Wow! Big week, big discussions. Couldn’t make it?

Cities were the topic for the week. A new report was released by WWF on how water shortages will increase in the world’s biggest cities, and how to tackle the challenges ahead. But what about measuring progress against those challenges? Luckily, JMP, the Germans, French, Swiss, SIWI and UN Agencies teamed up to shed light on the challenges of monitoring in cities.

All the data from monitoring has to go somewhere, so how about Kenya’s ultra-comprehensive “Majidata” or, if you prefer, (best name winner) “GRUBS”, a new interactive web-based tool to match socio-economic and sanitation data. Access the data and improve your programs! How? Try Stockholm Environment Institute’s Water Evaluation And Planning system (WEAP), a user-friendly software tool with an integrated approach to water resources planning. Data is good, but doesn’t talk about itself. Take a look at the “Striking WASH Communications” panel for great ideas on making communications based on your data more effective.

Switching gears, let’s talk about actors. No, not these guys, but governments, entrepreneurs, and companies. Governments will now have many more supporters cheering them towards their WASH goals, thanks to the new WASH Watch tool. For those looking to make some money, Stockholm shined a light in a dark place: inside of toilets! Sustainable sanitation is the new “it” thing, so learn more! While WASH can be an opportunity (see FEMSA’s work on NTDs ), it can also be a risk, especially for companies. How can companies manage water risks? Great question, and great findings from Stockholm.  Keep an eye out for corporate water stewardship standards. Of course, some people did get red carpet treatment: prize winners Stephen R. Carpenter, Nestlé, and rising star, Alison Bick.

Finally, let’s look ahead. IRC looked into their crystal ball (and rigorous analytics) to the 21 trends most critical to WASH sector development. Security is a growing focus, with the Pulitzer Center piece, “Why Water, Not the Taliban, Might Be Afghans’ Greatest Concern”.  Not convinced? The Guardian’s report might help. As it says, “Armies were conscripted either to protect one’s own land and water, or to take possession of somebody else’s.” Of course, there is good news. Since 1990, 4 MILLION people in Rwanda gained access to toilets. Thankfully, WSP gave us some pointers for replicating that success around the world.

Phew! 398! Tweet about what we missed!