Municipal water and wastewater operators have the knowledge, skills and experience that are particularly needed in the countries of the global South. The federal government is therefore very interested in establishing international development partnerships via municipal water management.

Approaches and initiatives for promoting partnerships

To promote the idea of operator partnerships between German and international water operators, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) initiated the pilot project "Operator Platforms for Strengthening Partnerships of Municipal Enterprises around the World".

On behalf of the GIZ, inter 3 is conducting an analysis on the operator landscape in Germany. The aim of the project is to analyse the operator landscape in the German water sector in order to ascertain whether and under which conditions German water operators can participate in international development cooperation. To this end, suitable operators, municipalities and associations will be identified, compiled in an operator pool and structured based on their respective competences and partnership interests. The potential for international cooperation among municipalities and water and wastewater utilities identified in the study will serve as a basis for political decision-makers.