Over 2.3 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion lack access to safe sanitation. This is a tragic failure, and with growing concern over the chronic challenges undermining water supply and sanitation services, there has been growing recognition around the important of policies, institutions, and regulation (PIR)—and water governance more generally. While the financial needs are well known, there has typically been less appreciation of the transformational role of sector governance—that is, the laws, policies, regulation, institutions, and systems that can help mobilize financial and technical solutions and enhance their impact on water supply and sanitation (WSS) services, and water resources management (WRM), including coping with shocks. This session will open with a presentation on utilities’ role in delivering quality services and building effective partnerships, followed by shorter presentation from across the globe on WSS and WRM sector reforms that have helped achieve meaningful and sustainable water supply and sanitation outcomes, and improved resilience to water scarcity and extreme water related events.
