| A decade of public-private partnerships in water |
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Dear colleagues,
A new approach to contribute to sustainable change and innovation; that’s how the Sustainable Water Fund (FDW) programme was set up ten years ago. In this newsletter series, we share the knowledge and lessons we learnt from this approach and the FDW portfolio of PPP’s. In this first newsletter, we provide an overview of FDW projects and dive into the policy background of the programme. The FINISH project in Kenya illustrates realized change, in which communities receive support to build quality sanitation facilities. They work with micro-finance products to enable the required investments. Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, Henk Ovink, discusses the value of the systems approach and the importance of water as a connector for change. And in his column, Dennis van Peppen gives a personal reflection on developments with respect to sustainable change and innovation.
Wishing you all inspired reading,
The FDW team |
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| "We measure success by what a project sets in motion" |
| Henk Ovink became Special Envoy for Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2015. He has not always worked in water; his background is in engineering. However since he became Special Envoy for Water Affairs, he sees how water connects everything. Now, he believes that one cannot work in the living environment without considering water. Ovink shares his thoughts about his work and his ambitions. "When an approach works, you do not stop; you try to multiply it." |
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| "For every toilet FDW subsidises, we build 12 more" |
| Kenyan FINISH programme coordinator Pamela Bundi was a bank employee when she first heard of the Sustainable Water Fund (FDW). She switched careers from banking to development cooperation and has not regretted it once. She feels proud when she drives through Busia County in Kenya. There, she helped improve sanitation facilities. Today, people still are building FINISH toilets. "Local communities truly adopt the FINISH way!" |
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| FDW offers a new perspective on international cooperation |
| The Dutch perspective on international development cooperation has changed a lot in the last decade. The Sustainable Water Fund (FDW) is an example of this. The programme strives for inclusive green growth by means of a public-private partnership (PPP) approach through water. FDW was one of the first programmes based on a double PPP approach: people-planet-profit and public-private partnerships. |
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| From skepticism to success |
| When I first got involved in the Sustainable Water Fund (FDW), I was skeptical. Was it not just traditional development aid packaged in new 2010’s buzzwords? Back then it was a trend: getting more market dynamics in development aid would make it more sustainable and provide more value for money. Public-private partnerships would make the often weak public sector in countries in development more efficient. So too in the water sector, FDW argued. |
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| PS – Do you know someone else who wants to learn more about public-private partnerships and (water) development projects? Feel free to forward this email or let them know about our newsletter. |
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| FDW is a program of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) which is co-financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
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