UK Water Network
Information contacts
Ceridwen Johnson
Freshwater Action Network
Email: fan@freshwateraction.net
Tel: 020 7793 4522
Sol Oyuela
Progressio
Email: sol@progressio.org.uk
Tel: 020 7354 0883
The purpose of the UK Water Network is to increase the impact of its members by providing a forum where agencies can exchange information, enhance their analysis and coordinate their advocacy towards the UK Government and other relevant institutions on freshwater issues. This includes issues on water and sanitation, involving preservation of ecology and biodiversity of freshwater systems, and in relation to freshwater and their use in food and energy production and leisure.
The Network was constituted in November 1999 and was the start up of efforts to coordinate NGO responses to the DFID target strategy paper on water and sanitation.
Future meetings
1) The next UKWN group meeting will be:
Date: Thursday 16 October 2008
Time: 14.00 - 17.00
Venue: UNISON offices
Agenda: This will be circulated nearer the meeting
To register: Email groups@bond.org.uk giving your name, organisation and specifying the UKWN meeting
2) UKWN and DFID workshop
Date: Postponed from 16 July 2008 to a date in October, to be confirmed
Ceridwen and Sol, co-Chairs of the UKWN, have met with the DFID water team. DFID are keen to go ahead with the workshop and as the policy updates now won't be published until September, we have agreed to postpone again.
Membership of the UKWN is open to all BOND members. If you are from a BOND member organisation and would like to be added to the UKWN mailing list, please email groups@bond.org.uk giving your name and organisation.
Group News
New Co-Chair! (June 2008)
A warm welcome to Sol Oyuela from Progressio who was elected as Co-Chair earlier this year and who actively started in the role at the start of June. Sol joins Ceridwen as the second Co-Chair role at the same time as Progressio steps up its work on water.
Sol will be welcomed at the next UKWN meeting on 10 July.
Co-Chair standing down and nominations for replacement (March 2008)
Laura Webster from Tearfund is standing down as Co-Chair due to internal reorganisations at Tearfund. Thank you very much to Laura for all her work for the group over the past year, it is very much appreciated.
Nominations for the two Co-Chair positions are currently being invited. Results will be announced later in February.
Letter to DFID, November 2007
On 6 November 2007, a delegation of UKWN members visted Gareth Thomas to discuss pressing issues and the best way to promote the water and sanitation sectors.
A letter was sent to Gareth Thomas after the meeting which summaries points raised at the meeting which we hope DFID will consider in the evolution of its strategy.
UKWN letter to Gareth Thomas, November 2007 (word, 30KB)
UKWN letter to Gareth Thomas, November 2007 (word, 90KB)
Group meetings - 2008
MDG Call to Action Meeting with DFID - 16 July 2008
The UKWN met with DFID on 16 July 2008 to share information on the progress of the MDG Call to Action and consider potential work in the lead up to the 'High Level Event'.
Heather Pillans, from the DFID Call to Action Team gave some background on this DFID lobbying campaign (word 73KB) that aims to build momentum and galvanise action around the MDGs.
The 'high level event' is planned for New York on 25 September 2008 and will be hosted by the UN Secretary General to look at where progress has been made, what has worked/what has not worked and to set out a road map/milestones to get back on track.
10 July 2008
The UKWN met on 10 July 2008 at the Tearfund offices. The meeting discussed the UKWN's objectives, UKWN draft strategy document (word 89KB) and future direction. They discussed the Terms of Reference of the group in line with a best practice structure provided by BOND and in terms of possible fundraising opportunities.
The group identified and discussed the MDG summit to be held in New York in September as a key milestone and important next step for the water and sanitation agenda.
Advocacy and information updates were given from members. Brian Mathew raised an idea about a radio programme he was involved with in Malawi (word 28KB).
See the minutes for more information.
17 April 2008
The UKWN last met on 17 April 2008 at WaterAid to explore and agree shared objectives and to plan joint work. Please see the minutes for more information.
17 January 2008
The UKWN met on 17 January 2008 at UNISON's offices. Please see the minutes for more information.
Group meetings - 2007
The UKWN met on Thursday 18 October 2007 at the WaterAid offices. Please see the minutes of the 18 October 2007 meeting for more information.
The group met on 19 July 2007 the Progressio offices. The topic of discussion was Water Resource Management and Climate Change with presentations from WWF, Tearfund, WaterAid and Progressio on their work plans in these areas. Please see the minutes of the 19 July 2007 meeting for more information.
In June 2007, the UKWN made a reponse to the House of Commons International Development Committee's report on Sanitation and Water (word, 30KB)
The UKWN met on 19 April 2007. Representatives from the DFID water policy team joined the meeting for the last section. Please see the minutes of the 19 April 2007 meeting for more information.
The UKWN met on 18 January 2007 at the WaterAid offices. For more information, please see the minutes of the 18 January 2007 meeting.
Group meetings - 2006
The UKWN met on 12 October 2006 at the WDM offices. Please see the minutes of the 12 October 2006 meeting for more information.
The UKWN met on 27 July 2006 at BOND. The meeting included a news round up and a review of the network. The network was joined by representatives from DFID for presentations on sanitation from Laura Webster at Tearfund, Peter Ryan from WaterAid and Sohrab Baghri from Plan International. Discussion on sanitation issues followed the presentations. Please see the minutes of the 27 July meeting (word) for more information.
The UK Water Network met on 27 April 2006 at WaterAid. Read minutes of the April meeting.
The UK Water Network made a submission to the DFID White Paper consultation (word, 25KB) on 7 April 2006.
Papers and Reports
For details of any papers produced by the UK Water Network, please contact Ceridwen Johnson.