IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre signs MoU with India’s premier civil services training and research centre

IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Netherlands, and India’s National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR) are joining forces on capacity development and action research.

On 18 December 2012 the two institutes signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi in the presence of the Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Mr. Pankaj Jain IAS.

NIAR is the research wing of India’s premier training centre for civil servants, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) based in Mussoorie. It manages various centres of excellence within LBSNAA and is also a Government of India (GoI) recognised key resource centre for rural drinking water.

The MoU was signed by NIAR Director General Mr. Kush Verma IAS, and IRC Manager, South Asia & Latin America Team, Joep Verhagen on behalf of the IRC Director Nico Terra. Also present at the function were T.M. Vijay Bhaskar IAS, Joint Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Dr Kurian Baby IAS, India Country Director and Senior Programme Officer – South Asia, IRC and Dr. B.S. Bisht, Associate Professor & Nodal Officer, National Key Resource Centre (Water & sanitation), NIAR-LBSNAA, Mussoorie.

The MoU envisages collaboration on:

1. training and capacity building in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector
2. networking with other national / state training institutes
3. integrating WASH training programmes with LBSNAA academic programs
4. joint action research programmes

Speaking on the occasion, Pankaj Jain IAS, Secretary, GoI expressed the hope that the MoU would lead to constructive cooperation between the two centres of excellence, in designing curricula, improving contents, building capacities and supporting action research leading to sustainable WASH service delivery in the country.

For more information contact: Dr. V. Kurian Baby, India Country Director and Senior Programme Officer, South Asia, IRC, e-mail: kurian@irc.nl

Sri Lanka: US$ 164 million project to address water, sanitation issues in conflict-affected areas

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Sri Lankan government are jointly financing a US$ 164 million project to restore water supply and sanitation infrastructure to the conflict-affected Northern Province. The ADB has approved US$ 90 million in loans and technical assistance, AFD is expected to provide US$ 40 million and the Government of Sri Lanka will provide over US$ 34 million for the project.

The Jaffna and Kilinochchi Water Supply and Sanitation Project aims to serve both current residents and returning internally displaced people in target areas of the Jaffna Peninsula.

After 30 years of civil conflict ended at the end of 2009, much of the key infrastructure was damaged or has deteriorated as a result of neglect. Adding to these problems are over extraction of groundwater, aquifer pollution and the absence of effective water resources management.

The project will rehabilitate and improve reservoir headworks, and construct a water treatment and distribution system serving the Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts. The new water distribution system will provide access to household connections and metered community water facilities. On the sanitation side, funds will be used to build a sewage collection and treatment system for the Jaffna Municipality; and construct low-cost household and communal latrines in poor communities.

Support will be given to the Jaffna Water Resources Management Committee to carry out a study and to draw up a comprehensive, integrated water resources management plan. Assistance will also be given to other resource bodies and local authorities, to develop groundwater quality and quantity monitoring and management systems, and to conduct public conservation, environmental protection and hygiene awareness campaigns.

A technical assistance grant of $600,000 from ADB’s concessional Technical Assistance Special Fund will be used for a needs assessment and to establish training courses on service delivery for relevant agencies and local authorities. The Government of Sri Lanka will finance US$ 65,000 equivalent for a total cost of US$ 665,000.

The Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage and the Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Council are the executing agencies for the project, which is due for completion by February 2017.

For more information read the Jaffna Water Supply and Waste Water Management II project information document

Source: ADB, 01 Dec 2010

India, Bangalore: water utility workers get right to information training

Staff from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) are getting training to better deal with public queries under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The BWSSB will be the first department in Karnataka state to arrange a certified workshop for its officials. The utility has chosen 200 officials for the workshop of whom 34 are public information officers (PIOs).

Among the trainers are staff from the National Law School of India University and renowned RTI activist Muralidha.

A BWSSB official related to the programme said most officials including the PIOs were not aware of the provisions and scope of the RTI Act.

The official said PIOs did not know they are supposed to accept RTI queries related to other departments too, even if they are in other states. The official said in absence of this knowledge, the PIOs were refusing such applications from people.

Also, the official said people who were filing RTI queries too did not know that they can approach the appellate authority before approaching the RTI Commission if they do not get the information according to the Act.

Source: N.R. Madhusudhan, Expressbuzz, 02 Nov 2010

Indonesia: ADB extends US$ 35 million for sanitation improvement in Medan and Yogyakarta

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is extending a US$ 35 million loan to help Indonesia rehabilitate and expand sanitation facilities in the cities of Medan and Yogyakarta.

Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province, and Yogyakarta, the capital of Yogyakarta province, have a combined population of around 4.5 million people.

The loan will be used to build around 280 communal sanitation facilities in poor areas in the two cities, as well as two wastewater treatment systems for low-cost housing development projects in Medan. Sewerage systems will be rehabilitated and expanded with up to 28,000 additional household connections. The Metropolitan Sanitation Management and Health Project will also provide support to mobilize community involvement in the planning, operation and maintenance of communal facilities, and will ensure women are strongly involved in the process.

Timor-Leste: water supplies running on empty

Despite significant donor investment in the water sector in Timor-Leste, sustainability remains the biggest challenge. Much of the country’s rural water systems fell into disrepair years ago. The government has made water a national priority for 2010.

According to Timor-Leste’s National Statistics Directorate, almost 40 percent of the country’s 1.1 million inhabitants lack access to an improved water source.

The problem is most evident in rural areas where approximately 75 percent of the population lives – 44.4 percent do not have access against about 15 percent in urban areas.

In the eastern districts of Baucau, Lautem and Viqueque, and Oecussi District, an enclave inside Indonesia, that figure tops more than 50 percent.

One community’s story

Of Lisapat’s 800 households, only 18 have access to piped water, with the rest relying on a nearby spring. Before 2002, everyone had access.

“It’s a big problem and one that we need to fix,” said Julio do Rosario Lemos, 34, who was recently elected the village’s head.

Between 70 and 80 percent of the country’s water system was destroyed in the violence and displacement that occurred after Timor-Leste’s indepence in 199.

“In many villages there are pipes with no water. In others there never have been,” Bishnu Pokhrel, a water and hygiene specialist with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), told IRIN, citing poor management, lack of awareness, low institutional capacity and the impact of the 1999 political crisis.

Sustainability

“Sustainable water systems is the key goal,” Keryn Clark, programme team leader for the Timor-Leste Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (RWSSP), an AusAID-funded project working with the Timorese government to improve water supplies, told IRIN.

On some projects in the past, the focus had been more on laying pipes that on community management, she said. It was critical that the community, which ultimately will be managing the system, is fully on board from the very beginning.

Maintenance of the infrastructure is also critical and outside Dili, the capital, few spare parts are available.

While many of the country’s community water management groups are well organized, others are less so and may not have the knowledge or means to undertake necessary repairs.

“You need to determine what the community can realistically manage and what they can’t, and then how you can support them,” Clark said, emphasizing that community training is key.

Institutional capacity

Until recently, each district had just one non-technical rural water supply and there was only one fully trained water engineer in the whole country.

Now with support from AusAID, another district level technical person has been added, as well as one or two community facilitators at the sub-district level, focusing on community management and sanitation.

“These are all key points in making the system more sustainable,” Clark said. “If we can actually make the systems that have been built, or are in the process of being built, work properly and [be] more sustainable, more people will have access to water.”

Source: IRIN, 08 Feb 2010

India, Rajasthan: community solutions to tackle water woes

With the water crisis worsening in the desert state of Rajasthan, the state government is now focusing on community-based water management solutions instead of predominantly engineering-based ones. In its recently announced water policy, the state government has shifted its focus towards community-level empowerment and responsibility for water management under the umbrella process of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The government has chosen nine blocks – three each in Jodhpur, Nagaur and Churu districts – to implement a pilot project.

“The ground water situation is quite alarming in the state with only 30 water blocks out of total 237 left in safe zone. Since water is limited, there is a need to manage water very intelligently, which is not possible without active and direct involvement of citizens,” N S Satsangi, Chief Engineer (Quality Control and External Aided Projects), State Water Resource Planning Department, is quoted by Zee news.

“Every measure to educate people and ensure their participation in water conservation and water management will be taken across the state,” he said. For this, initially, Water User Groups (WUG) of 20 local people each will be formed at every Gram Sabha level. WUG members will be trained for water management by local NGOs. The Chief Engineer said the awareness programmes, capacity building and other related activities would be conducted at a fast pace with reinstatement of funds from the European Union. European Union Ambassador Daniele Smadja had recently announced reinstatement of a grant of Rs 450 crore [Euro 75,5 million, 7 Apr 2010] for water-related projects in the state.

Source: Zee News, 6 Apr 2010

Strengthening capacities for planning of sanitation and wastewater use : experiences from two cities in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Smits, S., Da Silva Wells, C. and Evans, A. (2009). Strengthening capacities for planning of sanitation and wastewater use : experiences from two cities in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The Hague, the Netherlands, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (Occasional Paper Series 44). 56 p. ; 5 fig., 6 tab. 37 ref.
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Executive Summary

It is well-known that many peri-urban communities use wastewater (often untreated) in agriculture. Although wastewater-dependent agriculture provides livelihoods to farmers, there are associated health and environmental risks. The roots of this situation lie in the poor sanitation in cities where part of the population doesn’t have access to basic sanitation services at all, where domestic wastewater is not properly collected or is discharged into open water bodies without any treatment, and where industrial discharges and dumping of solid waste often add to the pollution problem.

The basic premise of the Wastewater Agriculture and Sanitation for Poverty Alleviation (WASPA) in Asia project is that by integrated planning both the lack of sanitation services and the health and environmental risks associated with wastewater use in agriculture can be addressed simultaneously. The idea is to improve conditions along the entire sanitation chain (from household latrines to collection, treatment and reuse of wastewater), while maintaining the characteristics of wastewater valued by farmers, such as nutrient content.

This concept was tested in two towns: Rajshahi in Bangladesh and Kurunegala in Sri Lanka. The project worked through Learning Alliances, composed of local stakeholders, including farmers, residents, small industries and local authorities. With these Learning Alliances, the current situation was analysed, and integrated plans for improvement were formulated and executed in a collaborative manner with a range of stakeholders. This document provides an overview of the experiences of the project and provides a critical reflection on the WASPA concept and its applicability.

The project found that the sanitation situation in both cities was less severe than originally hypothesised. Lack of access to basic sanitation only contributed in a minor way to wastewater flows. Instead, other sources of pollution were identified, such as discharges from small industries and leakage from poorly maintained or inadequate septic tanks. At the same time, the impacts of wastewater agriculture on crop yields and health risks were less than expected.

The situation also proved to be more complex than originally thought, necessitating that a broader range of stakeholders be involved in the identification and implementation of solutions. The multi-stakeholder approach of Learning Alliances and participatory planning cycle provided a useful framework for addressing this complex problem. It allowed examination of the entire sanitation chain and identification of potential strategies for
improvements along the entire chain. In addition, it provided a way of gradually building up relations between stakeholders in a context characterised by institutional fragmentation, conflict and poor accountability. Over time, relations improved and more integrated planning emerged.

A potential drawback to the approach is that stakeholders tend to identify isolated and conventional actions to address the situation, and thus need strong facilitation and increased knowledge to arrive at appropriate solutions. Also, transaction costs of the approach are high, in terms of getting the teams in place, starting up the multi-stakeholder process, and getting stakeholders to carry out a joint planning exercise and subsequently implement their plans. However, the project demonstrated that integrated, joint planning is important for addressing complex problems that span sectoral, administrative and social divides and that, ultimately, the high transaction costs are justified.

Bhutan: Japan, ADB help strengthen resilience to climate change

A project to strengthen the capacity of Bhutan’s National Environment Commission (NEC) will also help the coordination of water resources management among relevant ministries and agencies, ahead of the eventual establishment of a single body.

The Japan Special Fund, financed by the Government of Japan and administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is providing a $700,000 grant for building up the capacity of Bhutan’s National Environment Commission (NEC). The NEC is the designated national authority for climate change issues and handles projects that are eligible to avail of carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol. However, it currently lacks the staff and other capacity for developing mitigation and adaptation measures that can counter climate change.

Bhutan’s rivers are the backbone of the economy, with exports of hydropower-generated electricity accounting for more than 40% of national revenue, while 70% of the population lives in rural areas and depends heavily on irrigated agriculture. Climate change threatens to have a serious impact on river flows.

It will also boost the ability of NEC to adequately assess and promote hydropower and other renewable energy projects suitable for availing of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol, and for potential carbon trading.

The project will also boost NEC’s ability to expand Bhutan’s access to financing for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects. The assistance will be coordinated with the work of other civil society groups and donors, including Danish International Development Assistance, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and United Nations Development Programme.

The Government of Bhutan will provide $50,000 equivalent for the project, which has a total cost of $750,000. NEC is the executing agency, with the work to be carried out over 18 months, with an expected completion date of September 2011.

Project information: Assistance for National Environment Commission’s Clean Development Mechanism Unit

Source: ADB, 25 Jan 2010

Uzbekistan: US$ 60 million ADB loan to support water supply and sanitation

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Republic of Uzbekistan hace signed a US$ 60 million loan agreement to support the government’s efforts to strengthen the water supply and sanitation sector.

The loan, from ADB’s concessional Asian Development Fund, is the first tranche of a US$ 300 million multi tranche financing facility (MFF) – ADB’s first MFF investment program to Uzbekistan. The programme aims to improve the living standards, environment, and health of three million people in Uzbekistan.

Since 2000, ADB he provided US$ 193.1 million in loans and US$ 5.1 million in grants to the water supply and sanitation sector sector.

The loan will finance improvements to water source and distribution systems in Damkhodja and 11 district centres in Bukhara and Navoi provinces, as well as upgrade wastewater treatment plant and sewerage systems in the capital city of Surkhandarya province. The programme will also strengthen water supply and sanitation institutions and support capacity development. A performance-based service contract and lease contract will be piloted for service agencies to encourage more private investment in the sector. The loan will include programme preparation and management support to implement the loan and to prepare and design the remaining tranches under the investment program.

The total project costs are estimated at US$ 75 million. ADB will provide a US$ 60 million loan with repayment term of 32 years, including a grace period of eight years with an interest charge of 1% per year, rising to 1.5% for the balance of the term.

Source: ADB, 01 Dec 2009

India: evaluation of existing capacities in WATSAN sector

A 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 WASH Institute is an initiative supported by a consortium of water sector organisations in India, UK, Netherlands (including the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre), Sweden and USA. In May 2008 a secretariat was established in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, with support from WaterAid India and Plan International (India). In June 2008 the institute officially registered as a trust.

In 2008-2009 the WASH Institute conducted five on-site training courses and provided technical assistance to four ecosan projects.

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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WASH Institute web site