Water for Cities, October-December 2006

UN-HABITAT and the Government of India organized the fi rst Asia-Pacifi c Ministers Conference on Housing and Human Settlements from 13-16 December, 2006 in New Delhi in which Housing Ministers, high level offi cials, professionals and members of the civil society from 38 countries participated. The high-level ministerial meeting was inaugurated by His Excellency the President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

Addressing the problem of urbanization, The President emphasized the need to develop rural centers by providing them with urban amenities, with particular attention to the improvement of access to basic services for the urban poor. In her keynote address, UN-HABITAT Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, noted with approval the

Delhi Hosts Asia-Pacifi c Ministerial Conference on Housing and Human Settlements

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER ISSUE TWENTY EIGHT October-December 2006

UN-HABITAT

I N S I D EStakeholders’ Workshop Establishes capacity building for LVWATSAN 3

Ethiopia Implements Country Level Training on HVBWSHE 7

UNDESA and UN-HABITAT Engage African Water Operators 8

New Publications 9

UN-HABITAT Supports Project to Improve Access to Safe Water and Sanitation in Bharatpur 10

A Learning Experience on Sanitation Technologies in New Delhi 11

Upcoming Events 12

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WATER FOR CITIESWATER FOR CITIES

© UN-HABITAT

UN-HABITAT and the African Development Bank Collaborate to Support Achievement of Water and Sanitation MDGs in Africa

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UN-HABITAT and the African Development Bank will collaborate to improve access to clean water and sanitation in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique and Swaziland, following a decision arrived at in a meeting held at the African Development Bank headquarters in Tunis on 2 November 2006. This collaboration is a follow-up of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two organizations in March 2006.

Among the challenges facing Africa, provision of safe water supply and adequate sanitation are of the highest priority. Even where there is water, the quality is often poor, leading to exposure to waterborne diseases. The Bank will spend over 200 million dollars under its Rural Water and Sanitation Initiative in the fi ve African countries to assist in the rehabilitation and expansion of safe water and

UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka in discussions with His Excellency the President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam when she paid a courtesy call on him. She was accompanied by the Water for Asian Cities’ Programme Manager Mr. Andre Dzikus and Special Advisor, Offi ce of the Executive Director Mr. kalyan Ray.

2 Issue Twenty Eight October-December 2006 Water for Cities

Editorial

1Bert Diphoorn is the Chief, Water Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch-UN-HABITAT.

Delivering WATSAN MDGs through Strategic Partnerships

By Bert Diphoorn1

I would like to welcome everyone to the last issue of 2006. The year was indeed an eventful one for the Water, Sanitation and Infrastructure branch. One of the highlights of the year was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the African Development Bank to work together to improve access to clean water and sanitation in various African countries. Under the collaborative arrangement, the Bank and UN-HABITAT will work together in several areas, including gender mainstreaming to enhance the involvement of women in water and sanitation service provision, advocacy and raising awareness on hygiene and effi cient use of water, and monitoring progress towards the millennium development goals

In early December, UN-HABITAT and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs hosted a three day workshop which acted as a forum for knowledge sharing on the experiences gained in improving governance of public water utilities, especially from the African region perspective. Participants included representatives from African water associations, regional and international organizations. At the end of the workshop the delegates adopted a declaration of support to the institutions. The Nairobi Declaration recognizes that public water utilities remain the leading players in the provision of water and sanitation services in the region and that the best source of capacity is amongst water operators themselves.

In October, we hosted a Stakeholders’ workshop on capacity building in the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Initiative. The purpose of the workshop was to establish the capacity building requirements to support and sustain infrastructure investments in the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Initiative. Among the recommendations that came out of the meeting was the need to maximize on the regional benefi ts of the initiative, the need to improve utility management in small urban centers and the need to focus on pro-poor water governance.

In order to establish the effectiveness of the fund and to help us develop a forward looking strategy, we have undertaken an independent Mid-Term Review of the Trust Fund’s activities. The review which is headed by Professor Albert Wright has already commenced its fi rst phase with the fi nal report to be launched during the Stockholm World Water Week 2007.

As we close the year we would like to reaffi rm UN-HABITAT’s objectives with respect to water and sanitation related Millennium Development Goals. We have developed a renewed set of priorities for achieving these goals including a greater focus on sanitation, improved global coordination between water utilities and greater attention to medium as well as large urban centers. We hope that you will all continue to support us in realizing these goals in 2007!

from pg 1

Delhi Hosts Asia-Pacifi c Ministerial Conference on Housing and Human Settlementsachievements that have been made in recent years in the region. She asked everyone to work together in the quest of a new vision for sustainable cities and expressed UN-HABITAT’s interest in innovative pro-poor solutions for the management and delivery of urban basic services aimed at creating socially inclusive cities.

The Ministerial Conference concluded with the creation of a consultative mechanism for the promotion of sustainable urbanization in the region and the adoption of the “Delhi Declaration” on the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Ministers Conference on Housing and Urban Development and the implementation of the “Enhanced Framework of Implementation for Sustainable Urbanization in the Asia-Pacifi c Region”, which provides a new political blueprint for better managed, more inclusive and sustainable towns and cities across the region.

An exhibition by UN-HABITAT and the Asian Development Bank focused on activities of the Water for Asian Cities Programme (WAsC) and the Mekong Water and Sanitation Initiative (MEK-WATSAN).

Activities of the WAsC Programme in India are clustered around the following themes:

● Pro-poor Urban Water and Sanitation Governance and Gender Mainstreaming Strategy;

● Slum Environment Sanitation Initiatives (SESI) in Madhya Pradesh;

● Community Managed Water Supply Schemes; and

● Capacity Building.

WAsC Nepal Programme exhibition featured the Urban and Environmental Improvement Projects and the Small Town Water and Sanitation Sector Projects.

The Exhibition was well received by the various ministers, high level offi cials, water and sanitation professionals and the civil society from three countries represented at the conference.

Water for Cities Issue Twenty Eight October-December 2006 3

sanitation facilities. The funds will also help to build the capacity of central and local governments, utilities and local communities to implement and manage water and sanitation projects sustainably.

U n d e r t h e c o l l a b o r a t i v e arrangement, the Bank and UN-HABITAT will work together in gender mainstreaming to enhance the involvement of women in water and sanitation service provision, advocacy and awareness raising on hygiene and effi cient water use, and monitoring progress towards meeting the water and sanitation related Millennium Development Goals.

The agreement also promotes pro-poor water and sanitation governance as well as urban catchment management to protect water resources by offering an integrated approach that links water management to land-use, the environment and human activity. The two organizations will implement innovative “learning by doing” demonstration projects and promote the sharing and dissemination of information and experiences within and among participating countries.

The agreement will pave the way for small urban water utilities to complement the role of local and

WatSan News–Africa

Editorial Board:Bert Diphoorn | Graham Alabaster | Andre Dzikus | James Ohayo–Editor

Water for Cities NewsletterISSUE TWENTY EIGHT - Oct - Dec 2006

central government in providing water and sanitation services by developing tools to help assess the viability of small scale providers and establish water rating systems among others. The need to invest in innovative and affordable water and sanitation technologies such as rainwater harvesting, eco-san toilets, small bore sewerage, waste recycling and reuse was also discussed.

The meeting also proposed a partnership for a regional environmental programme that builds on the work UN-HABITAT is doing in the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Initiative (LVWATSAN). The proposed partnership would expand the LVWATSAN Initiative to additional secondary towns around Lake Victoria.

UN-HABITAT and African Development Bank UN-HABITAT and African Development Bank Collaborate to Support Achievement of Water Collaborate to Support Achievement of Water and Sanitation MDGs in Africaand Sanitation MDGs in Africa

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Stakeholders’ Workshop Formulate Capacity Building Framework for the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Initiative


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A workshop to establish the capacity building requirements to support and sustain infrastructure investments under the Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative (LVWATSAN) was organized by UN-HABITAT from 16-18 October 2007, at the UN headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi. The workshop

brought together over 80 participants, from ministries of water, local authorities, water and sanitation service providers and regulators, the private sector, Non-Governmental Organizations and Community-Based Organizations.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Albert Diphoorn, Chief of the Water, Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch of UN-HABITAT noted the high level political commitment witnessed at the launch of the Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative (LVWATSAN) during the 2004 Stockholm Water Week. He stressed the need for concrete action to improve access to water supply and sanitation services in secondary urban centers bordering Lake Victoria. Rapid urbanization and unplanned growth, he observed, have placed enormous pressure on the capacity of the towns to provide adequate basic services for their growing populations. He reminded the participants that the African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW) was keen to see the programme succeed so that its experiences can be replicated in other regions such as Lake Chad.

Observing that the LVWATSAN Initiative provides a unique opportunity to enhance the living conditions of the poorest residents of the secondary towns and thereby support the achievement

of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation, Mr. Diphoorn stressed the “learning-by-doing” approach to the provision of basic services. “Combining real investments in water supply and sani ta t ion infrastructure with capacity building activities is the best way to reverse the desperate situation in the towns,” he said, observing that ensuring the sustainability of investments in water supply and sanitation infrastructure is one of the key challenges of LVWATSAN. He noted that many infrastructure projects have failed because they either focus on implementation of physical infrastructure without supportive capacity building, or conversely, they develop capacity building structures which are unsustainable or are not linked to any signifi cant improvement in coverage.

Improved technical and financial capacity of service providers, including cost recovery and effi cient operations and maintenance is an important ingredient of sustainability, said Mr. Diphoorn, He noted that the Memorandum of

Understanding (MOUs) signed with the three East African Governments establish a framework for a monitoring protocol, including the description of annual checks on the sustainability of the LVWATSAN interventions up to the end of the year 2015.

Challenging the participants to make pragmatic recommendations on capacity building activities requiring UN-HABITAT support, he emphasized the regional approach to sharing knowledge and experiences on the provision of water and sanitation services to the poor.

The LVWATSAN Programme Manager, Dr. Graham Alabaster, outl ined the main challenges

addressed in the design of the LVWATSAN programme. These include: ensuring a focus is maintained on serving the poorest and fully engaging them in the process; maximizing the benefi ts from a true regional programme; rapid delivery mechanisms to meet the MDGs and go beyond; designing country-level implementation arrangements that dovetail into regional and national structures (EAC) and existing initiatives; ensuring sustainability - technical, institutional, environmental - particularly at the local level; recognizing that WATSAN needs to be linked to wider development issues; and designing a capacity building programme that is responsive and demand-driven and supports physical interventions effectively.

He outlined key issues to consider in designing LVWATSAN capacity building framework. These include: an integrated approach to water, sanitation, solid waste, drainage, housing and other infrastructure and urban planning; mapping the poor and how best to serve them; fi nancing

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WatSan News–Africafrom pg 4

mechanisms that ensure livelihood opportunities are created for low income (MDG target group) populations; technical options with “modern mixes” of technology, consideration for reuse and opportunities for “ecological approaches” to water and sanitation; capacity to implement and sustain investments; new delivery approaches and working with and strengthening local structures to avoid duplication.

Workshop ObjectivesThe objectives of the Workshop were:● To identify local capacity building gaps in water supply,

sanitation, solid waste management and drainage.

● To share capacity building experiences and best practices from local, regional and international programmes.

● To prioritize capacity building activities to be implemented under LVWATSAN.

Thematic FocusThe Workshop focused on six thematic areas:

● Utility management in small urban centers

● Pro-poor Water Governance

● Urban Catchment Management

● Local economic development

● Advocacy - Information, Education and Communication

● Gender mainstreaming and inclusion of vulnerable groups

Workshop RecommendationsThe following recommendations emerged from the workshop discussions:

Need to maximize on the regional benefi ts of LVWATSANTo achieve this, it will be necessary to: ● Establish capacity building partnership with regional

organizations such as the Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Co-operation (LVRLAC) and similar regional networks to increase region-wide knowledge sharing, exchange of experiences and expertise on commonly shared priority issues identifi ed by the workshop participants.

● Support institutional anchorage of capacity building activities in existing regional centers.

● Support knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences between organizations with similar mandates. A good example is through study visits. To achieve good results, the visits should be based on clear terms of reference that identify possible learning areas and which experiences are relevant.

Improve utility management in small urban centers by:● Building capacity for leak detection and repair programmes

to reduce the growing volume of water losses.

● Initiating strategic metering of raw water and bulk supply areas to enhance overall accountability for the water distributed.

● Facilitating the purchase of customer meters to enhance

the utilities’ revenue base and reduce wastage.

● Setting up a meter workshop for testing, repair and replacement of meters and train technical managers, engineers and system operators in meter calibration and repair.

● Installing a billing software and hardware to improve billing effi ciency.

● Building capacity in revenue collection for improved effi ciency and management.

● Training utility staff on corporate governance, technical operations and maintenance, monitoring for sustainability, output based performance, accountability at all levels, reorientation to strategic business thinking, corporate report writing, procurement procedures, meter management, demand management; management of information systems, performance contracting and fi nancial management.

● Exploring options for Public-Private Partnership in revenue and collection and debt collection.

● Setting up and operationalizing water quality control systems.

● Developing manuals for operations and maintenance as was recommended as part of LVWATSAN capacity building activities for utility management.

● Training utility staff in customer care to enhance customer care in all areas and ensure effective response to customer complaints.

● Raising consumer awareness on the cost structure of water systems and the rationale for tariff changes, how to get connected, where and how to pay outstanding bills, customer rights, their obligations and responsibilities to the service provider; and water conservation and safe hygiene practices.

● Developing and operationalizing technical and fi nancial management information systems for benchmarking to improve utility performance.

● Reviewing and developing various corporate plans (strategic, business, investment, fi nancial management, human resource management and organizational development plans).

● Setting up asset management systems.

● Preparing and implementing utility strategies to expand service coverage to the poor.

Focus on Pro-poor Water Governance by:● Sensitizing utility boards of directors, senior utility

managers, local authorities, elected officials on pro-poor governance issues including conflict resolution, participatory community mapping, community organization and communication skills.

● Strengthening the capacity of e community groups to articulate and negotiate for their needs, and to demand improvements in water supply and sanitation service delivery.

● Establishing appropriate Public-Private Partnerships between organized community groups and local service providers to improve and extend service provision to unserved poor neighbourhoods.

cont. on pg 6



Undertake Urban Catchment Management by:● Developing and implementing Urban Catchment

Management Strategies and action plans with broad acceptance and appeal as well as facilitation of their implementation by the various stakeholders.

● Developing enforceable standards of air and water quality and acceptable emission limits of pollutants within the catchment areas.

● Establishing effi cient mechanism to enforce established environmental quality standards.

● Providing the required background and operational knowledge to run an effective UCM programme, including monitoring, enforcement of emission limits, conflict resolution, equitable participation, decision-making, and private sector participation.

● Undertaking community needs assessments with a view to improving levels of participation in the management of water resources.

● Initiating community-based programmes for the rehabilitation of catchment areas (e.g. terracing, contour trenches, check dams, re-vegetation, etc) to regenerate degraded parts of the catchments.

Enhance opportunities for local economic development by:● Identifying and training community based entrepreneurs in

composting, recycling and reuse, urban agriculture, latrine and drainage masonry, rainwater harvesting, water purifi cation techniques, and rudimentary management.

● D e v e l o p i n g a n d operationalizing micro-f i n a n c e f a c i l i t i e s t o support small enterprise development.

● I d e n t i f y i n g r e l e va n t private sector companies and establishing Private S e c t o r / C o m m u n i t y partnerships in Operation and Maintenance.

● Reviewing contracting procedures to make them more “pro-poor” (by reducing tender purchase costs or by ensuring that clauses for local contracting are included in the tenders).

● Training local artisans and local private companies in the preparation of tenders and implementation plans.

● Identifying and strengthening regional resource centres for Local Economic Development related activities.

Undertake Advocacy, Information, Education and Communication by:● Identifying Communications Focal Points in the towns

and training them in basic IT and internet skills, public relations, customer care, media networking, publicity,

operational skills for audio/visual equipment; monitoring and evaluation of communications programmes; and documentation and record keeping.

● Conducting rapid baseline studies to establish local Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP).

● Developing and implementing detailed town –level advocacy and IEC strategies for effective behavior change.

● Designing and producing suitable advocacy and IEC material.

● Developing relevant advocacy and IEC monitoring and evaluation indicators.

● Identifying key resource persons and training them to be Trainers of Trainers in community mobilization.

● Establishing local advocacy and IEC campaign implementation and steering committees.

● Identifying local groups and supporting them to establish sustainable community based advocacy and IEC programmes.

● Producing Before, During and After video documentation of programme activities for each town and disseminating them.

Promote Gender Mainstreaming and inclusion of vulnerable groups through:● Training in gender awareness using the water rights

approach.

● Improving advocacy and negotiating skills for inclusion of gender and vulnerable groups concerns.

● Training of Trainers in gender mainstreaming.

● Conducting participatory community mapping to identify the vulnerable groups and their skills needs in WATSAN project implementation.

● Training of women and vulnerable groups in masonry and construction of toilets and the sustainable management of the facilities.

● Training of women and vulnerable groups in rainwater harvesting.

● Training of women and vulnerable groups in solid waste management.

● Economic empowerment of women and vulnerable groups through the promotion of income generating activities.

● Training of women and vulnerable groups in the management of micro credit, revolving funds and savings.

● Training of women and vulnerable groups on life skills in relation to WATSAN

● Facilitation of exchange visits and peer learning on gender and vulnerable group concerns.

● Training in skills for effective leadership of women and vulnerable groups.

● Promotion of networking programmes.

from pg 5

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Ethiopia Implements Country Level Training on Human Values Based Water, Sanitation and

Hygiene Education (HVBWSHE)

Every year, millions of children die due to lack of safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation, tens of millions of school age girls are forced to fetch water instead of going to school, the poor spend much of their limited income on insuffi cient amounts of water; and the rapid growth in population has resulted in more intensive ground water abstraction.

The uneven distribution of water in some cities, coupled with an increase in per capita consumption of water among those who have access to municipal supplies, rising levels of urban poverty which confi nes the largest proportion of urban residents to slums, and the high rate of Unaccounted for Water (UFW) have not helped matters. These problems are largely the result of poor water supply management systems, wasteful consumption and water usage habits, inefficient wastewater management practices, and poor pollution control mechanisms.

There is a growing recognition that improvements in water management cannot be accomplished by technical or regulatory measures alone. These must be complemented by advocacy, awareness raising and education initiatives. A values-based approach could bring about positive attitudinal changes and create a new water use and hygiene ethic in society.

The broad aim of the Human Values Based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education (HVBWSHE) programme in the Water for African Cities Phase II (WAC II) programme is to promote attitudinal and behaviour change among water users, and to engender better understanding and protection of the environment in a water related context. There is a growing understanding that only a fundamental change in behaviour

Rapid urbanization has placed enormous pressure on water resources in Harar Town in Ethiopia, which is faced with a major water supply crisis resulting from the steady decrease in the level of the lake which used to be the main source of its water supply. Consequently, the town’s water

treatment plant has been closed, with the water utility providing water to the residents of the city on 15 – day shifts, using tanker-mounted trucks. The sanitation problem in the town has been further aggravated by the scarcity of water.

and personal attitudes, and a shift in the underlying values that prompt inappropriate behaviour, can reverse this situation. Water, sanitation and hygiene education can play a strategic role in bringing about positive attitudinal changes, and in the longer term, can help develop a new water-use and hygiene ethic in society.

As one of the thematic priorities of WAC II the HVBWSHE component aims to create a new water use and hygiene ethic among children and in communities at large. Through a concerted schools’ and communities’ based water, sanitation and hygiene education programme, it is expected that attitudes and behaviour towards water use and hygiene practices would be changed.

A sys temic approach l ink ing schools, the communities, Community Based Organisations (CBOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and government ministries is fostering partnerships that will lead to models of excellence. To achieve this, the programme has targeted capacity building in schools, teacher training colleges and in communities.

Country Level Training Programme

A country level Training of Trainers programme in HVBWSHE was organized for the three cities in Ethiopia participating in WAC II, namely Addis Ababa, Harar and Dire Dawa to build the capacity of the city teams to implement the education sector related activities of the programme at country level. Key objectives of the Country level training workshop included:• Sharing knowledge, skil ls and

experiences relating to Values-Based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education.

• Building capacity of TOTs (Trainer of Trainers) to undertake country training.

• Familiarising participants with the strategy and methodology that will be used to implement Phase II of HVBWSHE.

The programme, developed to run over ten days from 13-22 December 2006, consisted of 10 modules covering a range of water, sanitation and hygiene

cont. on pg 9

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cont. on pg 9

UNDESA and UN-HABITAT Engage African Water Regulators and OperatorsUN-DESA and UN-HABITAT jointly organized a Capacity Building Workshop for African water regulators and operators in Nairobi from 6-8 December 2007. Below is the full text of a joint statement released by the participants at the end of the workshop.

We, senior managers (regulators and operators) of water utilities of the Africa Region, participated in a Capacity Building Workshop organized jointly by UN-DESA and UN-HABITAT in Nairobi, Kenya, from 6-8 December 2006.

We consider this workshop an important step in following–up the implementation of CSD-13 decisions, especially those related to improving the performance and effectiveness of water utilities in provision of sustainable water and sanitation services.

We appreciate the political support African Minister’s Council on Water (AMCOW) is providing to accelerate the implementation of water and sanitation agenda in the region, and request AMCOW to continue providing similar support to the water utilities.

In the workshop, we discussed issues and challenges facing water utilities and operators; mechanisms to strengthen institutional governance and accountability; fi nancing needs for expanding water and sanitation services, especially for the poor; rationalization of tariffs and subsidies; role of partnerships in enhancing the effi ciency of water utilities; and capacity building needs of water utilities.

We understand that the proceedings of the meeting will be compiled by the workshop organizers and shared with the participants in due course of time. Meantime, we endorse the following summary of conclusions and recommendations emerging from extensive discussions during the four thematic plenary and three working group sessions.

1. Public water utilities remain the leading players in the provision of water and sanitation services in the region. Since performance of these utilities can be constrained by limited technical, fi nancial and institutional capacities, programs should be developed and implemented to overcome the capacity gaps. These programmes should be targeted at educational training, monitoring research and forecasting, legislation and regulation as well as sustainable fi nancing of infrastructure.

2. Improving the performance of water utilities is a process, which needs commitment, support and participation of all stakeholders, especially the national and local governments. Towards this aim, the governments should consider providing due autonomy to public utilities in the design and implementation of strategies leading to effi ciency, effectiveness, transparency, accountability, sustainability and combating corruption.

3. Financing has to be increased to improve and extend safe and adequate access to water and sanitation to all. For this purpose, all potential sources should be explored and tapped. In this regard, much can be achieved by blending, pooling and co-fi nancing of ODA and local resources, credit worthiness of utilities, as well as better management

of water utilities which is imperative to acquire additional funds. The need to look beyond traditional revenue generation mechanisms (such as tariffs and subsidies) was emphasized, and utilities were encouraged to explore innovative solutions to mobilize local resources. The government at both the local and national level should take a greater effort in fi nancing water and sanitation.

4. Many countries in the region have utilities or organizations that carry out the dual functions of regulatory and operational activities. This could lead to a conflict of interest, and may give rise to lack of transparency, accountability and poor delivery of services. Therefore, separation of these functions was recommended to be a pre-requisite to improve the performance of public utilities in delivering water and sanitation services.

5. Benchmarking of utilities was recognized as an important management tool to enhance their performance and accountability. Towards this aim, it is essential to implement actions such as: criteria for customer satisfaction, evaluating the performance of utility managers, water quality evaluation, serving the poor as well as creating gender balance in the utilities etc.

6. The observed lag in the sanitation sector deserves special attention and needs to be tackled within the framework of integrated water resource management.

7. Developing partnerships among water operators was considered as an important mechanism through which less effi cient utilities can learn from more competent utilities on a not-for-profi t basis. Towards this end, participants supported the idea of developing and institutionalizing Water Operators Partnership (WOP) mechanism at the global level geared towards promoting the exchange of experiences and facilitating contact among utilities.

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issues, education in human va lue s , r e su l t s -ba sed management, programme strategy development in schools, communities and colleges of education, and tips on conducting training on human values in the workplace.

The training workshop inc luded a s e r i e s o f presentations in which experiences were shared, followed by discussions in

plenary sessions, break-out group sessions, and fi eld visits to the water treatment plant and waste disposal center. The presentations and discussions were enriched with live experiences, refl ective poems and articles by participants .

Fifty participants from the three cities participated in the Country level Training of Trainers workshop. Of these, 12 were female. The participants represented the Bureaus of Education

(formal sector), model schools selected for implementation of the programme; non-formal education (community education) and colleges of education (Teacher Training Colleges).

Participants were drawn from among heads of schools, expe r t s i n cu r r i cu lum development, schoolteachers, and tutors in teacher training colleges. Resource persons were d rawn f rom UN-HABITAT, The African Institute

of Sathya Sai Education (TAISSE), the Addis Ababa Bureau of Education, and the Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA).

A t t he end o f t he workshop, participants were asked to evaluate their experience of the training. In the main most of the participants appreciated the way the workshop was organized and the skills of the facilitators.

from pg 7

8. The meeting requested UN-HABITAT to take further necessary steps in collaboration with its partners to transform this concept into reality and establish a global WOP, while ensuring due participation of already existing international, regional and sub-regional networks and professional associations in the process.

9. It was recognized that existing ne twork such as the Wate r Utilities Partnership (WUP) for the Africa region could play an important role in capacity building of utilities and connecting them with each other in the region, but it requires considerable support and strengthening both in terms of organization and operational activities. To explore how this could be done, the participants welcomed the proposal of IWA-ESAR (International Water Association, East and Southern African Region) and Rand Water to host a meeting in South Africa during April 2007.

We request the organizers of this workshop to take necessary steps in collaboration with the relevant partners to implement the above recommendations, and keep us informed of subsequent developments and progress on follow-up actions.

We appreciate UN-DESA and UN-HABITAT for organizing this workshop, as well as other international institutions such as WSP, SIWI, UN-ECA, UNU, African Union, WaterAid, UNESCO IHE, IWA, UNSGAB for their contributions to this workshop.

8 December 2006, Nairobi, Kenya

from pg 8

WatSan News–Asia

New PublicationsFinancial Resource Mapping for Pro-Poor Governance Part 1 and Financial Resource Mapping for United Resources Available at City level Part 11

UN-HABITAT conducted a study to assess the availability of funds in the project cities for the development works of water and sanitation in poor settlements supported by government and non-governmental agencies. This publication documents the fi ndings of the study in two volumes. The fi rst volume looks at the fl ow of funds from the central government and looks at the possibilities of mobilizing funds for infrastructure under new schemes of the Government of India and the second volume analyses the funds available with the local bodies and non-governmental organizations.

Strategy and Action Plan: Mainstreaming Gender in Water and Sanitation

Women and girls are the primary collectors, transporters, users and managers of water in the household, however their views are not represented in major water and sanitation infrastructure decisions. In 2006, UN-HABITAT in partnership with Mahila Chetna Manch, a non-governmental organization formulated a gender mainstreaming strategy to ensure that gender perspectives are incorporated in water and sanitation related policies. This publication should be used not only as a tool for incorporating women’s concerns and needs but also as a means of empowering women by giving then an effective voice in decisions affecting their lives.

Guidelines on Revolving Funds for Community managed water supply schemes and the construction of Individual household toilets in Urban Slums

The Water for Asian Cities Programme has initiated a revolving water fund for community managed water supply schemes with the aim of improving the lives of the urban poor and the disadvantaged. This publication provides guidelines for establishing revolving funds based on the experiences through pilot demonstration projects and it is targeted to all relevant stakeholders to put in practice for increasing the coverage of water and sanitation facilities in urban slums.


WatSan News–Asia

UN-HABITAT Programme Supports Project to Improve Access to Safe Water and Improved Sanitation for the Urban Poor in Bharatpur

The Water for Asian Cities Programme, Water aid Nepal, and the municipality of Bharatpur have jointly launched a programme to improve access to safe drinking water and

support environmental sanitation and hygiene initiatives targeting the urban poor in Bharatpur Municipality in Nepal. The project, which aims to achieve its objectives by December 2008, was inaugurated by the Chief Executive Offi cer of Bharatpur Municipality, Mr. Lok Nath Paudyal, who pledged his commitment to provide the programme with the necessary support from the municipality to ensure that its objectives are met within the set timeframe.

The project will provide safe drinking water, support hygiene education and help to improve environmental sanitation in 10 squatter settlements of Bharatpur Municipality at a total cost of USD 310 000 out of which USD 200 000 will be contributed by the Water for Asian Cities Programme and Water Aid Nepal, with a counterpart contribution of USD 110 000 by the Bharatpur Municipality and local consumer committees.

Chief Technical Advisor, Water for Asian Cities Programme in Nepal, Dr. Roshan Raj Shrestha expressed optimism that the project will improve living conditions for the poor women and children in Baharatpur Municipality in particular.

Country Representative, Water Aid Nepal, Mr. Sanjaya Adhikary noted that this is fi rst city level project undertaken by Water Aid Nepal which will be implemented simultaneously in 10 urban slums. He urged potential benefi ciaries and all other stakeholders to take ownership of the programme and give it their full support to ensure its success. The Director of LUMANTI for Shelter, Ms. Lajana Manandhar, the local implementing agency for of the programme, stated that the programme, which was formulated in consultation with local communities, aims to improve access to basic services by the poorest residents of Baharatpur Municipality. She observed that successful implementation of the Baharatpur project will form the basis for replication of the programme in other parts of the country.

Outlining the programme rationale, approach, implementation plan, and the monitoring mechanisms that have established, Mr. Poorna Bhadra Adhiga, the Programme Manager, noted that a survey to map out squatter settlements in the municipality has been completed. The results will inform the development of strategies to empower the poor through enhanced adult literacy programmes. To-date, 16 hand pumps for water supply have been installed and 93 toilets built to improve sanitation in the project settlements. Other components of the programme include solid waste management, waste water treatment, and construction of toilets for individual households. Rainwater harvesting for domestic use as well as for ground water recharge is a key demonstration component of this project. A school within the municipality has been selected which will be developed as a demonstration site for rainwater harvesting and ground water recharge. A strategy for local economic empowerment and capacity building of the citizens through their engagement in programme implantation activities has also been incorporated into the project.

Fast Tracking Water and Sanitation Projects in Yunnan, ChinaUN-HABITAT has joined forces with the Government of China to fast track the attainment of water and sanitation related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in secondary towns of Yunnan Province as part of its Mekong Water and Sanitation Initiative (MEK-WATSAN). This initiative focuses on the Greater Mekong Sub Region (GMS) countries which include Cambodia, Lao PDR, Yunnan Province in China and Vietnam.

The Government of Yunnan Province, one of the poorest regions in China, has embarked on an ambitious development programme, based on the concept of economic development corridors. The GMS North-South economic corridor connects Yunnan to Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam through multi modal transport development and other infrastructure projects. As a result many of the secondary towns along the corridor are experiencing very rapid economic and urban growth and are unable to keep pace with water supply and sanitation demands. UN-HABITAT’s partnership with the Government of China in the provision of water supply and sanitation in Yunnan will be instrumental in augmenting and sustaining the desired economic growth and contribute to pollution control from settlements.

The Provincial Government of Yunnan selected Simao and Jinghong towns for the fast-track initiative, where coverage of water and sanitation is between 60 to 70 per cent. Rapid situational assessments and requisite investment requirements have been conducted. UN-HABITAT will work with the water utilities to ensure that there is 100 per cent coverage of water and sanitation over the next few years. Some 85,000 residents are to benefi t, out of this fi gure, 45,000 are classifi ed as poor. UN-HABITAT will contribute US$ 500,000 for pro-poor interventions, with counterpart contributions of US$ 1 million, and follow-up investments of US$ 50 million. The funds will be used to expand the services to all residents and to improve the effi ciency of the existing systems through water conservation and demand management.

A UN-HABITAT delegation recently visited the two towns on the occasion of the project start-up. During the visit, both Deputy Mayors of Simao and Jinghong expressed their appreciation of UN-HABITAT, with Mr. Gao Songshan, Deputy-Mayor of Simao, reiterating the local government’s support and cooperation in the implementation of the project.


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A Learning Experience on Sanitation Technologies in New Delhi

South-South Co-operation

By Rosemary Obara

A two–week International Capacity Building Workshop on the “Incorporation of Sanitation Technologies” to meet the Millennium Development Goals was held in New Delhi, India from 13 – 25 November 2006. Jointly organized by UN-HABITAT and Sulabh International, the workshop exposed participants to

various sanitation technologies that are appropriate and affordable for poor households. It was overwhelming to observe and learn in very practical ways, that “Human Excreta is Gold!” When processed, after desludging of the septic tanks, it becomes a good bio-fertilizer and can also be used for bio-gas production. What an interesting technology!

GWASCO Chairman, outside the Sulabh Toilet Complex

Biogas production from human excreta, Rosemary watches

Although New Delhi is a densely populated city, the Sulabh International Academy has developed various toilet technologies to ensure that the poorest residents of the city have access to affordable sanitation. The poor, particularly women, are often unable to engage in productive work when they have no access to clean water and adequate sanitation. Access to safe water and latrines reduces the incidence of water borne diseases, cuts back the day-to-day workload for women and girls, and saves money spent on health care.

School Sanitation, Health and Hygiene are an important component of the

Empowering scavenging women through training in basic skills such as beauty care

Sulabh International implements health and sanitation

programmes in schools

Sulabh Sanitation Movement which has constructed 8,000 sanitation units in schools in rural Orissa. However, it was saddening to learn that women are used as scavengers in India! So oppressed are they that they have to carry human excreta on their heads in a bid to improve community sanitation. It was encouraging to learn that Sulabh International has created institutions that offer training to equip these women with skills such as cookery, embroidery, and beauty care in a bid to end their oppression and empower them in the society! Sharing their past and present experiences with them gave one the sense that these women are now dignifi ed members of society. Their children are fi nally able to attend school at basic levels, thus helping to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for universal education.

We at GWASCO encourage up-take and scaling up of these affordable sanitation options as a means of improving the living conditions of those who inadequate access to sanitation facilities. We are grateful to UN-HABITAT and Sulabh International for facilitating our participation in the workshop, a relevant and very practical example of South-South cooperation.I strongly feel

that the material and ideas shared in New Delhi should be as widely available as possible to enable us replicate some of these effi cient and affordable technology options in order to improve the sanitation situation for the poorest residents of our municipality.

The Gusii Water and Sanitation Company (GWASCO) will take advantage of this visit to set up demonstration units of this rare technology in our schools, public toilets, prison and bus park areas. We shall also conduct Capacity Building Workshop on the importance of feacal sludge and how it can be turned into bio-fertilizer for agricultural use.

Say no to Women Oppression

GWASCO Chairperson in action Sulabh Public Toilet

Sample of the end product of Human Excreta (Bio-fertilizer)

Mrs. Rosemary Obara is the Chairperson of the Gusii Water and Sanitation Company, GWASCO.E-mail: [email protected]

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WATER FOR CITIES newsletter is published quarterly by the Water, Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch of UN-HABITAT. The Newsletter covers activities of the regional programmes: Water for African Cities and Water for Asian Cities, and the special initiatives Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Initiative (LVWATSAN) and the Mekong Water and Sanitation Initiative (MEKONG-WATSAN). All enquires should be sent to the Editor, Water for Cities Newsletter, Water,

Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch, UN-HABITAT, Nairobi, Kenya, Tel: 254-2-7624538, Fax: 254-2-7623588. E-mail: [email protected], URLs: www.unhabitat.org, www.unwac.org.

Contributions from programme partners are encouraged.

New PublicationsInnovative Financing: Experiences of Water Supply and Sanitation Service Delivery in Small Urban Centres

This report reviews some of the creative ideas that have emerged to address the fi nancial constraints to small urban centre’s water and sanitation services delivery. The report emphasizes domestic sources of fi nance both hardware and software investments. These ideas involve a range of different stakeholders, including users, informal providers, utilities, governments, non-governmental organizations, domestic banks and donors. The report provides an overview of current fi nancing trends and the implication of traditional and innovative sources of fi nance for small urban centres, appraises some of the constraints to fi nance, and provides examples from small urban centres in different regions

Water Sector in Small Towns: Analysis of Donor Flows to Water Supply and Sanitation Services

This report presents an analysis of Offi cial Development Assistance (ODA) fl ows to the water and sanitation sector, based on data gathered from the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and Creditor Reporting Systems (CRS) databases, as well as current knowledge in the sector. The report outlines the OECD DAC and CRS databases, including their benefi ts and constraints, presents an analysis of ODA fl ows using data from the DAC and CRS databases and provides some preliminary fi ndings, as they relate in general to ODA, and more specifi cally for small towns.

Water Supply and Sanitation Options for Secondary Urban Centres in Developing Countries

To meet the water and sanitation Millennium Development Goals some 300,000 people have to be provided with improved water supplies and 440,000 with improved sanitation every day during the period 2001−2015. Not only are the numbers of those requiring better water supplies very large, water itself is becoming scarcer. This report outlines the increasing global water stress and scarcity, domestic water supplies, available sanitation options and also examines the constraints affecting the achievement of the water and sanitation Millennium Development Goals in small urban centres

Upcoming Events

Nairobi – April 16th – 20th 2007: 21st Session of the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT

The 21st Session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, (UN-HABITAT) will be held from 16 to 20 April 2007 at the UN-HABITAT headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Governing Council meets every two years to examine UN-HABITAT’s work and relationships with its partners.

The Council is composed of 58 member states.

It is a high-level forum of governments at the ministerial level during which policy guidelines and the organisation’s budget are established for the next two-year period.

Water for Cities, October-December 2006

Documents

Transcript of Water for Cities, October-December 2006