CONNECT Finance

Prioritising investing in water, sanitation and hygiene as a human right - and in water security - is a requirement for economic growth.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

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

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

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

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