Stef Smits is a senior programme officer and Co-director of IRC's Growth Hub. He has 20 years of professional experience in water supply and sanitation in over 25 countries in Europe, Latin America, Southern Africa, and South Asia. His main thematic expertise includes: institutional models for water supply, sustainability and enabling environment, monitoring, costing and financing of services and integrated water resources management.
Stef has led numerous projects on these topics, and published about them. In addition, he has ample management expertise: from consultancy assignments to multi-annual programmes, and units within an organisation. He has worked for a range of clients including bilateral donors, development banks, research funders and NGOs. Stef holds an MSc degree in Irrigation and Water Engineering from Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
At the start of the New Year, newspaper and magazines are all busy making predictions of what the year may have in store. Personally, I always enjoy reading The Economist’s “ The World in… ”. In that magazine, predictions are made of how political events may unfold in the year to come, how the... Read more...
Case study on rapid assessment to identify supply chain challenges. Read more...
Emerging lessons from the use of building blocks for sustainable un-sewered urban sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more...
While the importance of hygiene is increasingly being recognized, far less consideration has been given to the role of the complete WASH package in... Read more...
In Chennai, India, stakeholders support the establishment of an independent state groundwater authority to secure sustainable water supply. Read more...
Sustainable groundwater use is more likely in Indian villages if farmers, other village community members and NGOs work together with researchers and... Read more...
Several Dutch water sector organisations have written to Minister Ploumen (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) about the Dutch targets for water supply. Read more...
Stef Smits legt uit wat er in de brief over de internationale drinkwaterdoelstelling staat die de water sector vandaag aan Minister Ploumen aanbiedt. Read more...
Honduras, just like other Central American countries has adopted SIASAR (the Rural Water and Sanitation Information System) to monitor water and sanitation services in rural areas. IRC supports the development and roll-out of SIASAR in different ways. Read more...
"Porque exactos son los números.......depende". Así dice la bonita canción " Depende " de Jarabe de Palo. ¿Cuáles son los números exactos de los costos del agua?...depende. Así dice la conclusión del estudio sobre costos de agua y saneamiento en Honduras. Read more...
Honduras, al igual que otros países de la región centroamericana adopta el SIASAR (Sistema de Información de Agua y Saneamiento Rural) como su sistema de monitoreo de servicios de agua y saneamiento en zonas rurales. El IRC apoya el SIASAR de diferentes formas. Read more...
I am waiting for the moment that the newspapers report it is all quiet on the waterfront. Read more...
Increasing latrine coverage does not by itself reduce exposure to faecal pathogens and prevent disease. Read more...