16 July 2018: This month, the UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) celebrated its 10th anniversary, while the World Bank-led Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP) turned one. Both partnerships provide analysis and information to policy and decision makers implementing water-related goals and targets.

Implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO), GLAAS is an UN-Water initiative that supports achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal on clean water and sanitation (SDG 6). GLAAS reporting is meant to help monitor progress towards national WASH targets under the SDGs, specifically target 6a ( on capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities, including on water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater, recycling and reuse technologies); and target 6b (on strengthening participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management). The constituents of Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) also use biennial GLAAS reports to support discourse at their High-Level Meetings.

GLAAS completed a pilot in 2008 and four cycles to date. The 2018/2019 country survey will canvass four sections: governance; monitoring; human resources; and finance. Survey questions focus on national policies, plans and targets and finance, covering issues relevant to SDG monitoring. The next the UN-Water GLAAS report is scheduled for release in 2019, with finance as a major theme.

Also marking a milestone, the GWSP, housed in the World Bank’s Water Global Practice and announced at the 2017 World Water Week, has concluded its first year of operations. The GWSP focuses its outputs on five themes – inclusion, sustainability, financing, institutions and resilience – relevant to the achievement of the water-related SDGs. Raising awareness and action on menstrual hygiene management has been a recent priority, as well as support to the WASH Poverty Diagnostic Initiative, an 18-country research project.

Speaking on the Partnership, Joel Kolker, GWSP Program Manager, described it as “a bridge between knowledge and implementation.[Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership] [World Bank Press Release] [WHO Press Release] [UN-Water Press Release] [Information on GLAAS]