Bhubaneswar: The International Water Association (IWA) on Wednesday announced the establishment of an advisory board and task force for its Inclusive Urban Sanitation Initiative to provide guidance, feedback and direction on the initiative’s priorities, activities and performance.
G Mathi Vathanan, Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development, Government of Odisha, has been appointed as a member of the 11-member advisory board announced by the IWA. Reacting to his inclusion as an advisor, Mathi Vathanan told the media, “It’s Team Odisha…Team Urban… All credits go to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.”
It’s worth mentioning here that Mathivathana’s approach of a decentralised strategy with community partnership has become the central aspect of the Odisha model of Urban Governance initiatives which have earned several national and international recognitions.
The other members of the advisory board are from the Philippines, South Africa, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia, Switzerland, Thailand and the Netherlands.
IWA’s Inclusive Urban Sanitation Initiative aims to reshape the global agenda on urban sanitation over the coming years, especially in low- and middle-income countries. It forms part of IWA’s work to promote inclusive, resilient, water-wise and sanitation-secure cities.
The advisory board and task force consisting of sanitation experts, regulators, strategic partners and members from various global regions to secure a balanced geographical representation and address a wide variety of sanitation challenges.
The advisory board is made up of 11 high-profile individuals who will act as advocates for inclusive urban sanitation and provide strategic support and guidance for the initiative. The board will focus on expanding the initiative’s outreach and engagement with the broader water and sanitation sector, and in particular with public sector agencies. It will also oversee the work of the task force.
