Expert

Shiny Saha believes that transformation in public services begins when governments and communities see equity not as an add-on, but as the foundation of lasting systems. Over more than a decade, she has returned to the same question: how do we design structures that make inclusion non-negotiable? Her work has shown that when gender equity and social inclusion are built into the DNA of water, sanitation and hygiene systems, reforms not only endure but reshape the way citizens experience governance.

In the global effort to provide sustainable and universal water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, one truth is clear: infrastructure alone is not enough. Functioning and resilient services are delivered by systems that are made up of capable people, responsive institutions, and effective collaboration between all actors involved. 

Digbijoy Dey believes climate resilience and environmental responsibility must be embedded in every public service we design and deliver. For him, sustainable development is not only about expanding access – it is about enabling institutions, infrastructure and communities to thrive within environmental limits and respond to a changing climate. He works with governments, utilities and development partners to build practical, resilient and environmentally responsible service systems.

A researcher at heart, Marieke loves working with local and national governments, non-governmental organisations, private sector and academic institutions on identifying and addressing challenges related to the provision of public services, especially water supply and sanitation. The practical application and use of research findings, information and data is central to Marieke’s work. She has supported local governments and their partners in Ghana, Ethiopia and Rwanda, in using data to develop and implement robust master plans.

Born in the leprosy mission ALERT in Ethiopia, where my father served as a doctor, I drank water with excessive levels of fluoride in my younger years — enough to leave my teeth brown and brittle, hard on the outside, soft and fragile within. This daily reminder while brushing my teeth is one of my drivers to change the system. Providing good basic services such as safe water, decent sanitation and good hygiene secures a more dignified life with white smiles and less leprosy. After all, prevention is better than a cure (apologies Dad, for not becoming a doctor!).

There is enough money in the world to give everyone safe water and sanitation. The problem is the gap between where capital sits and where it needs to flow. For more than twenty-six years, Catarina Fonseca has worked on closing that gap: building the economic frameworks, financial tools and evidence that help governments and development banks stop treating water as a cost and start treating it as an investment.