Ideas from across the network, on the systems questions nations are wrestling with.
18 August 2026
Riva Africa is an African advisory platform for the transformation of public service systems, working with those who carry sovereign responsibility for reform.
Jane Nabunnya Mulumba reflecting on the transition to Riva Uganda
Riva Ghana marks a new chapter built on decades of experience, trusted partnerships and a commitment to locally led development
Since 1968, IRC, now Riva, has operated from the Netherlands, providing the world with knowledge on water and sanitation service delivery. And we will continue to do so from here.
121 results
19 August 2026
Achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation in Rwanda is a cornerstone of the country's development vision. However, ensuring sustainable services requires more than infrastructure; it demands robust...
Marc Jaffrey, Riva's Director of Brand & Communication unpacks the story behind the name Riva
Patrick Moriarty, Secretary General of Riva, explains why IRC's transformation was essential and is a commitment to local leadership
Meet Riva: global systems leaders transforming water, sanitation, and public services with you
Riva announces changes to drive local legitimacy and global reach
17 August 2026
Through Riva, IRC has a new name and brand to formalise the change we’ve been going through for more than a decade. The same is true for the WASH Systems Academy.
10 August 2026
For a decade, the sector's instinct had been “give us more money” – more aid, more tariffs, more private finance. Work on real lifecycle costs of services checks that instinct : you first need to know what somet...
Key conferences, meetings, webinars and international days
The 2026 Week will focus on how to build a more just and equitable water-secure future for people and the planet in a rapidly changing climate. This week Riva and partners host and convene sessions to discuss an...
We are now Riva, a name that bonds us to water: to its life-giving force, its ability to find a path through obstacles, its flow and its connectivity.
9 August 2026
In 2025, Kabarole and Bunyangabu Districts' Water Boards were formally 'gazetted' by the Government of Uganda, giving them legal recognition and the authority to oversee tariffs, contracts and service regulation...
7 August 2026
Union Parishads are Bangladesh's the tier of elected local government that’s closest to citizens, and the one responsible for keeping local water and sanitation services running. The policies and funding mechani...
When a local government doesn't know how much it can spend, on what, and how to account for it, the money remains unspent. We believe the strength of a public service system lies as much in what local leaders kn...
For years, Mali has had the roadmaps, the standards, and the WASH FIT evaluation tools for water and sanitation in healthcare. But no one knew how much it would cost to put these plans into reality. Prices for e...
When the Ministry of Public Health and Hygiene established a Technical Working Group around our WASH FIT evaluation tool in 2020, no one knew where it would lead. But over time, we’ve developed trust, a shared v...
Through the Isoko y’Ubuzima project, we helped strengthen governance of water and sanitation in ten districts while supporting WASAC - Rwanda’s national utility - and the Ministry of Infrastructure to improve pl...
Uganda’s rural water and sanitation sector is undergoing one of its most significant governance shifts in decades, moving from fragmented, volunteer-based maintenance to a professionalised, accountable, and clim...
In Burkina Faso, rural piped water systems are operated under lease arrangements (‘affermage’) where private operators manage infrastructure on behalf of municipalities.
Climate change is reshaping how people access water and sanitation – most visibly in the flood-prone Haor wetlands of the northeast and the saline-affected coastal belt.
Our work focused on a critical question at the heart of sustainable water and sanitation services: how can public finance translate more effectively into local action?
6 August 2026
The role of the Riva Secretariat: every network has to answer a practical question: what do we do together, and what does each of us do alone? The Secretariat is our answer to the first half.
In Upper Denkyira East, health workers were treating diseases they knew how to manage. The harder challenge was preventing those diseases from returning.
5 August 2026
Few people would expect a planning process developed in a single district to influence how local governments across a country think about water and sanitation.
The Presidential Compact commits Ghana to $1.7 billion a year on water, sanitation and hygiene until 2030.
We've been working with South Ari district since 2017, supporting local government to move beyond short-term infrastructure fixes towards stronger rural water systems.
Our systems-strengthening work in Ghana is grounded in long-term district engagement.
4 August 2026
Water for Sustainable Cities is the first global assessment to put water and sanitation utilities at the heart of sustainable urban development.
30 July 2026
Inside the Riva network: collective decision-making, local autonomy and mutual accountability
26 July 2026
How one mayor’s vision became a blueprint for water and sanitation across 96 communities
Making rural water visible: the report reshaping service delivery in Burkina Faso
From projects to systems: Africa's new blueprint for unlocking water investment
Climate resilience starts with local ownership: Bangladesh communities creating lasting water and sanitation solutions
25 July 2026
One standard, one picture: helping Uganda’s institutions make smarter decisions together
Making institutions stronger so water services sustain for generations
Convening nation builders to build stronger systems, institutions, and lasting public services
How utilities are transforming rural water services for greater scale, sustainability, and impact
Turning complex systems change into measurable evidence for lasting public services
When heads of state lead, water and sanitation progress accelerates
From projects to systems: strengthening Rwanda’s foundations for lasting water and sanitation services.
24 July 2026
How the Systems Academy equips professionals to build resilient, sustainable public services
23 July 2026
Strong local ownership enabled a rapid response to South Ari’s water quality crisis
21 July 2026
Strengthening institutions at scale through digital learning, local ownership, and systems thinking
Riva Ghana, Tano North Municipal Assembly and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have commissioned new WASH facilities in four communities in Tano North Municipality, directly benefiting more than 2...
Government, partners and civil society validate Uganda's WASH Building Block Assessment and agree national priorities for 2026/27
A look at community-managed and private water schemes serving people beyond the reach of conventional systems.
IRC Ghana, Tano North Municipal Assembly and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have commissioned new WASH facilities in four communities in Tano North Municipality, directly benefiting more than 2,...
From support entity to service provider: Mid-Western Umbrella's journey to professional water management
13 July 2026
Non-revenue water is a governance challenge, not just an engineering problem.
8 July 2026
A simple costing tool and stronger political engagement helped Mali make water and sanitation in healthcare facilities a national investment priority.
4 July 2026
WASAC staff take the lead in smarter project preparation.
30 June 2026
The latest session of the Finance Connect Series focused on the evolving landscape of global development finance and its implications for the water and sanitation sector.
26 June 2026
University of Leeds and Riva introduce a breakthrough framework to achieve water and sanitation targets
23 June 2026
The dismantling of USAID in January 2025 was an inflection point for global development – a rupture with long-lasting aftershocks. When we compared it to an earthquake, we anticipated deep, sustained disruption...
4 June 2026
Learning is not just a technical exercise; it helps institutions grow and respond to real world challenges. Effective water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems are driven by knowledge exchange. By people who...
28 May 2026
A global perspective on the growing gaps in water, sanitation and hygiene that wealthy nations can no longer ignore.
20 May 2026
Turning Ethiopia’s water ambition into an investable national strategy
7 May 2026
Seven regions, one milestone: Burkina Faso's first-ever rural water performance report.
Une feuille de route nationale 2025-2029 pour garantir des soins sûrs, dignes et durables, même en contexte de fragilité.
30 April 2026
With support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, IRC Ghana brought together regional stakeholders in Ahafo to validate a new Framework designed to protect water investments and strengthen sustainable rural wat...
29 April 2026
Why water investment stalls—and how fiscal dialogue can unlock Africa's WASH ambitions.
28 April 2026
Kigali 2026 convenes leaders to transform Africa's water systems through governance, finance, and accountability
The Year of Water needs systems transformation—not just political commitments.
22 April 2026
Discover why professionalisation underpins financial credibility, investor confidence, and safely managed SDG 6 services.
20 April 2026
Through the Isoko y'Ubuzima project, Water For People and IRC support WASAC in strengthening national systems and implementing a multi-year action plan to improve the preparation of climate-resilient water and s...
Utilities are not a silver bullet. But as professional, system-oriented organisations, they can be powerful drivers of change — if the right capacities, incentives and enabling conditions are in place.
17 April 2026
IRC Ghana delivered a blended WASH Systems Academy Training for district institutions and community level service providers in the Tano North Municipality.
16 April 2026
The community in Bergamer village constructed a new water supply system using locally mobilised financial and in-kind resources, following WSP-related behaviour change interventions. This included developing a p...
This thesis focuses on the use (or lack) of monitoring data in utility-managed town water service provision at different institutional levels in Ethiopia.
14 April 2026
Kathmandu conference reframes WASH financing: efficiency, public leadership, and bankable projects matter as much as new money
Nepal's Agenda for Change collaboration matures from coordination platform into a trusted co-governance partner in WASH reform
13 April 2026
The upcoming Symposium in Kigali offers a rare opportunity to step outside the project logic and engage with the long arc of national transformation.
27 March 2026
Building a more financially credible water and sanitation sector together.
20 March 2026
Climate Champions explore how NDCs and NAPs shape climate policy, advancing resilient and sustainable WASH.
23 February 2026
Reflections from strengthening creditworthiness of water utilities in Rwanda under Isoko y'Ubuzima.
17 February 2026
Development requires internal action and a fairer global architecture.
28 January 2026
The Belém Gender Action Plan (GAP) 2026-2034 is an outcome of years of struggle for the recognition of gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) in climate discussions.
16 January 2026
When water stops flowing from a public tap, the problem is rarely just a lack of infrastructure.
22 December 2025
Joining learners, government, and partners to accelerate safe sanitation and hygiene access in Uganda's schools
18 December 2025
Ari Zone institutionalises digital water monitoring, improving data reliability, accountability, and sustainable WASH services
10 December 2025
Ajele Getu reflects on South Ari’s progress strengthening sustainable water services through systems approaches
5 December 2025
The Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources reaffirmed Ghana's commitment to SDG 6.1 – universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030.
21 November 2025
Analyse des comptes WASH du Niger : cinq recommandations pour accélérer les progrès ODD.
18 November 2025
From vision to investment: advancing Africa's water transformation.
17 November 2025
What does real systems leader looks like.
14 October 2025
What decades of PPP experience reveal about Africa's water future.
16 September 2025
Africa needs financial credibility—not another debate about aid.
15 September 2025
The Ahafo Regional Learning Alliance Platform (RLAP) recently convened a validation meeting in Goaso to discuss preliminary findings from the study on 'Advancing Safely Managed Water Services in Rural Ghana: Dri...
4 August 2025
Reflections from the WASH Debate of 10 July 2025
16 July 2025
Analysing budget allocations for India's Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure sustainable water services to everyone
3 June 2025
WASH en milieu de soins : le Mali face à des chiffres alarmants.
19 March 2025
The titular question was one of the critical reflection questions posed in the recently published briefing note on District water and sanitation (WASH) master planning. This briefing note focuses on the experien...
11 March 2025
Depuis 2015, le Burkina Faso fait face à une crise sécuritaire sans précédent, entraînant le déplacement de plus de 2 millions de personnes, soit près de 10 % de la population nationale.
20 February 2025
Celebrating World Day of Social Justice by highlighting the centrality of social inclusion in systems strengthening.
17 February 2025
Eau potable au Mali : entre avancées réelles et défi d'un changement d'échelle.
14 January 2025
A significant hurdle in attracting finance for the water and sanitation sector is the gap in project preparation.
25 November 2024
EU extends IRC Burkina partnership with €3.8 million initiative through 2027, advancing SDG 6.
21 November 2024
This is the story of how a bold experiment in delegation and collaboration turned WASH despair into a beacon of hope.
14 February 2024
Navigating the dynamic landscape of evidence-informed change.
16 March 2023
Wore Illu Woreda, a local district in the region, has 20 rural and four urban kebeles (subdistricts).
10 March 2022
As more people all over the world gain access to a toilet that is not connected to a sewerage system, it is critical to ensure proper containment of human waste to minimise the threat of groundwater contaminatio...
12 January 2022
Stef Smits' in-depth review of the JMP 2021 data on the progress made in 15 countries and discussing the implications towards 2030
15 December 2021
In 2012, the Tanzania government introduced the National Sanitation Campaign to accelerate sanitation coverage, particularly in rural areas
1 December 2021
In partnership with Amref Health Africa under the WASH First COVID-19 Response Project, IRC WASH Ethiopia is supporting Shashamane and Negelle Arsi woredas on knowledge management
8 October 2021
World Water Week (WWW) 2021 showcased many positive efforts aimed at achieving safe water and sanitation services to all.
7 September 2021
Implementing the ASPG guidelines offers African governments the opportunity to develop a policy and an implementation plan that aligns efforts and to mobilise the required resources and investments
3 May 2021
WaterCredit has served over 30 million clients in 13 countries over the past 16 years and mobilized $2.3 billion in capital.
1 April 2021
Master Plans provide a roadmap, but need to be applied creatively and consistently as there is no perfect linear path.
22 February 2021
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation supports collective action in many countries. Ghana is proudly one of them.
27 January 2021
But how can you be resilient, if you don't have safe drinking water? How can you be resilient to the pandemic without handwashing?
17 November 2020
The challenges of the Gazer Town Water Supply Service Office were discussed in the first four learning alliance meetings but detailed and agreed actions were not taken until the fifth learning alliance meeting h...
14 October 2020
Facilitating the ability of citizens, and especially marginalised groups like the disabled, the poor or disadvantaged ethnic groups, and local government to work more effectively together is a core activity in m...
4 August 2020
Candid sector interviews reveal why communications remains an overlooked barrier to SDG 6 progress
2 June 2020
In Asutifi North kiosks at water points have been introduced. Vendors now sell a range of sanitation products.
30 April 2020
While COVID-19 forces CSOs to revise their advocacy strategies it also offers a window of opportunity to promote WASH messages.
23 April 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that handwashing has made it to the front page of many newspapers
29 September 2019
Sanitation marketing is used by the Government of Ethiopia to strengthen the private sanitation service sector, and to help households 'move up the sanitation ladder'.
9 November 2018
2018 marks the 10th anniversary of the GLAAS Report, otherwise known as the Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water, which is a UN-Water initiative implemented by the World Health Organiz...
