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Water Expertise and Training Centres (WET Centres)

PAIDEH

While the results of CAWST's efforts over the past seven years have been excellent, the scale of the water and sanitation problems in developing countries is many times greater—close to a billion people do not have adequate access to water. Further scale-up in projects and initiatives is needed.

CAWST is working towards a solution which will see several of its closest partners replicate the CAWST "model" of strategies and services through the creation of local Water Expertise and Training (WET) Centres.

The WET Centres program has been created to address two primary needs:

  1. A need to expand water supply, water treatment and sanitation services to people in developing countries, and
  2. A need for in-country organizations capable of providing training and technical support to other organizations to stimulate widespread implementation of water and sanitation projects.

CAWST's WET Centres Program will develop the capability of existing NGOs and agencies to become regional WET Centres. These WET Centres will act as the catalyst for many water and sanitation programs in Zambia, India, Haiti, Nepal and other countries to ultimately increase the provision of basic services to the poor.

Funding for the first three years of the WET Centre program has been provided by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Rotary Club of Calgary and EnCana Corporation.

WET Centres objectives

The WET Centres will provide leadership and act as a training, consulting and technical resource centre and network hub for local NGOs and government agencies for the implementation of:

  • Household Water Treatment (HWT)
  • Sanitation
  • Hygiene
  • Domestic rainwater harvesting

CAWST will work with and mentor selected partner organizations over a two to four year period to establish their institutional and technical capacity as an independent WET Centre.

WET Centres Program Key Activities

  • Developing curriculum and materials that meet local conditions and needs;
  • Delivering training which will result in the WET Centres having their own trainers in the delivery of workshops;
  • Developing the technical capacity of the WET Centres to deliver water quality testing services;
  • Organizing water awareness training for community groups, NGOs and government agencies and developing safe water literacy programs for schools, colleges and communities;
  • Creating an action research program to evaluate technologies and implementation approaches;
  • Developing the capacity of the WET Centres to generate future resources and provide sustained services; and
  • Raising the awareness of the Canadian public on the impact of improved water and sanitation in developing countries through a documentary photography exhibit in Canadian cities.

WET Centres' Program Partners: