DUSHANBE, June 10, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The next meeting of the Network of Stakeholder Organizations on Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation (TajWSS) is being held in the Conference Hall of the Mercury Hotel tomorrow.

This regular meeting of Stakeholder Organizations on Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation is organized by Oxfam in Tajikistan with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

According to the TajWSS Project, the agenda includes presentations from the Network members about their activities and relevant issues in the subsector, and the following points will be discussed by the participants:

 

-       The Concept of Regionalization of the activities of SUE “Khojagii Manziliyu Kommunali (KMK). The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will present the regionalization work currently being carried out by EBRD with SUE KMK, in particular the institutional establishment and development of regional hubs for Vodokanals (affiliates of KMK).

 

-       Water Code Analysis Results.  The work was initiated by the members of National Policy Dialogue under European Union initiative in 2012 in parallel with the work on the water sector reform strategy. A working group consisted of the representatives of various ministries and agencies carried out a comparative analysis of the Water Code of the Republic of Tajikistan and IWRM principles and Water Sector Reform Strategy. The group will present the last updates from its work.

 

-       UN Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) in 2013. The analysis was conducted in 2013 by the Ministry of Health of Tajikistan in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), and results will be shared in the Network meeting. The main objective of the GLAAS is to monitor the inputs required to extend and sustain water, sanitation and hygiene systems and services via a country led-process. 

 

-       Public awareness raising and the ways of making it more effective. Theatre is as an effective method of awareness raising and can therefore play a key role in community education and development. As agreed at the previous Network meeting, .live performance will be staged by the mobile theatre actors to show how complex information can be conveyed in a simple yet interesting way and language.

 

-       Involvement of future water specialists into the Network activities. Students of Technical University of the Tajikistan will share the results of an independent water quality analysis in three water intakes of Dushanbe’s aqueduct and rural areas of Tajikistan. The initiative was proposed by the students – members of the Youth Club “Vzol” coordinated by the Technical University and “Dastgiri” Centre (Foundation to Support Civil Initiatives) during the Network activities to mark the World Water Day 2014.

 

-       News from Network members. Tajikistan Water Supply and Sanitation (TajWSS) Project funded by SDC and implemented by Oxfam and UNDP in Tajikistan, will share the results of the selection of the new target district for the implementation of its activities in the next four years.

 

USAID funded “Local Governance” Project implemented by Deloitte Consulting Overseas Projects LLS will inform the Network about the capacity building activities of Jamoats on the provision of water services.

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.