Develop capacity
WaterAid/Jon Spaull
One of the starting points for those working on the right to water is the need to develop the capacity of individuals, communities and institutions. This includes both their capacity for human development and for undertaking advocacy.
The United Nations Development Programme has defined capacity development (often called capacity-building) in the following terms:
“Capacity is the ability of individuals, organizations and societies to perform functions, solve problems, and set and achieve goals. Capacity development entails the sustainable creation, utilization and retention of that capacity, in order to reduce poverty, enhance self-reliance, and improve people’s lives.”
(Source: UNDP Website, Capacity Development)
The term capacity development is often used holistically to encompass anything from the provision of education, training or increased access to technology, to managing change or resolving conflicts.
The following suggestions illustrate just some of the ways in which capacity for action around the right to water can be developed:
Training, education and awareness-raising
