The Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), hosted at UN-Habitat, has launched a campaign to raise the profile of water utility operators as the “unsung heroes” who provide safe drinking water and sanitation.
May 2015: The Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), hosted at UN-Habitat, has launched a campaign to raise the profile of water utility operators as the “unsung heroes” who provide safe drinking water and sanitation.
The campaign is inviting everyone to contribute photos of manhole covers from around the world, to paint a picture of the diverse yet ubiquitous character of water and sanitation services, and the important role of water operators in sustainable development. The campaign highlights the need for wise management of water resources, emphasizing that the majority of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved without access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
GWOPA promotes Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) as a means of capacity building for frontline workers that deliver safe and accessible water and sanitation services.
The campaign is being organized in the lead-up to the Third Global WOPs Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in September 2015. Contributors are invited to send pictures of manhole covers in their region to the email address expo@gwopa.org or post them to Twitter with the hashtags #utilityholecover #WOPCongress.
GWOPA links up water utilities and promotes partnerships among water operators, development partners, labor unions and civil society organizations around the world. Since April 2013, the GWOPA Secretariat has been located in Barcelona, Spain. [Campaign Announcement] [GWOPA Website]