The International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) has signed an historic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of North Carolina’s Water Institute during the Institute’s Water and Health Conference: Where Science Meets Policy in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Forging together individuals and institutions from diverse disciplines and sectors, The Water Institute empowers collaboration to solve the most critical global issues in water and health. This work, coupled with the IWSH Foundation’s mission to improve on the human condition by fostering the basic human right of safe access to clean water and sanitation, affords the exclusive opportunity to define and develop impactful projects to expand on the efforts throughout the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) community.
“The Water Institute looks forward to a long lasting relationship with the IWSH Foundation, realizing the opportunity to bridge the gap across all sectors to develop sustainable projects,” said Dr. Jamie Bartram, Director of The Water Institute. “Focusing on the expert resources of the IAPMO/IWSH core network, we look forward to the ongoing collaboration and development. It is truly innovation and contemporary thinking that will make this partnership flourish.”
Sharing common objectives, The Water Institute and IWSH Foundation will work together to enhance the wellbeing of people everywhere through the provision of safe and affordable water, sanitation systems, and equipment. Focus projects will include the development of a pilot program centered on providing safer water and sanitation services for medical facilities, along with other projects that support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Targets 6 and 11, as they pertain to delivering safe water and sanitation to homes and buildings in developing areas of need.
“This is a very exciting moment for the IWSH Foundation,” said Megan Lehtonen, Managing Director of the IWSH Foundation. “The ability to bring in the expertise and vast network of The Water Institute at UNC will greatly extend the collaborative work of industry, government, and organizations developing frameworks for water and sanitation systems, imperative to build local, sustainable workforces, and enhancing WaSH sectors across the globe. We look forward to expanding our current projects bolstered by the strength of this partnership to bridge the gap throughout the WaSH community and build programs that can be replicated for exponential impact.”
During the same conference, The Water Institute and IAPMO renewed an existing MOU introduced in 2011 to continue supporting each organization’s training programs and events, conferences, and symposiums.
The IWSH Foundation is a charitable organization, developed by The IAPMO Group. Learn more about the IWSH Foundation and ongoing projects at www.IWSH.org.
Last modified: October 17, 2016