Knowledge networks and capacity building in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Abstract

The Sanitation and Water Conference held in Melbourne Australia in November 2008 called attention to the need for strengthening of political leadership through evidence-based advocacy in this sector and strengthening capacity commensurate with the scale of the crisis. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) networks are a promising mechanism for both advocacy and building sustainable sector capacity. This paper reports on a research focused on selected WASH networks in this region, elucidating their functions, experiences and effectiveness through an online survey. The work was undertaken collaboratively by WESNet Pakistan, Institute for Sustainable Futures at University of Technology Sydney and International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) in the Netherlands. The research revealed several country-level networks operational in the Southeast Asia region and a regional network in the Pacific. These networks were engaged in advocacy, sector coordination, knowledge sharing and capacity building, with varying priority depending on the network or region. This paper describes success stories of these networks and their views on the most effective approaches to the work they undertake. It also describes common challenges such as reliance on voluntary contributions of time and expertise and sustainability of financial resources. These networks are playing important and effective roles in the sector and greater recognition of the benefits they provide might ensure that governments and donors support such networks towards ongoing improvements in the WASH knowledge management in the region.