The Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), hosted by UN-Habitat, marked a strong presence at the International Water Association (IWA) Water and Development Congress last week, convening utilities, partners and sector leaders around the role of Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) in strengthening water and sanitation services worldwide. “Water operator partnerships and global cooperation are key in driving utility performance and inclusive service delivery,” said Rose Kaggwa, Chair of the GWOPA Assembly and Board Member of the International Water Association.
Across the Congress programme, GWOPA led and contributed to a series of sessions showcasing how peer-to-peer cooperation translates into tangible results on the ground. The week opened with a workshop, co-hosted with the Asian Development Bank on scaling up peer learning partnerships in water and sanitation. Contributions from development partners and mentoring utilities underlined the growing maturity of peer learning models and the need to adapt financing and collaboration frameworks as sector challenges evolve.
A milestone of the Congress was the launch of The Global Outlook on Water and Sanitation Service Providers: Water for Sustainable Cities in partnership with IRC WASH. Presented to an international audience, the report sets out a global picture of water and sanitation utilities and outlines seven pathways for change to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6. The findings reinforced the central role of utilities as frontline actors of urban resilience, social well-being and sustainable development.
GWOPA also joined IWA in celebrating the winners of the Climate Smart Utilities Initiative 2025 Awards, which recognised 18 utilities – including several GWOPA members – for leadership in climate mitigation, adaptation and governance. Among the awardees, Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd of Malaysia, Laguna Water District of the Philippines and Gandhidham Municipal Corporation of India were highlighted for their outstanding achievements in advancing climate-smart utility practices.
At the dedicated Utility Leaders Forum, senior leaders of water and sanitation service providers exchanged experiences on digital innovation and climate adaptation. GWOPA and WOP practitioners illustrated how Water Operators’ Partnerships are helping accelerate innovation by creating trusted spaces for partners to build knowledge, test solutions and adapt approaches to local contexts. Beyond sharing established practices, partnerships between peers were shown to be generating new, locally owned and fit-for-purpose solutions.
At a plenary on South-South cooperation, speakers stressed the importance of adapting innovations to local realities to ensure relevance and community ownership. Discussions highlighted the need to anchor partnerships within national and regional platforms, address power imbalances to build trust, secure political will, and foster cross-sector collaboration across health, urban development and education to deliver integrated solutions.
The Inclusive Urban Sanitation Forum further featured day-long exchanges on lessons from nearly a decade of Citywide Inclusive Sanitation implementation. Participants showcased innovations ranging from climate-resilient sanitation systems to digital monitoring tools and community-driven approaches, while debating pathways to accelerate progress towards SDG target 6.2 (sanitation) and shape the post-2030 sanitation agenda.
Gender equality and workforce transformation were further addressed through a practical session on gender mainstreaming in water and sanitation. Speakers from Asia and Africa shared tools and experiences demonstrating how gender-responsive approaches can strengthen utilities and better reflect the communities they serve, while calling for sustained advocacy to accelerate progress.
Through its engagement at the IWA Water and Development Congress, GWOPA reaffirmed the value of solidarity-based partnerships, peer learning and utility leadership as cornerstones for achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation and building sustainable, resilient cities.