VNG International hosted a side event on the sustainability of the WASH sector in Egypt at Cairo Water Week 2023 on October 29, 2023, at the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel.

VNG International has been actively driving sustainable local development initiatives in Egypt over the past years with its national partners. It is currently working in partnership with the Dutch regional water authority, drinking water Company of Brabant, and VEI for the ISWS project.

The Improving Sustainability of the WASH Sector in Upper Egypt (ISWS) project is a four-year project that aims to improve water and sanitation services in four governorates of Upper Egypt. The project is funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Egypt and implemented by VNG International.

One of the key objectives of the ISWS project since it’s start in 2021 is empowering individuals, building partnerships, and creating a robust and interconnected network that thrives on collaborative efforts.
The project’s unique approach of utilizing the Community Scorecard tool fosters citizen participation and stakeholder cooperation, ensures improved transparency and accountability in WASH governance and services. 

The side-event was divided into two sessions addressing VNG International’s work in the MENA region and on water, an overview of key learnings and experiences in Egypt throughout the past years, and an introduction to the ISWS project. In addition to more in-depth sharing on the project’s outcomes, learnings, lessons thus far, and results thus far, a panel discussion was held with experts from the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater, the Ministry of Local Development, and Dutch Water Partner VEI, on the sustainability of the WASH sector in Egypt and wider. 

In her opening remarks, Sanna Hyötyläinen, Project Manager at VNG, addressed the session “Water is a basic need for all people, therefore a core theme for local communities’ and governments’ work and interests, and a core interest for the work of VNG International in improving local service provision.”