For the first time ever, the SuSanA secretariat and the organisers of the WASH Sustainability Forum were joining forces to hold a joint conference: The Kampala WASH Symposium was held 20-23 June and included the 21st SuSanA meeting.

Theme

For decades, WASH programs have followed a “business as usual” approach of implementing projects that have largely remained focused on the project and under emphasized the broader context. In the rural sub-sector external funding often finances a WASH project that is expected to be maintained entirely by the local beneficiaries. In urban areas, the sustainability of services is often threatened when resources are limited to infrastructure and are not provided for developing and strengthening the capacity of critical institutions.

While external aid can be an important part of the solution, such support too often fails to make links with the broader ecosystem critical for ensuring sustainability. This system normally includes mandated authorities, private sector companies, national and global systems and tools, and local institutions among which the intervention is situated.

This Symposium broke down the silos of WASH projects by exploring methods for evaluating the context in which these interventions are situated, exploring political economy topics and examining how this whole system can be engaged with to ensure that services last over time.

For more information see the Kampala WASH Symposium Background Note.

Agenda

The symposium took place from 20 - 23 June in The Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.

• 20^th June afternoon: Networking with Sector Stakeholders
• 21^st June: Exploring a Whole System Approach
• 22^nd June: Catalyzing Change within a System
• 23^rd June: Applying the Learning through Field Visits

The detailed agenda can be found here.
See some pictures of the Sanitation Field Visit here.

Working Group Meetings

WG 6 (Cities) on Tuesday, 21 June

Meeting objectives:

• Provide space for a few presentations on new developments/products/experiences on urban sanitation.
• Present and share hot topics on urban sanitation.
• Spark discussions and initiatives of the WG6.
• Meet, network and have fun

Find here the agenda, the meeting minutes and more information on the forum.
 

WG 7 (Gender, Rural, Schools) on Monday, 20 June at the office of ARUWE

Meeting objectives:

• SDG linkages between SDG 4, 5, 6 and 7 and how to implement the goals in rural Uganda
• defining future activities of the WG7

Find here the agenda, the meeting minutes, some pictures and more information on the forum.

Presentations of WG7 meeting:
A presentation about ARUWE
Introduction to the SDGs
How Women Benefit from Sustainable Technologies for Water, Sanitation and Energy
 

Partners

The Kampala WASH Symposium is being supported by:

• The Ministry of Water and Environment - Republic of Uganda
• UNICEF
• Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
• IRC
• Global Water Challenge (GWC)
• Aguaconsult
• SustainableWASH.org
• Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA)