Selected contributors
Lesley Pories, Coordinator, Global Water Leadership
A high-energy professional who brings over ten years of experience in project management and strategy development from both headquarters as well as field office levels around issues of sustainable development and natural resources, particularly water.
Although water, sanitation and hygiene often feature high on national political agendas, there is a massive gap between the required costs and financial commitments. CONNECT Finance explores how various actors can work together to implement strategies to reduce the finance gap both in incremental ways, but also with new ways of thinking.
Recent initiatives such as the Global Commission on the Economics of Water are bringing a different narrative on how water needs to be financed. This has implications for governance, for the financial architecture and, for the way we work.
DAY 1: TUESDAY 2 MAY
Together Stronger – all systems are connected
We open with our symposium’s purpose. Experts, changemakers and decision-makers assemble to explore how connecting across boundaries and promoting systems leadership can enable us to achieve social justice and improved national systems.
C3.1 Making cents of the WASH finance gap: more than just numbers
Time: 11:30
Location: Central America, World Forum
WASH is plagued by a need for additional finance to address the gap between what is available and what is needed. WASH finance data is getting more sophisticated, but having data is only part of the equation. How do we equip WASH experts to use the available finance data to problem-solve?
Organisers, contributors and presenters
Clarissa Brocklehurst, IRC
Lesley Pories, Global Water Partnership (GWP)
Betsy Engebretson, World Health Organization (WHO)
Fiona Gore, World Health Organization (WHO)
Moses Sssonko, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda
HE Semereta Sewasew Aweke, Ministry of Finance, Ethiopia
Barbara Senkwe, USAID WASH-FIN 2 Project
C3.2 The role of repayable finance: financing different segments in the African WASH and water security landscape
Time: 13:45
Location: King Willem Alexander, World Forum
Let's close the gap! Come discuss the investment gap for water security in Africa and the need for system-wide innovation that integrates various financial streams and sources in an incremental manner to address specific segments of the gap.
Organisers, contributors and presenters
Wambui Gichuri, IRC
Gilles Tagne, IRC
Hon. Roberto Carlos Ramirez Alvarenga, Ministry of Finance, Honduras
Alex Simalabwi, Global Water Partnership (GWP)
Towela Jere, African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD)
Joel Kolker, World Bank
Osward Mulenga Chanda, African Development Bank
Peter Karanja, World Vision / Vision Fund
C3.3 The role of finance intermediaries: blended finance for water
Time: 15:30
Location: North America, World Forum
The session will explore the different roles of intermediaries and the successes/failures of technology, outcomes-based financing, de-risking investments, and technical assistance to ultimately align the demand and supply value chain and attract water-related investments.
Organisers, contributors and presenters
Monica Altamirano, Water Equity
Alvaro Ma, Aqua for All
Joshua Kibet, Aqua for All
Grégoire Landel, CityTaps
Dr. Rachel Peletz, Aquaya Institute
John Stone, The Stone Family Foundation
Esben Emborg, UNICEF
DAY 2: WEDNESDAY 3 MAY
Strengthening all systems – building resilience with water, sanitation and hygiene
Our systems journey continues as we explore and promote the role of resilient national water and sanitation systems, and the change agenda required to deliver them. Explore how water and sanitation can galvanise the development of wider public services.
C3.4 The role of finance intermediaries: blended finance for sanitation
Time: 11:30
Location: South America, World Forum
The session will explore leveraging public and development finance to harness commercial finance and scale-up sanitation service provision. We will discuss how blended finance fits in the overall financial landscape for sanitation and the key role played by intermediaries.
Organisers, contributors and presenters
Valentin Post, FINISH Mondial, WASTE
Thokozani Kaitane, Water For People
Barbara Kazimbaya-Senkwe, WASH FIN-2
Alok Kumar Majumder, Simavi
Barbara Senkwe, USAID WASH-FIN 2 Project
Stef Smits, IRC
C3.5 Mobilising public finance: the role of NGOs and civic initiatives
Time: 13:45
Location: Amazon, World Forum
Come learn about NGOs and civic initiatives that have successfully unlocked and increased public finance for water and sanitation. The session will discuss the various roles civil society can play in mobilising public finance for the sector, and the extent to which that represents a systemic change in public finance.
Organisers, contributors and presenters
Mita Sirait, World Vision
Stef Smits, IRC
Maya Sinlae, World Vision
Trisha Agarwala, Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA)
Yodit Zenebe Mekuria, Splash
Olivier Tuyishimire, Water For People
Alok Kumar Majumder, Simavi
Tri Dewi Virgiyanti, Ministry of National Development Planning
Trisha Agarwala, Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA)
Alok Kumar Majumder, Simavi
Yodit Zenebe Mekuria, Splash
Eric Stowe, Splash
Olivier Tuyishimire, Water For People
Sasha Kramer, SOIL Haiti
C3.6 Understanding and assessing the foundations for water sector investments: methods and tools
Time: 15:30
Location: North America, World Forum
The water sector requires increasing and sustainable finance from a diverse range of sources. To meet the financing challenge, governments should consider how existing policies and institutions might enable or prevent investments. We will share two tools for assessing the enabling conditions for investment in water.
Organisers, contributors and presenters
Delia Sánchez Trancón, OECD
Towela Jere, African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD)
Josien Sluijs, Aqua for All
Osward Mulenga Chanda, African Development Bank
DAY 3: THURSDAY 4 MAY
Taking action as systems leaders
We'll synthesise insights from the first two days, agree on actions and put you in the driving seat. With help from our Wisdom Council, you’ll take part in Action Assemblies and a final plenary to help define a post-event agenda while –hopefully – committing to your role in it.
C3.7 Bringing it together. Sector finance strategies: are they worth the effort?
Time: 8:30
Location: Central America, World Forum
We'll examine the use of national finance strategies to assess options and plan actions for reducing the finance gap for water, sanitation and hygiene. Following country examples and an expert panel, we'll reflect on the most promising paths forward in mobilising finance and the actions they require from various stakeholders.
Organisers, contributors and presenters
Angela Huston, IRC
Catarina Fonseca, IRC, Pulsing Tide
Rémi Kaupp, Container Based Sanitation Alliance
Joel Kolker, World Bank
Bénigne Mugwaneza Ishimwe, IRC
Osward Mulenga Chanda, African Development Bank
Hon. Roberto Carlos Ramirez Alvarenga, Ministry of Finance, Honduras
HE Dr Dereje Duguma Gemeda, Ministry of Health
Delia Sánchez Trancón, OECD
Moses Sssonko, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda
Elias Chimulambe, Ministry of Water and Sanitation
C3.8 Action Assembly: finance
Time: 11:00
Location: Oceania Foyer, World Forum
It’s time to raise our voices! Participants, not speakers or dignitaries, will be in the driving seat, for these informal town hall-style ‘Assemblies’ dedicated to moving the Water Action Agenda forward. A small number of foundational questions will generate insights, action agendas and systems leadership demands for each.
Organisers, contributors and presenters
All Systems Connect participants
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