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New book released on the essential role of public water during the COVID-19

‘Public Water and COVID-19: Dark Clouds and Silver Linings’ provides an overview of public water operators' response to Covid-19 and the impact that the pandemic has had on the public water sector. Released this week, the book has been jointly published by the Municipal Service Project, Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) and the Transnational Institute.

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bookcoverThe ‘Public Water and COVID-19: Dark Clouds and Silver Linings’ explores why water matters during a pandemic and presents the latest research on the impact of Covid-19 on the public water sector. The book collects case studies from public water operators’ experts based in more than 20 countries. Aqua Publica Europea, as well as Aqua Publica’s members Eau de Paris (Paris, France) and HAMBURG WASSER (Hamburg, Germany), are among the contributors.

In today's particular context, COVID-19 highlights the need for equitable access to water and sanitation services as a basic condition for human well-being in every part of the world. Since the beginning of the outbreak, public water operators have shown their commitment towards the society by ensuring the provision of high-quality drinking water, the maintenance of water infrastructures and the continuity of wastewater treatment, but also by designing social measures to guarantee the access to water and sanitation for all.

In Chapter 9, Aqua Publica Europea presents an account of the initiatives the organisation has taken to support its members, European public water operators, during the pandemic. The solidarity during the first months of the pandemic has been essential for public water operators. Sharing lessons learnt with among operators and learning from the measures taken in different countries have helped them to design specific measures in their territories.

Aqua Publica’s members Eau de Paris (Paris, France) and HAMBURG WASSER (Hamburg, Germany) describe how the cities where they operate have globally responded to the pandemic. Also, they outline the challenges that public water operators have and will have to face in a near future as a result of the impact of the pandemic.

The ‘Public Water and COVID-19: Dark Clouds and Silver Linings’ case studies contribute to open the reflection on how to build more resilient public water services and to get ready for the challenges to come.