Do partnerships produce relevant knowledge in water research?

The European Commission stipulates north–south partnerships for all development research that it funds, believing they are an effective model for the production of relevant development knowledge. A recent study of the validity of this claim reveals that north–south partnerships in the water sector are beset with problems that undermine the production of relevant development knowledge. These include issues around research management, funding, uptake and publication. Unless changes are made to the way partnerships are managed, it is unlikely that development research in the water sector will produce relevant knowledge. Partnerships need to become more symmetrical with both northern and southern researchers contributing equally to the research.