Capacity development is key to water and sanitation progress
The need for people, organizations and institutions to be able to develop the capacity they need to tackle their water- and sanitation-related challenges sustainably was in focus at a side event co-organized by IHE Delft at the UN 2023 Water Conference.
Speakers at the event committed to supporting work to develop capacity by investing in both human and institutional capacity, particularly in lower income countries, to foster sustainable and adaptive water sector management. Recognizing the key role of partnerships, they also committed to strengthening collaboration among water training centres and networks and to involve all sectors of society. They highlighted the need to tap into local knowledges, and to focus work on solutions and impact. Women and young professionals should be included and empowered in all capacity development efforts, they said, and the opportunities offered by online and blended learning formats should be fully used.
Speakers also discussed the Capacity Development Initiative, a UN-Water led effort to streamline efforts by UN system and other organizations to support countries’ efforts to develop water-related capacity. IHE Delft is a key partner of the initiative, coordinated by UNESCO and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
"It is incredibly important that we start to prepare the next generation to do something different than what we have been doing. Without capacity building, there simply are no human rights "
IHE Delft MSc student Valentina Uribe Jaramillo told the high-level participants in the 23 March event that today’s young professionals are well-connected with each other, have access to vast online resources and are motivated to make a difference. Still, they find it hard to translate this into impact.
“There is a missing bridge between professionals and institutional capacity,” she said, adding that such links would allow “young people to engage and collaborate with leaders to make a positive impact on their communities.”
In remarks summarizing the event, IHE Delft MSc student Lindsey Kenyon underlined why capacity development is urgently needed.
“My generation is walking into a burning building, and we desperately need the training and empowerment to learn how to put out the fire effectively and efficiently,” she said, calling for mentorship to overcome barriers for youth impact. “Mentors have the capacity to enable youth to take an active part in shaping sustainable water management solutions before it’s too late.”
"My generation is walking into a burning building, and we desperately need the training and empowerment to learn how to put out the fire effectively and efficiently"
Young people, for their part, also need to redouble their efforts, she said:
“As young people, we need to commit ourselves to an open mind filled with the motivation of lifelong learning, where we see failure as an opportunity to grow. We must cultivate our critical thinking skills to excel in our disciplinary, management, governance, and learning competencies, where we also embrace diversity and challenge ourselves to think beyond our own experiences and biases,” she said, adding that she herself committed to continue learning and sharing what she learns with others. “A changing world needs adaptive, educated and uninhibited thinkers.”