NETWAS is involved in many networking sector activities at the national, regional and international levels. At the national level, NETWAS continues to maintain close links with sector actors through national co-ordination forums. At the regional level, NETWAS organises and has held an annual Regional Water and Sanitation Seminar (RWSS) for the last 16 years, which brings together sector actors in eastern and southern Africa region to discuss important topical issues in the sector. The themes usually cover one or more of the sector current issues and are solicited from the various stakeholders and reviewed by NETWAS to line them up with global sector trends. The RWSS attracts over 50 key sector actors from East and Southern Africa.

NETWAS is a member of the global International Training Network for Water and Waste Management (ITN) and also a founder member of the ITN Africa network, which comprises of a number of Resource Centres in eastern, southern and western Africa. The ITN Africa centres meet at the annual ITN Africa Conference. NETWAS is also a founder member of STREAM, a coalition of global resource centres that seek excellence in the promotion and provision of water and sanitation sector services. It also participates in the following international networks:

• Gender Water Alliance
• Water supply and sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)
• (IRC) Resource Centre Development
• Hygiene and Environmental Sanitation/School Sanitation Global Thematic Group

NETWAS also operates a well-established Documentation Centre, which was set up in 1989. The Documentation Centre continues to be a landmark that distinguishes NETWAS from other sector non-governmental organisations. The Centre is not only a library, but it is a proactive Reference Centre that reaches out to the users of information in the sector through:

Provision of library user services

Publication of monthly Bibliographic Briefs, disseminated by regular mail and email

Publication of Water and Sanitation Update, produced three times a year. This is disseminated through regular mail, email and on the NETWAS website www.netwas.org

Advisory and Advocacy Services

NETWAS has been involved in advocacy and advisory work related to policy development and reforms and as a result is now well recognised by sector agencies within the region as a depository of sector knowledge. NETWAS realises that this role can be played effectively in countries where a national focal point exists. Thus in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, NETWAS is often invited to the membership of various Task Forces mandated to deliberate on sector issues i.e. Rural, Urban, Environment, Sanitation, and Health. By participating effectively in the various Task forces, NETWAS staff give advice based on their experience or the experience of NETWAS gained from our collaborating partners/other networks.