Beyond Infrastructure: Athena’s Journey in Strengthening WASH Systems
AUTHOR:
Athena Infonomics
The theme for World Water Day 2025, "Water for a Resilient Future", serves as a reminder that achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation is not just about infrastructure—it’s about building systems that last. Water security is increasingly threatened by climate change, rapid urbanization, and financial constraints, making it more critical than ever to ensure that WASH services are data-driven, inclusive, financially and environmentally sustainable.
Over the past year, Athena Infonomics has worked across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and fragile economies to help governments, utilities, and development partners move beyond short-term interventions toward long-term WASH system resilience. By focusing on institutional strengthening, innovative financing, and data-driven decision-making, we have supported stakeholders in developing solutions that ensure equitable and sustainable water and sanitation services for all.
Effective WASH service delivery relies on clear regulations, institutional capacity, and inclusive policy frameworks. Athena has had the privilege to work with government agencies, regulators, and utilities to enhance governance structures and service planning.
Key Areas of Impact
Developing Institutional Capacity by providing technical support for national and sub-national governments to strengthen regulatory frameworks and improve oversight mechanisms for water and sanitation services.
Capacity Building for Climate-Resilient Sanitation by designing and implementing training programs to equip municipal service providers and utilities with the tools to manage urban sanitation in a climate-responsive and inclusive manner.
Technical Assistance for CWIS Planning & Integration by supporting urban sanitation authorities in integrating Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) frameworks into existing governance models to improve equity and service coverage.
Athena Has:
Assisted in developing data-driven regulatory policies for urban WASH services, ensuring that institutions have the tools to monitor and enforce service quality standards.
Designed capacity-building programs for government agencies across East Asia and the Pacific region, equipping decision-makers with best practices in sanitation service management and infrastructure planning.
Facilitated the adoption of EquiServe in sanitation planning, supporting municipalities in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zambia to integrate financial and service equity models into decision-making processes.
Designed and developed Learning and Knowledge Management Platforms on CWIS for Africa
Why This Matters
Without strong governance, service delivery remains fragmented and unsustainable. By strengthening institutions, Athena helps governments build resilient and efficient WASH systems that can scale and adapt over time.
Unlocking Finance for Sustainable Sanitation Services
Financing remains a major barrier to achieving universal WASH access. Athena’s financial modelling and investment structuring work has supported governments, utilities, and development agencies bridge funding gaps and design sustainable service delivery models.
Key Areas of Impact
Creating Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) Financing Models to support urban WASH programs in eight countries across Africa and South Asia in developing sustainable financial models to expand sanitation access.
Conducting Costing & Financing Assessments through economic modelling to determine the cost of universal WASH access and identify the most effective funding strategies for service expansion.
Developing Market Intelligence & Private Sector Engagement through comprehensive financial datasets to help decision-makers understand tariff structures, subsidy allocations, and investment needs in rapidly growing cities.
In addition, Athena has:
Provided financing roadmaps for urban sanitation by assessing cost structures, tariff models, and investment needs in South Asia and Africa.
Conducted a deep-dive vulnerability assessment in Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, analysing risks in water supply and sanitation service delivery to help governments develop targeted investment strategies.
Designed urban sanitation financing models in Ethiopia and other African countries to catalyse private sector investment and donor support for sanitation infrastructure.
Why This Matters
Many cities struggle with funding and cost recovery for sanitation services. Athena’s financial modelling helps cities balance affordability with sustainability, ensuring WASH services remain operational and accessible.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) for Impact
Data is central to measuring progress and improving decision-making in WASH. Athena works to strengthen monitoring systems, evaluation frameworks, and knowledge-sharing platforms that enable governments and development partners to track performance and optimize investments.
Key Areas of Impact
Developing Digital Monitoring Systems by creating custom data management tools for utilities and policymakers to track water service delivery performance.
Strengthening Gender & Climate Data Analysis through research on gender-disaggregated water insecurity and the impact of climate change on WASH access in vulnerable regions.
Verifying Results-Based Contracts by providing third-party validation of performance-based financing models for drinking water services.
In addition, Athena has:
Designed a national water and sanitation data system index to measure service efficiency and investment priorities across multiple countries.
Strengthened urban sanitation data monitoring in Zambia and Uganda, helping utilities improve real-time tracking of sanitation service delivery.
Conducted a gender-focused WASH assessment in Eastern Africa, analyzing how climate change disproportionately affects women’s access to clean water and sanitation.
Why This Matters
Without strong data systems, governments and service providers lack the insights needed to improve service delivery and allocate resources efficiently. Athena’s MERL expertise helps stakeholders make evidence-based decisions and drive continuous improvement.
Looking Ahead: Strengthening WASH Systems for Long-Term Impact
In 2024-25, Athena Infonomics has played a key role in improving governance, financing models, and data-driven decision-making in WASH services. Looking forward, we are focused on:
Expanding CWIS frameworks and planning tools to help ensure sanitation services reach underserved communities
Scaling the use of financial modelling tools like EquiServe to support governments in structuring sustainable financing strategies
Enhancing digital monitoring systems to help improve real-time decision-making and ensure WASH services are resilient to climate and demographic shifts
The journey toward universal WASH access is ongoing, but by embedding resilience, equity, and data-driven strategies into service planning, we can ensure that water truly becomes a force for a stronger, more sustainable future.
As we mark World Water Day 2025, let’s continue working together to build a future where safe water and sanitation services are accessible, equitable, and resilient for generations to come.
