FSM International Conference

Bringing Together Stakeholders, Solidifying Plan for Future Action

Participants of Faecal Sludge Management Session at the “Water, Environment and Climate Change: Knowledge Sharing and Partnership” International Conference, 11 April 2018, Kathmandu.

KATHMANDU, 11 April 2018, UCLG ASPAC, in close collaboration with Municipal Association of Nepal (MuAN), Environment and Public Health Organisation (ENPHO), and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), brought together local governments, professionals, academicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and non-government institutions in a Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) session at international conference on “Water, Environment and Climate Change: Knowledge Sharing and Partnership.” Starting Municipalities Sanitation Advocacy Project in Nepal, UCLG ASPAC and its partners made good use of the opportunity to discuss and deliberate on challenges, opportunities, and strategies involved in water and environmental issues to be able to take better action.

A total of 92 participants joined the session and gained brief explanation on the Municipalities Sanitation Advocacy Project delivered by Mr. Bipin Dangol, the Executive Director of ENPHO; Global Perspective of Faecal Sludge Management by Dr. Roshan Raj

Shrestha of BMGF; as well as overview on Urban Sanitation and FSM in Nepal by Mr. Bhushan Tuladhar representing UN Habitat. Also attended by six Mayors and six Deputy Mayors, the session turned out to becoming a platform to unite commitment of municipalities to support the project implementation as well as sharing on their expectation on the project. The opportunity was also used well by private sectors to share their experience, challenges and opportunities they faced, and to also express their aspiration on specific support they wish to get from local government.

The discussion was very successful in bridging the interest of local governments and private sectors; creating common understanding to all parties regarding the benefits and supports expected from each other as well as from the project. The results from the discussion will contribute in shaping the next action for the selection criteria of five (5) pilot municipalities to implement the sanitation plan focusing on FCM and Non-Sewered Sanitation System (NSSS) with objective to improve the urban sanitation policies, institutional, financial and regulatory framework in collaboration with local government municipalities, relevant ministries and stakeholders.

“Water, Environment and Climate Change: Knowledge Sharing and Partnership” is an international conference held by Society of Public Health Engineers (SOPHEN) together with Government of Nepal and Nepal Engineers’ Association in Kathmandu from 10 to 12 April 2018. UCLG ASPAC thanks ENPHO, BMGF, and MuAN in making the FSM session successful and looks forward to implementing the project to positively impact the lives of local people.