DUSHANBE, February 12, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The Network of Stakeholder Organizations on Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation (TajWSS) Meeting is being held in the Conference Hall of the Mercury Hotel in Dushanbe today.

According to press release issued by the TajWSS Project, the purpose of first TajWSS Network meeting in 2014 will be to discuss and formulate the Network’s strategy for the next four years. The meeting will start with welcoming speeches from the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, UNDP and Oxfam in Tajikistan.

The TajWSS network will continue promoting collaboration between key stakeholders and contribute to institutional and policy reform in Tajikistan with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).  The Network will be addressing topics like water tariff calculation,   inventory of water supply systems, sanitation and water quality, gender equity and social accountability.

Main agenda points will be:

 

-       Introduction of the second phase of Tajikistan Water Supply and Sanitation Project funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Oxfam in Tajikistan in partnership with UNDP.  The focus will be put on analyses of the current sanitation situation, gender analysis of the water supply projects and consumers’ empowerment.

-       Presentation of the second phase’s objectives and expected outcomes of the project for “Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, Ferghana Valley Tajikistan” of International Secretariat for Water (ISW), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).  Project is aimed to improve the rural population’s health and wellbeing through sustainable water supply and improved household hygiene and hygienic behavior.

-       Discussion on the revised terms of reference and new strategy of the Network of Stakeholder Organizations on Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation.  It is planned to establish new working groups on sanitation and gender, work at regional, international levels, attracting international experience, and review models for phasing out through the handover mechanism of the Network.

 

Network of Stakeholder Organizations on Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation was created on November 12, 2009 aiming at bringing together all interested organizations including governmental structures of Tajikistan, international and local civil society organizations, private sector and media.

Today TajWSS Network provides a platform for more than 60 stakeholder organizations including Policymakers, Investors, Academics and Organizations of the Civic and International Societies.  TajWSS supports the diverse stakeholders in rural drinking water to address sustainability and effectiveness of the Tajikistan rural WS&S sub-sector through sharing of best practices and implementation of innovative pilot projects. TajWSS Network brings the issue of developing rural water supply and sanitation to researchers and the results of researches to policymakers.