Evaluation of existing capacities in WATSAN sector in India

Plan International (India), WASH Institute and ORG-Nielsen Group (2009). Evaluation of existing capacities in WATSAN sector. Kodaikanal, India, WASH Institute. 89 p. : 8 fig., 3 tab.

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This study, commissioned by the WASH Institute, reviews water and sanitation capacity building initiatives and requirements in India. It is based on desk research, interviews with national-level stakeholders and interviews with stakeholders in the four states of Assam, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

The study analyzes the quality of trained manpower available and manpower-related issues faced by stakeholders involved in implementing water and sanitation programmes. It identifies the factors attributing to the shortage of human resources in the sector needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation.

A more integrated approach towards “trained manpower” in the water supply and sanitation sector is proposed. It will also not come as a great surprise that the study confirms the need for a separate specialised
training institute like the WASH Institute.

The resilience of water supply and sanitation in the face of climate change

Howard, G. and Bartram, J. (2009). Summary and policy implications Vision 2030 : the resilience of water supply and sanitation in the face of climate change. Geneva, Switzerland, World Health Organization and London, UK, Department for International Development (DFID). 41 p. ISBN 978-92-4-159842 2

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The global climate is changing – drinking-water and sanitation services have to prepare for the impact. If the widely anticipated flood and drought consequences of climate change come to pass, then both established water and sanitation services and future gains in access and service quality will be at risk.

The vision 2030 study of DFID and WHO set out to increase our understanding of how anticipated climate change may affect drinking-water and sanitation services and what can be done to optimize resilience of technologies, infrastructure and services. Five broad policy-relevant conclusions are reached. This booklet summarizes the study.

It aims to help policy-makers, planners, operators and communities in making practical decisions based on clear criteria, to improve the resilience of their water and sanitation services. It is part of a larger set of materials, including a full technical report and a set of background reports and guidance notes, available on the accompanying CD-ROM.

Water service provision for the peri-urban poor in post-conflict Angola

Cain, A. and Mulenga, M. (2009) Water service provision for the peri-urban poor in post-conflict Angola. (Human settlements working paper series. Water ; 8). London, UK, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). 56 p. ; 10 fig., 8 photos, 15 tab. ISBN 978-1-84369-754-1

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One of the important challenges of post-war reconstruction is to provide more and better quality basic services, such as water. Previous attempts at upgrading main supply systems to accommodate peri-urban areas have been overwhelmed by the explosive demographic growth of Angola’s major cities brought about by many years of civil war.

This paper documents strategies developed by the informal private sector and local communities themselves to meet the demand for water services that the Angolan Government has been unable to provide.

The paper demonstrates that local communities’ own engagement in the management of water distribution and their assumption of the responsibility for maintenance and the payment of service fees is a sustainable and affordable model. The paper also points out that building on the successes of existing locally driven initiatives, can bring national and international water targets closer to realisation and that local innovations not only improve water provision, but do so in a manner that involves and responds to the urban poor more than conventional water projects do.

Drawing on a literature review and the experience of Development Workshop in supporting peri-urban water services in Luanda, the paper provides lessons and recommendations for partnerships, financing and cost recovery, mapping tools, and scaling-up.

Sanitation in India: progress, differentials, correlates, and challenges

Bonu, S.  and Kim, H. (2009). Sanitation in India : progress, differentials, correlates, and challenges. (South Asia occassional paper series : no. 2). Manila, Philippines, Asia Development Bank. ix, 35 p. : 16 fig., 5 tab.  ISBN 978-971-561-828-1

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Poor sanitation is responsible for the spread of a number of communicable diseases, resulting in lost productivity, reduced quality of life, and impoverishment. Sanitation is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve public health. Using nationally representative data sets, the report presents analyses of progress, differentials, correlates, and challenges of sanitation in India, and discusses the policy implications of the findings.

While significant progress has been achieved in the last decade, the scale of unmet need for sanitation in India is huge. Greater attention on the disadvantaged—households from the poorest quintile and scheduled tribes—and the states that have consistently underperformed (Orissa, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh) could help accelerate further progress.

The financing requirements are huge; hence, the paper suggests progressive improvement in the types of sanitation solutions. Sewerage systems tend to benefit richer households; hence, some form of capital cost recovery could be considered to finance sewerage-related infrastructure.

Corruption risks in water licensing with case studies from Chile and Kazakhstan

Warner, J. … [et al.] (2009). Corruption risks in water licensing with case studies from Chile and Kazakhstan. (Swedish Water House report ; 27). Stockholm, Sweden, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). 19 p. ISBN: 978-91-975872-7-3
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Water resource licensing is the achilles heel of modern water rights and integrated water resources management (IWRM). Licensing and other allocation mechanisms are important because they underpin who gets access to water and provide a means to manage water fairly, efficiently and sustainably. Water licensing is often in the hands of young institutions operating under new laws and sometimes organised along water basins rather than traditional administrative boundaries. With growing water scarcity in an increasing number of countries, there is a significantly greater risk in the water licensing process. This risk, and its underlying factors, are not well understood.

This report explores the nature of the risk using a 2007 field study of Chile and Kazakhstan as case studies for risk mitigation. Kazakhstan has a state-dominated water sector in the midst of economic and institutional reform, including turning former farm co-operatives into individual farm enterprises. Chile started to liberalise the water sector in 1981 and is seen by many as the model for market-based initiatives.

The report provides recommendations and suggestions for future preventive measures that can be applied to strengthen transparency, integrity and accountability in water resources licensing.

Sustainable Sanitation Practice

Sustainable Sanitation Practice (SSP) is a new quarterly open access journal on practical experiences with available sustainable sanitation systems. SSP Journal is published by the EcoSan Club Austria, non profit association established in 2002.

The theme of the first issue of SSP journal, published in October 2009, is greywater.  It includes five contributions showing results from projects, in which members of the EcoSan Club Austria have been involved:

• Combined greywater reuse and rainwater harvesting in an office building in Austria: analyses of practical operation
• Household greywater treatment for peri-urban areas of Nakuru Municipality, Kenya
• Greywater use in peri-urban households in Kitgum, Uganda
• Greywater treatment in apartment building in Austria
• Combined greywater treatment using a membrane bioreactor

The themes for 2010 are:

• Issue 2: “Successful models for operation and maintenance of sanitation systems” – January 2010, under preparation.
• Issue 3: “Use of urine” – April 2010, deadline for contributions: 10 February 2010
• Issue 4: “The ROSA project” – July 2010, deadline for contributions: 10 Mai 2010
• Issue 5: “Sanitation as a business” – October 2010, deadline for contributions: 10 August 2010
• Issue 6: “Toilets” – January 2011, deadline for contributions: 10 November 2010

For contributions contact: SSP editorial office, Ms. Isabelle Pavese (ssp [at] ecosan.at)

Sustainable Sanitation Practice journal web page

Towards the realization of free basic sanitation : evaluation, review and recommendations

Mjoli, N., Sykes, G. and Jooste, T.  (2009). Towards the realization of free basic sanitation :   evaluation, review and recommendations. (WRC report ; no. TT 422/09). Pretoria, South Africa,  Water Research Commission. xviii,  91 p. : 16 fig., 8 tab.  ISBN 978-1-77005-900-9

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The aim of this study was to assess the experience of municipalities in South Africa in the implementation of free basic sanitation (FBSan) services and to develop economic and financial models for sustainable FBSan service. Based on the findings of the study recommendations were made for improving the delivery of FBSan services to poor.

The study involved a review of national and international literature, and an evaluation of FBSan services in South Africa through eight municipal case studies and a survey in 17 district municipalities.

Two separate modelling exercises were undertaken to explore different aspects of implementing the FBSan strategy:

• using the case studies to investigate the funds likely to be available to the sanitation service within the context of the entire municipal suite of services, and
• using  the results of the first modelling exercise, together with desktop cost analysis, to inform a national analysis of the projected operational costs associated with current service level decisions under different operational assumptions.

A review of international and national experience on the provision of subsidized sanitation services to the severely marginalized individuals and groups was conducted to identify good practice. The findings of this review were used as a basis for the development of guidelines for sanitation subsidies for the severely marginalized individuals and groups.

The study provides recommendations for:

• institutional and policy aspects
• demand-side aspects
• subsidy targeting issues
• operational considerations
• financing free basic sanitation services
• technical considerations
• further research

The overall conclusion from the study is that the provision of a Free Basic Sanitation Service to all households is not financially viable for all categories of municipalities. However, FBSan service for poor households is possible in metros because of the strong revenue base and the possibility of cross-subsidies. District municipalities that serve large poor rural populations cannot afford to provide FBSan services because they do not generate sufficient revenue from the user charges, combined with very limited ability to generate local revenues to meet their municipal service obligations.

The findings of the study were presented in 2008, in a paper and a Powerpoint presentation entitled ‘Free Basic Sanitation Services- South African experience’, at the IRC symposium ‘Sanitation for the Urban Poor: Partnerships and Governance’ that was held in Delft, The Netherlands, 19-21 November 2008.

Public-Private Partnerships for Urban Water Utilities: A Review of Experiences in Developing Countries

Marin, P. (2009). Public-private partnerships for urban water utilities: a review of experiences in developing countries. (Trends and policy options ; no. 8). Washington, DC, USA, World Bank, Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF). xvi, 191 p. : 13 boxes, 28 fig., 5 tab. Bibliography: p. 159-176. Includes index
ISBN 978-0-8213-7956-1. eISBN: 978-0-8213-7957-

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This study examines the understanding of the performance of public-private partnerships (PPP) projects in urban water utilities in developing countries.

It focuses on projects in which a private operator is introduced to run the utility, consequently excluding build, operate, and transfer (BOT) projects and similar arrangements limited to the construction and operation of treatment facilities.

It reviews the overall spread of urban water PPPs during the past 15 years and seeks to respond to the questions of whether and how they have helped to improve services and to expand access for the populations concerned.

The study analyzes performance data from more than 65 large water PPP projects that have been in place for at least five years (three years in the case of management contracts), a sample that represents a combined population of about 100 million people – close to half of the urban population that has been served by private water operators sometime between 1990 and 2007. This sample represents, by size of population served, close to 80 percent of the water PPP projects that were awarded before 2003 and that have been active for at least three years.

Four dimensions of performance are analyzed: access (coverage expansion), quality of service, operational efficiency, and tariff levels. The analysis focuses on the net improvements and actual impact for the concerned populations, rather than whether contractual targets were met. Based on what worked and what did not, conclusions are then drawn on how governments can better harness private initiative to improve water supply and sanitation services in the developing world.

The key findings are:

• water PPPs are a viable option in developing countries
• the most consistent contribution of private operators has been improved efficiency
• contractual arrangements for water PPPs have evolved differently in different regions

The findings of this study suggest that a new approach is emerging for maximizing the potential contribution of private water operators in the developing world. The focus of PPP should be on using private operators to improve operational efficiency and quality of service, instead of primarily trying to attract private financing.

Gender-disaggregated data on water and sanitation

Seager, J. (ed.) (2009). Gender-disaggregated data on water and sanitation : Expert Group Meeting, United Nations Headquarters, New York 2–3 December 2008. (UNW-DPC knowledge publication series ; no. 1). Bonn, Germany, UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC), United Nations University. 35 p.

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This report includes the main recommendations of 26 experts on mainstreaming gender issues into water and sanitation policies. It also presents the following six main gendered indicators the experts propose should be incorporated into existing surveys and data collection efforts of governments and of key global-level data collection entities:

1. the adequacy and availability of water at the household level for daily needs, distinguishing between reproductive and productive activities of men and women;

2. the time spent, by sex, to collect water, further distinguishing between that work done by adults and children (and collected by urban/rural);

3. relationships between transportation and gender in collecting water, with particular care taken to distinguish between “carrying” vs “assisted transport” (whether animal or mechanized);

4. what kind of sanitation facilities (if any) are actually used by men and by women and who are not using facilities, and why; these data should be further disaggregated by income and by urban/ rural setting;

5. women’s participation in decision-making processes regarding water and sanitation at all levels, including careful attention to indicators (such as qualitative ordinal scales) that reveal the nature and quality of women’s inclusion in decision making;

6. sanitation in schools, including specific information on whether facilities are provided separately for males and females, the extent to which existing facilities are actually used by male and female schoolchildren, and the extent to which those facilities meet the specific needs of girls in terms of safety, privacy, proximity, hygiene, cleanliness, water, and provision for menstruation.

Participants Sascha Gabizon, WECF, Christine Sijbesma, IRC and Bilqis Hoque, EPRC (from left to right)

Group Photo Participants of the Expert Group Meeting on Gender and Water, United Nations, December 2008

Water operators partnerships : building WOPs for sustainable development in water and sanitation

International Water Association, UN-HABITAT and Vitens-Evides International (2009). Water operators partnerships : building WOPs for sustainable development in water and sanitation. 35 p.

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This publication provides information on the functioning of Water Operators Partnerships (WOPs) and highlights the opportunities and preconditions behind this approach. It presents experience related to characteristics of successful WOPs, financing models, and a WOPs classification illustrated with specific
examples.

A WOP is defined as any form of simple or structured partnership aimed at capacity building on a not-for-profit basis. Partnerships can take a multitude of different forms and have various technical, legal and social dimensions depending on individual circumstances.

A distinctive characteristic of the WOPs mechanism compared to some other forms of external support is that the ‘mentor’ operator (the organisation with demonstrable experience and expertise) does not take over the driver’s seat of the ‘recipient’ operator, but assumes a coaching role in the partnership. Thus, the added value of the WOPs approach is in enabling the operator itself to sustain an improvement over the longer term.

This document aims to share experience in the development of current WOPs and to help motivate interest across a wider set of actors in adopting partnership approaches.

Lessons are derived from the following WOP examples:

• Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD), Philippines, and City West Water (CWW), Australia
• SEDAPAL, a Water Supply Company from Lima, Peru and SABESP, the State of Sao Paulo water and sanitation operator in Brazil
• Surabaya Water Supply Enterprise/PDAM Kota Surabaya, Indonesia, and Ranhill Utilities Berhad, Malaysia
• National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB), Sri Lanka, and Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company Ltd. (Jusco), India)
• Kaunas Water, Lithuania, and Riga Water, Latvia, partnering with Stockholm Water, Sweden
• The Office Nationale de l ’Eau Potable (ONEP), Morocco, and Syndicat d’Assainissement de l’Agglomération Parisienne, SIAAP, France.
• The Water Supply Investment and Asset Holding Fund (FIPAG), Mozambique, and Vitens Evides International, the Netherlands

The documents ends with a section promoting the work on the Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance – an international network of concerned partners hosted by UN-HABITAT. An oversight of current WOPs worldwide is given in an annex, region by region, with project listings and contact details.