Capacity Building Programme for Sustainable Water Sector Development

The UNDP Capacity Building Programme has gained valuable though still limited experience since it became operational over three years ago. Its central premise of building, strengthening or utilizing national water sector capacity meets much enthusiasm in more and more countries. Besides its products (comprehensive sector assessment reports, specific capacity-building requirements, and enhanced cross-sectoral capacity), it is welcomed for its modus operandi: national teams of experts from different disciplines and organizations carrying out water sector assessments, with guidance from UNDP and associated agencies on demand. With three water sector assessments completed and another seven and related activities under way, the programme is gaining momentum. Its experience is expected to be of relevance to a large number of counties in the future. After a promising start, the methodology is being fine-tuned, and capacity is being built both in developing countries and in external support agencies.