SWA continues to support the Government of Nepal to further its efforts to bring water, sanitation and hygiene stakeholders together, to develop a common vision and commitments to move the country forward. The focus on multi-stakeholder action is one of several significant positive steps for the sector – including, for example, the creation of a strong Management Information System (MIS), which was developed by the Ministry of Water Supply. The SWA Framework inspired the indicators used in Nepal’s MIS, which is now used by all levels of government to monitor progress and inform policy design in near-real time.
During 2022, SWA also helped support progress in the sector through its ‘catalytic support’ initiative. The initiative backed up multi-stakeholder platforms in several SWA partner countries, and their engagement with SWA’s Mutual Accountability Mechanism (MAM).
Government alone won’t be able to combat the impacts of climate change. Further collaboration beyond borders, peer-to-peer learning, and the use of ideas across the globe can bring potential solutions…We think SWA is the perfect platform for that.
In Nepal, the funding helped bring together new and existing SWA partners, and included dedicated research on multi-stakeholder engagement and accountability. The research recommended immediate action to activate multi-stakeholder several platforms across the country, and highlighted the urgent need for annual strategic planning based on shared commitments, in order to hold the Government to account.
Nepal has continued to place principles of multi-stakeholder action at the heart of sector progress. At the 2022 Sector Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, the Minister of Water Supply, Mr. Umakanta Chaudhary, showcased new national MAM commitments: to develop service provision plans for 400 local governments, create a national hand hygiene strategy, and explore ways to improve access to climate financing. When the minister returned to Nepal, he convened a national event of key sector stakeholders and decision-makers, where he stressed the importance for collective efforts to improve the country’s service provision and re-iterated his personal commitment to strong leadership to achieve them.
Such high-profile exposure has allowed the minister and actors in the sector to advocate for increased donor support for Nepal’s sector commitments. This is particularly timely as the country prepares to embark on a large-scale official ‘Joint Sector Review’ process. The review will require renewed efforts to broaden multi-stakeholder engagement – efforts that SWA will proudly continue to support.