Since September 2006 the Centre for Environmental Strategy, the RCPEH and the School of Law at the University of Surrey have been collaborating on a project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, to investigate the application of legal and regulatory frameworks to the informal water sector occupied by the small-scale and independent water providers (SSIWPs). Although SSIWPs are often ignored by the authorities, their contibution to the water supply sector is very significant in many developing countries. This project has been investigating whether or not it is possible for regulatory frameworks to be designed and implemented that would control and improve the services provided by the SSIWPs so allowing their businesses to thrive while, at the same time, providing a high level of quality assurance to their customers.
In May 2009 two workshops were held to report back the findings of the project to stakeholders in the case study countries: Ethiopia and Kenya. Journalists for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) attended the workshop in Addis Ababa and published an article in their newsletter, Addis Ababa Highlights.
Click here view the copy of the newsletter: the article is on pages 9 and 10.
