000 connections
Results:

Establishment of a NRW Department

Active leak control
Establishment of 3 DMAs
Reduced NRW by 10% on average in 3 DMAs
Borouge grant of USD35,000 for pipe replacement
benefitting 3,000 people

case study

PWA (Thailand) Water Corp (Australia)

Climate change adaptation
20 - month partnership
2 sites: Udon Thani serving 330,000 people with 46,200
connections and Chang Rai serving 121,200 people with
19,400 connections

Results:
Improved water quality at both sites through changes in
treatment protocols benefitting 500,000 people
Reduced NRW thru implementation of meter
management program in Udon Thani benefitting 6,600
people

case study

LAWACO (Vietnam) K-Water (Korea)

Wastewater management
17 - month partnership
LAWACO serves 24,000 people with 6,700 connections
Results:
Improved wastewater treatment efficacy resulting in
improved wastewater services for 6,000 customers
Updated wastewater treatment and sewer
operation manual

Upgrade of LAWACOs water quality laboratory

case study

PDAM Samarinda (Indonesia)

PBAPP (Malaysia)
NRW management
17- month partnership
PDAM serves almost 1 million people with 115,000
connections

Results:
Establishment of 2 pilot DMAs
Identification of 8 more that PDAM will establish in future
24 hours water supply in pilot areas
Connection of additional 360 new customers

WOP

LESSONS LEARNED
Peer-to-peer sharing is key.
Close facilitation/coordination of partnership activities
lead to more effective partner engagement.

Success depends on careful selection of partners; some

financial contribution by recipient to support
infrastructure development; and development of
achievable work work program.
Cost-sharing ensures ownership and tangible outcomes.
Short time-frame (15-20 months) is ideal for precise,
dedicated, and specific experience/expertise transfer.

WaterLinks
FUTURE ACTIVITIES

Master Classes and Regional Workshops

offered throughout the year
Involve new partners i.e. World Bank,
private sector
Technology content enhanced
o Borouge in Denpasar
o Involve technology companies

www.waterlinks.org
Ms. Mai Flor
Executive Director
mflor@waterlinks.org