ASSOCIATIONS: WPC
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‘liking’, sharing, tweeting, and re-tweeting posts; and doing all they
can to disseminate communications received from the WPC.
WPC’S ROLE IN COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Improvements in water and sanitation services, particularly in less
developed countries, are being pursued by a large number of global,
national, and local bodies, ranging from the United Nations to rotary clubs.
What is the WPC’s role in plumbing-related community and economic
development?
The unique way the WPC can contribute is by being a global-level
voice for plumbing within the myriad efforts to improve access to
clean water and good sanitation.
A well-informed plumbing industry representative can advise
plumbing-related community development efforts about matters
ranging from technical practicalities to developing the needed
plumbing industry capabilities. More specifically, drawing on the
Community Plumbing Challenge experience, the WPC can advocate
for water and sanitation development activities based on a ‘plumbing
industry to plumbing industry’ strategy.
For example, the WPC chairperson, Shayne La Combre, recently
met with the chairperson of Sanitation and Water for All (SWA),
the Honourable Mr Kevin Rudd, a former Australian prime minister.
SWA is a United Nations body that operates through a network of
about 200 partners, consisting of over 60 national governments,
non-government organisations (including the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation), and private sector businesses. It is focused on
governments raising the priority and funding of sanitation and water
supply services in less developed countries.
La Combre discussed the Four Pillars of Plumbing programme
and other WPC initiatives with Mr Rudd and he has been invited to
address a SWA Ministerial Meeting (a gathering of approximately 60
government ministers) in March 2018 in Mumbai, India.
In addition, the WPC can contribute by directly supporting development
projects and encouraging the global plumbing industry to similarly
support these types of efforts.
Continued on page 58 >>
April 2018 Volume 24 I Number 2