Empowering Local Communities with Social Accountability Tools
Can improving transparency help curb water pollution? Join experts at World Water Week as they uncover the connection between strong freedom of information laws and access to clean water.
Industrial facilities release 300-400 million tons of heavy metals, toxic sludge and other pollutants into the world’s waters each year. Globally, 80% of this wastewater flows untreated into the water sources that people depend on for their health and economic well-being. Yet those who suffer most from this pollution in Asia—poor and marginalized communities—don’t know if their water is safe to use for drinking, bathing, farming and fishing.
At this World Water Week Showcase event, The Access Initiative will launch a new report that identifies key barriers preventing local communities in three Asian countries from accessing water pollution information—a right that underpins their ability to participate in decision-making and hold governments to account. In doing so, our research uncovers a challenge that many developing countries face: strong "right to know" laws on the books fall short of achieving full transparency in practice.
Join water governance experts for a discussion on this environmental injustice and the steps that governments, civil society and people around the world can take to resolve it.
Speakers
Carole Excell, Acting Director, Environmental Democracy Practice, World Resources Institute
Elizabeth Moses, Research Analyst II, Environmental Democracy Practice, World Resources Institute
Delphine Clavreul, Policy Analyst, Water Governance Programme, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Lotte Feuerstein, Regional and Programme Coordinator – Tools and Methodologies, East Africa, Water Integrity Network
Nick Hepworth, Director, Water Witness International
Projects
The Access Initiative (TAI)
Launch PlatformLaunch Platform Visit ProjectThe Access Initiative (TAI) is a partnership network dedicated to ensuring that citizens have the right and ability to influence decisions about their natural resources.
Part of Environmental RightsEnvironmental Democracy Index
Launch PlatformLaunch Platform Visit ProjectA right to know, a right to be heard, a right to access justice.
Part of Equity & Governance