WaterLinks Participates in WUF13 Discussions on Inclusive Urban Development and Citywide Sanitation

As part of its engagement at WUF13, WaterLinks joined fellow GWOPA members in two important sessions that highlighted the central role of water and sanitation in advancing inclusive, safe, and resilient cities.

WaterLinks participated in the Women’s Caucus, a daily platform where women representatives exchanged priorities and coordinated engagement across the Forum. Through the discussions, GWOPA members helped bring water and sanitation more prominently into conversations on housing, climate resilience, public health, and inclusive urban development. The participation underscored that access to safe water and sanitation is closely linked to women’s safety, dignity, and quality of life, particularly for vulnerable and underserved communities, and reaffirmed the importance of positioning these services as essential foundations of equitable urban development.

WaterLinks also joined the WUF Academy training session Embedding Safety, Inclusion and Dignity in Sanitation Systems at Citywide Level for All, organized by the National Institute of Urban Affairs, UN-Habitat/GWOPA, and the Pan-African Association of Sanitation Actors. The session brought together more than 30 practitioners and policymakers to examine sanitation systems through a human rights and citywide inclusive sanitation lens, focusing on how services can better protect communities, sanitation workers, and vulnerable populations, especially in informal settlements.