29th November – 2nd December, 2016. The RWSN Forum is the foremost global event on rural water services and takes place every 5 years.

The 7th RWSN Forum will explore the practicalities of reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Human Right to Water in rural areas and small towns.

This year SIASAR -Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Information System- will be presented during this Forum, we will talk about data gathering, SIASAR success examples, our conceptual model, RWSS sector challenges and most importantly about systems sustainability and smart investments.

About the Forum

RWSN Forums have a unique character, with an emphasis on learning and sharing, and a practical rather than political focus. The participants are mainly rural water supply professionals and practitioners. Where political leaders participate, they are encouraged to engage in the sessions and exhibition as equals with the other participants. The event will run over three days, with an exhibition, and an additional day for optional field trips or specific workshops. It will comprise plenary and parallel sessions of presentations and interactive workshops as well as presentation of posters, photographs, cartoons and films.

The philosophy of the Forum is to:

• be inclusive of different perspectives;
• build capacity by raising the quality of the submissions and improving communication skills within the rural water sector;
• share knowledge and experience on rural water issues among equals
• bring the realities of the field to the attention of decision-makers and funding agencies
• catalyze vibrant South-South exchanges and networking
• be accessible to French and English speakers. For the first time, presentations in Spanish will be accepted, and translation/ interpretation will be offered at the Forum if there is sufficient demand and funding.

This year, the theme of the Forum will be “Water for everyone” – what are the practical implications of achieving the the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Target 6.1 to achieve universal access to safe, affordable water by 2030 worldwide. 

For further information, Programme and brochure