WAC Regional Newsletter May-June 2007

8/9/2019 WAC Regional Newsletter May-June 2007

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Tigni in Nepal Improves Water & Sanitation Services byRehabilitating Infrastructure

May - June 2007

Volume III, Issue 3

Kumari Selja , Hon'bleMinister of State (IC)for Housing and UrbanPoverty Alleviation,Govt. of India wasunanimously elected asPresident of the UN-HABITAT GoverningCouncil for a two year term. The 21st Sessionof the GoverningCouncil of the UN-HABITAT was held atNairobi from 16-20

April 2007. The theme was on "SustainableUrbanization: Local

Action for Urban Pov-erty Reduction withEmphasis on Financeand Planning". This isthe highest recogni-tion, till date, India hasreceived at UN-HABITAT.

Inside this issue:

Strategic Initiatives forInclusive Development inIndia during 11th Plan

2

Coca-Cola - UN-HABITATPartnership in India&Nepal

5

Pro-poor Bottled Drinking Water in Lalitpur, Nepal

6

Community-based WSS forUrban poor in Vietnam

7

RTI Act on Citizens Partici-pation in WSS Projects

8

A Bi-monthly Newsletter of the Water for Asian Cities (WAC) Programme

Problem of water and poor sani-tation has been escalating everin Nepal especially in urbanareas, where population is risingrapidly with very less improve-ments in the infrastructures. Thestory of Tigni, one of the poorestsettlements with 809 populationsin 146 households in Kathmanduvalley, was not different. Waterpollution and scarcity waschronic in Tigni. The muddy andslippery road with poor condi-tion of existing drainage wasvery inconvenient for pedestri-ans, especially during rainy sea-son. Absence of surface drain-age and littering debris andwastes was polluting the sur-rounding environment and incor-porating probability of diseaseoutbreaks. People, mainlywomen, were exposing them-selves in the smoky environmentusing traditional smoky stoves.Many households were deprivedfrom toilet facility and open defe-cation was quite common. Morethan 88 percent of the commu-nity dwellers were living underpoverty line.

Today, its different. Tigni haschanged its face. Problem ofwater and poor sanitation thatused to be a part has been leftbehind in the past. The settlementis improving gradually in its in-frastructure as well as practicingto upgrade economic capacitythrough micro-credit savingschemes.

Under Water for Asian Cities(WAC) Programme of UN-HABITAT, Centre for IntegratedUrban Development (CIUD) car-ried out a detailed study of thearea under poverty mapping andwater & environmental sanitationimprovement plan preparation in2005. Based on the findings ofthe study, CIUD in collaborationwith Madhyapur Thimi Munici-pality and partnership with localcommunity implemented the wa-ter and sanitation activities withthe technical and financial sup-port of UN-HABITAT and finan-cial support of Water Aid Nepal(WAN).

Under this project, water qualityand quantity was improved byrehabilitating the existing welland by fitting two hand pumps toit. This has saved well water frompollution and has made it easierto draw water benefiting 169people directly. Students andteachers of the local school aresafe from the consumption ofmunicipal water with high con-tent of chlorine, after addition of

aeration (de-chlorination) systembefore the collection tank at theschool.

The roads and neighborhood isdry and convenient for the pe-destrians because 600 mitrespermanent storm water drainagewith small and large manholeshas been constructed and soakpit promoted. People seems very

felicitous having plenty of cleanspace for social interactions, sunbathing and play ground forchildren as the roads and path-ways are paved with brick on986 square meters area andconstructed 300 mitres sidedrains. The project installed 35improved cooking stoves andinhabitants, especially localwomen, were also trained onmaking it. It is gradually improv-ing the in-house environment.The trained women are promot-ing these stoves.

Targeting to meet 100 percenttoilet coverage, 35 toilets were

constructed. Although, threehouses have no toilet yet be-cause of unavailability of space,open defecation is no more inpractice today.

The project has also supported toinitiate three womens micro-credit saving groups to buildeconomic capability for overalldevelopment in the poor settle-ment. These groups were pro-vided two skill trainings. At pre-sent, some members are produc-ing liquid soap and few othersare building improved stoves togenerate money.

The project has also added fuelon developing gender balanceby proving opportunities andpromoting women to participatein various awareness pro-grammes and capacity buildingtrainings.


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Providing Essential Public Services tothose large parts of the poor population

who are still excluded from these is a keyelement of the strategy for the 11th Fiveyear Plan of the Government of India.The Approach Paper to the 11th Fiveyear Plan states that there continue to belarge gaps in the most basic servicessuch as clean drinking water and accessto basic sanitation facilities. The poor donot have even minimum access. The Na-tional Development Council recognizesthat the provision of basic services suchas clean drinking water and basic sanita-tion are essential part of the development

strategy for inclusive and sustained long-term growth.

Integrated development of slumsfor providing basic services andother civic amenities

The quality of life for the bulk of urbanpeople in India, particularly for the poor,means living with many avoidable hard-ships. They do not even have access toclean drinking water. Urban renewal isimperative for both efficiency and equity,since cities provide substantial econo-mies of agglomeration and are thegrowth engines of the economy.

In order to cope with massive problemsthat have emerged as a result of rapidurban growth the Jawaharlal Nehru Na-tional Urban Renewal Mission(JNNURM) was launched by the govern-

ment on 3rd December, 2005 for aseven-year period beginning 2005-06.

JNNURM is meant to provide improvedurban services. It envisages urban re-newal projects in a mission mode ap-proach.

The objectives of the JNNURM are to: (a)give focused attention to integrated de-velopment of infrastructure services in 63selected cities; (b) establish linkage be-tween asset creation and asset manage-ment through reforms needed for longterm sustainability; (c) ensure adequatefunds to meet the deficiencies in urbaninfrastructural services; (d) achieveplanned development of cities; (e) scaleup civic amenities and provision of utili-ties; (f) put special focus on urban re-newal of old city areas; (g) provide basicservices to the urban poor including secu-rity of tenure at affordable prices, im-proved housing, water supply, and sani-tation, and (h) ensuring delivery of otherexisting universal services of the govern-ment for education, health and socialsecurity.

The selected cities are one million plus

cities, state capitals and places of histori-cal, religious, or tourist importance. TheSub-mission on Urban Infrastructure andGovernance, administered by the Minis-try of Urban Development, is chargedwith infrastructure projects relating towater supply and sanitation, sewerage,solid waste management, road network,

urban transport and redevelopment ofold city areas. The Sub-mission on Basic

Services to the Urban Poor, administeredby the Ministry of Urban Employmentand Poverty Alleviation has been en-trusted with integrated development ofslums through projects for providing shel-ter, basic services, and other relatedcivic amenities. The 11th Plan will bemaking substantial provision of fundsunder the JNNURM so that the momen-tum of urban reform linked to infrastruc-ture creation really takes off.

Citizen Participation for Solid Waste Management

The increasing generation of solid wasteis a growing problem in all cities in In-dia. The Planning Commission of Indiarecognizes that uncollected garbage notonly causes diseases but it is also visuallyugly. Dumping garbage into landfills isnot an attractive option in the landscarce cities and should be minimized.Most industrial countries now requiretheir citizens to segregate wastes athome into recyclable products. Whilerecycling is done by rag pickers in India,

their lives can be made less unpleasant ifcitizens sort out organic and inorganicwaste and dispose of organic waste inlocal compost or vermiculture pits. Citiesmust be encouraged to evolve systemswith citizen participation for segregationof waste at point of origin, maximizingrecycling & safe disposal of the rest.

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India Plans Strategic Initiatives for Inclusive Development during EleventhPlan for Providing Basic Services

India Sri Lanka China VietnamInfant Mortality(Per 1000 live births)

60(2003)

13(2003)

30(2003)

19(2003)

One year olds fully immunized with measles (%) 58(2002-04) 99(2003) 84(2003) 93(2003)

Population with Sustainable Access toImproved Sanitation (%)

30(2002)

91(2002)

44(2002)

41(2002)

Under-five mortality (Per 1000 live births) 87(2003)

15(2003)

37(2003)

23(2003)

Births attended by skilled birth attendants (%) 47.6(2002-04)

97(1995-2003)

97(1995-2003)

85(1995-2003)

Maternal Mortality(per 100,000 deliveries)

407(adjusted 2000)

92(adjusted 2000)

56(adjusted 2000)

130(adjusted 2000)

Source: Approach Paper to the 11th Five Year Plan, Planning Commission, Govt. of India


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Page 3Volume III, Issue 3

Clean Water for AllThe StrategicPlan Framework

Water-borne infections hamper absorp-tion of food even when intake is suffi-cient. Clean drinking water is, therefore,

vital to reduce the incidence of diseaseand to check malnutrition. The 10th FiveYear Plan (2002-2007) target of provid-ing potable drinking water to all villagesin India has not been achieved. UnderBharat Nirman (a new programme forrural reconstruction), it is now planned tocover the 55,067 uncovered habitationsin 4 years (2005-09). Rural Water Sup-ply is, however, beset with the problemof sustainability, maintenance, and waterquality. Thus though more than 95%coverage was achieved prior to BharatNirman, 0.28 million out of the 1.422million habitations in the country, haveslipped back from fully covered to par-tially covered status. Another 0.217 mil-lion habitations have problems with thequality of water; about 60,000 habita-tions face serious problems of salinity orarsenic and fluoride contamination.These habitations will also be taken upunder Bharat Nirman. The 11th Plan willemphasize full and timely realization ofthe Bharat Nirman targets.

Providing clean drinking water for all by 2009 and ensuring that there are no slip-backs by the end of the 11th Plan is among the monitorable Socio- Economic Targets of the 11th Plan

The 11th Plan will also address issues ofsustainability by moving away whereverpossible from ground water to surfacewater resources. Where alternatesources do not exist or are not cost effec-tive, ground water recharge measureswill be insisted upon in the vicinity of theproject.

11th Plan to encourage commu-nity owned & managed projects

The Eleventh Plan proposes to moveaway from state implemented and man-aged projects to encourage communityowned and managed projects, like theSwajaldhara Programme. In the 10thPlan, Swajaldhara had a limited provi-sion of 20% of the allocation of the Ac-

celerated Rural Water Supply Pro-gramme (ARWSP). It will need to be upscaled so that more and more schemesare community managed, reducing themaintenance burden and responsibilityof the state.

Focused IEC campaign for in-crease in sanitation coverage

Lack of sanitation is directly linked to anumber of waterborne diseases. It is nowgenerally acknowledged that unless100% coverage of the community isachieved and proper solid waste man-agement carried out, health indicatorswill not show significant improvement.Besides, toilets are essential for the dig-nity and safety of girls and women.

Rural sanitation coverage was only 1%in the 1980s. With the launch of theCentral Rural Strategic Initiatives for In-clusive Development Sanitation Pro-gramme in 1986, the coverage im-proved to 4% in 1988 and then to 22%in 2001. The programme was modifiedas Total Sanitation Campaign in 1999changing the earlier supply driven, highsubsidy and departmentally executedprogramme to a low subsidy, demanddriven one, with emphasis on hygieneeducation. Five hundred and forty dis-tricts are covered under this programmeand the population coverage is expectedto increase to about 35% by the end ofthe 10th Plan.

The subsidy regime in the current pro-gramme is only for Below Poverty Line(BPL) families. For full coverage to beachieved, however, Above Poverty Linefamilies will have to be motivated toswitch over from open defecation to useof toilets. The Information, Education,and Communication (IEC) campaign will,

therefore, receive increased attention inthe 11th Plan. A solid waste manage-ment component is being included in theprogramme. These measures coupledwith a focused IEC campaign shouldsignificantly increase sanitation coveragein the 11th Plan.

Steps are also being taken to link ruralsanitation with the rural health mission.The Nirmal Gram Puraskar, a reward

scheme for 100% open defecation freecommunities has been a motivating fac-tor and is picking up momentum as canbe seen from the number of communitiescompeting for the Puraskar.

With sufficient allocation of funds in the 11th Plan, the MDG goal for sanitation can be met by 2010, and full coverage achieved between 2012 and 2015.

The strategy of inclusive growth pro-posed in the approach paper can com-mand broad based support only ifgrowth is seen to demonstrably bridgedivides and avoid exclusion or marginali-zation of large segments of the popula-tion in India. These divides manifestthemselves in various forms: between the

haves and the have-nots; between ruraland urban areas; between the employedand the under/unemployed; betweendifferent states, districts and communities;and finally between genders. Suchmarked inequalities are a matter of con-cern and, in some cases even shame.The 11th Plan has to ensure that thegrowth process helps to bridge thesedivides.

Community-based Water andSanitation Project in Peri-Urban Area of Siddhipur, KathmanduSiddhipur Water & Sanitation Users Com-mittee has constructed a new water supplysystem in Siddhipur, which consists of anew intake water treatment system, a distri-bution network and a pro-poor tariff sys-tem. More than 150 households have con-nected private taps to their homes and theusers committee is getting many requestsfor connections everyday. To improve thesanitation situation of the area, 100 ECO-SAN toilets, one toilet with communal sep-

tic tank, 14 other toilets with septic tanks,186 improved pit are being set up. Simi-larly, 1km of drainage have been laid and1100 square meter of pavement havebeen brick paved. In addition, traditionalwater sources like wells & ponds have alsobeen rehabilitated under this project. EN-PHO has also organized various capacitybuilding programmes in support of thisproject under WAC Programme in Nepal.


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One of the key elements of the WACProgramme implementation is the mobili-zation of Political Will and exchange of

information. Mobilizing political commit-ment calls for engaging policy level func-tionaries in the programme in a continu-ous manner. Presently information ex-change is being facilitated through Inter-net (www.unhabitat.org/water &www.unwac.org), Newsletters (Waterfor Cities Newsletter and WAC RegionalNewsletter), study visits etc.

Improving governance in the water andsanitation sector calls for a willingness tochange on the part of the policymakers,the sector managers as also the individ-ual consumers. Such willingness tochange comes from information, aware-ness and a change in attitude whicheducation can bring about. The capacityto change through efficiency improve-ments (including distributive efficiency) isalso equally important for which humanresource development and institutionalreforms and strengthening are essential.

UN-HABITAT organized the first RegionalMedia workshop which was held in NewDelhi in December 2006. The aim of the

first workshop was to introduce mediaprofessionals in the region to the UN-HABITATs WAC & MEK-WATSAN pro-grammes being implemented in selectcountries in the region.

The Water, Sanitation and InfrastructureBranch of UN-HABITAT, Nairobi hasnow planned its second Regional Media

Workshop on Urban Water and Sanita-tion Issues in Asia and the Pacific from12-14 July 2007 in Water Hub, Singa-pore.

Singapore impresses the world with itsachievement of only five per cent unac-counted-for water. The modern airport inSingapore gets 80 per cent of its waterthrough rainwater harvesting. Since2003 more than 250,000 households inabout 70 constituencies are saving up tofive per cent in their monthly water bill asa result of an use water wisely pro-gramme. This has helped to reduce the

per capita domestic water consumptionfrom 162 litres per day in 2004 to 160litres per day in 2005. More than 800

buildings and premises in the non-domestic sector have also acquired thewater-efficient building status. The peo-ple, public and private sectors havestarted using the Waterhub launched in2004 for technology development, learn-ing and networking.

The main objective of this workshop is tobring together the media professionalsand also create awareness among the

Journalists regarding the current situationof water and sanitation in various coun-tries of Asia particularly those participat-ing in the WAC and MEK-WATSANProgrammes of UN-HABITAT. The workshop starts on Thursday, 12 July 2007with registration and field visit to PublicUtilities Board (PUB) in Singapore. Theworkshop is being organized in parallelwith the Asia-Pacific Water Forum(APWF)s 2nd Governing Council Meet-ing in Singapore.

UN-HABITAT organizes Second Regional Media Workshop in Singapore

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Mr. Ishwar Das Rohani, Honble Chair-man, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assem-bly reviewed the progress of activitiesunder the Water for Asian Cities Pro-gramme in Jabalpur. Mr. Rohani visitedthe WATSAN class room developed inthe Model Higher Secondary School topromote Human Value based WaterSanitation and Hygiene Education. Heappreciated the initiative and asked theGwalior Municipal Corporation officialsduring the visit to establish a RooftopRain Water Harvesting structure in theschool premises to create awarenessregarding rooftop rain water harvesting.

During the visit to the slum settlements of Ambedkar Mohalla at Ranzi, Mr. Rohanihad interaction with the members of thewomen SHGs who have been trained totake over the responsibility of operationand maintenance of community toilets.Mr. Rohani was appraised that Ambed-kar Mohalla is one of the 5 slums of Ja-

balpur where the empow-erment of the womenSHGs for the communityasset management hasbeen initiated as a part ofthe implementation of Gen-der Mainstreaming Strat-egy and action plan. Mr.Rohani also visited theRooftop Rain water harvest-ing system, School sanitaryblock and demonstrationtoilets constructed in KatiyaGhat slum under the SlumsEnvironment SanitationInitiative (SESI). He also hadinteraction with the SHG members main-taining the compositing unit for the man-agement of solid waste. He expressedhis satisfaction and assured his supportfor up-scaling the initiative. Mr. Rohaniwas also apprised of the CommunityManaged Water Purification Schemebeing implemented in collaboration with

Chairman, MP Legislative Assembly visits WAC Projects in Jabalpur, MP

May - June 2007

District Urban Development Agency toprovide safe drinking water to about600 households of the Bheron Nagar,Bajnanath area around Sangram Sagarlake at a very nominal charge . He ex-pressed his satisfaction over the status ofimplementation of WAC programme in

Jabalpur.

Mr. Rohani, Honble Chairman, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assem- bly during his visit to review the SESI activities in Katiaghat


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Since the UN reform engaged by Kofi Annan, the United Nations seeks newalliances with the business communitythat can help it fulfill its mission, by sup-porting the UNs work, directly or indi-rectly. In the process of unprecedentedurbanization changes, UN-HABITAT ac-knowledges that sustainable urbanizationcannot be ensured without help from theprivate sector. UN-HABITAT, therefore,looks for partnerships with entities thatdisplay corporate responsibility in thecommunity or which make a positivecontribution to the urban environment,particularly in slums. During the 21stSession of the Governing Council, theBusiness Partnership for Sustainable Ur-banization (BPSU) was launched. Its ob-jective is to offer a new platform for theprivate sector to exchange business prac-tices and models in sectors such as con-struction, housing finance, water andsanitation, energy, transport, disastermanagement and reconstruction.

UN-HABITAT and Coca ColaPartnership

UN-HABITAT and Coca Cola India havesigned an agreement to collaborate toimprove community access to water andsanitation in India and Nepal. At thesigning ceremony which took place atthe BPSU event held in April 2007 dur-ing the 21st Session of the GoverningCouncil in Nairobi, Dr. Tibaijuka notedthat clean water and sanitation canmake or break human development. Shecommended the partnership with CocaCola India, as an innovative example ofhow public-private-community partner-

ships can help meet the challenge of theMillennium Development Goals.

Mr. Deepak Jolly, Vice President forCoca-Cola, India said, Water is funda- mental to all communities and we under- stand that businesses thrive only amidst vibrant and sustainable societies. Water management remains a priority and we are delighted to enter into this partnership with UN-HABITAT.

Projects to be undertaken by Coca Colatogether with UN-HABITAT under the

Water for Asian Cities Programme inIndia and Nepal include:

1. Demonstration projects to increasewater supply through rainwater har-vesting and other techniques to store

and conserve water in MadhyaPradesh, India. The project aims atsetting up urban and rural Rain Wa-ter Harvesting (RWH) systems in 15locations. This includes the construc-tion of roof top RWH structures in 10schools, including 3 government runschools and construction/revival of 5rural RWH structures.

2. Provision of safe drinking water andsanitation for urban poor in WestBengal. The target is to provide pota-ble water to 150 schools.

3. Improved water management & sani-tation in selected urban slums & ruralareas of Nepal which aims to provideaccess to potable water through

WHO approved household level puri-fication methods as well as aware-ness on sanitation. The project willwork in 5-6 urban areas with a totalpopulation of about 3 million people.

4. Awareness raising programmes onwater usage, sanitation and conserva-tion including capacity building andmobilization of political will with leg-islators and political leaders.

Coca Cola and the UN

The Coca-Cola Company and the UnitedNations system enjoy a long-standingpartnership that includes advocacy andimplementation of projects in a widerange of areas in support of the Millen-nium Development Goals. The UnitedNations Office for International Partner-ships has been facilitating the relation-ship since 1998, and serves as a gate-way for developing concrete projects onthe ground. This includes providing stra-tegic guidance on the most effectiveways of engaging the wide range of UN

partners and UN leadership.Over the years, the Coca-Cola Companyhas made available its expertise andexperience in support of UN causes. Thishas translated itself into building strongerlinks with UNDP, UNAIDS, UN Founda-tion, UN Global Compact, Global Busi-ness Coalition on HIV/AIDS, OCHA,

WFP, UNHCR and now extended to UN-HABITAT.

UN-HABITAT and Coca-Cola India Partnership to Improve Access toWater and Sanitation for Marginalized Communities in India and Nepal

Dr. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director, UN-HABITAT and Mr. Deepak Jolly, Vice President, Coca Cola Indiaat the signing ceremony of agreement during BPSU Event held at Nairobi


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Locals of Chyasal Tole, a poor commu-nity in the core of Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City, had been sufferingfrom scarcity of drinking water. They

were either deprived of drinking water orthey had to rely on contaminated waterfrom various sources. The plan to providesafe drinking water from a local sourcebrought a drastic change in the lifestyleof the people. They no longer have toqueue for hours to get water from thelocal stone spout. They are now proud tohave sufficient water of WHO standards.Indeed it is wonderful. We never thought that bottled water can be affordable even for us, said 45-year-old HariMaya Maharjan, a local housewife froma farmers family. She is now happy thatshe can serve the family with clean andsafe water without bearing any extracost. Like Maharjan, over 200 familiesare being benefited by the unique waterbottling project.

UN-HABITAT has taken up this initiativein partnership with UEMS, an NGObased in Nepal, in Chyasal, Lalitpurdistrict of Kathmandu Valley. The con-cept of water bottling system project isbased on the Sujala scheme of Byrraju

Foundation, an NGO working in AndhraPradesh, India where numerous waterbottling plants have been set up by theFoundation.

The local people have formed a userscommittee Koyelacchi Tole Sudhar Sa-miti comprising of one-third women andthe committee has taken upon them the

responsibility of establishing, operatingand managing the community basedwater bottling system. UN-HABITAT pro-vided them with technical and financial

support and UEMS helped them in imple-menting the initiative. The local dugwellis the source of water for this system.

Water from the dugwell is collected in asettlement tank from where it is pumpedto two bio-sand filters. The filtered wateris then filled in 20 liters polythene jarsafter chlorination. These jars are distrib-uted for a minimal charge of NRs. 3 foreach jar. The Community-Based SafeDrinking Water Bottling Project hasproved that communities can solve theirwater problems if they are supportedwith some technical know-how. It was asmall-scale and low-cost project. How-ever, the small effort of the local people

instantly brought visible results due toactive participation of the local commu-nity. The Minister for Physical Planningand Works Hisila Yami appreciated the

initiation of the local people when sheinaugurated the project on April 20,2007. With the successful demonstrationof the water bottling system in Chyasal,similar system is being setup in a poorcommunity in partnership with Nepal

Water Supply Corporation. UN-HABITATunder the Water for Asian Cities Pro-gramme in Nepal is providing financialsupport to the tune of NRs 1.5 million.Similarly, NRs 50,000 are being pro-vided through Parliament DevelopmentFund for construction of the undergroundreservoir. The in-kind contribution of thelocal authorities amounted to NRs378,000.

Pro-poor Bottled Drinking Water for the Community of Lalitpur, Nepal

Local people and all the well wishers ofthe village cheered up on May 12,2007, when Joint-Secretary of Ministry ofPhysical Planning and Works, KrishnaPrasad Acharya declared Siddhipur asthe village with total sanitation at a pro-gramme organized at Siddhipur VDC.

The construction of altogether 750 differ-ent types of toilets had displaced 3 opendefecation sites in the villge. Siddipur

Water and Sanitation Progrmme hashelped the local community construct

301 different types of toilets in the vil-lage in one year alone.

Siddhipur has set itself as an example inthe world through their efforts towardsthe construction of latrines prior to theestablishment of water facility, said Dr.Roshan Raj Shrestha, CTA of UN-HABITAT, WAC-Nepal.

Before the programme, a rally had beenorganized where active public participa-tion was clearly visible. A group of chil-

dren also performed a street drama tovisualize the change in the Siddhipurafter the campaign. All the local commit-tees contributing in establishment of sani-tation in the village were honoured withLetter of Appreciation to encourage themfor their continuous effort for the sustainability of the programme.

After long and continuous efforts, today,Siddhipur has traveled a long journey,away from poor sanitation to the 95 percent sanitation coverage.

Siddhipur in Nepal declared Total Sanitation Zone

May - June 2007


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Local Actions on WATSANfor Sustainable Initiatives

UN-HABITAT, incollaboration with

Asian Develop-ment Bank, Waterand SanitationProgramme of

World Bank, WaterAid London,Gender and Wa-ter Alliance of theNetherlands, Asia

Pacific Water Forum, Japan and othersprepared a Vision 2020 document on theDelivery of the MDGs for Water andSanitation in the Asia-Pacific Region,which articulated the core elements on aregion-wide approach to water and sanita-tion which are appropriate to the aspira-tions of the Asian countries despite varyingconditions and challenges.

In support of this initiative, UN-HABITAThas prepared a Publication on Local Ac- tions for Sustainable Initiatives on Wa- ter and Sanitation Initiatives in Asia- Pacific Region, which aimed at support-ing the country Governments of the regionin achieving the MDG relating to Waterand Sanitation by sharing such solutions

which can be easily replicated, scaled upand sustainable besides being cost effec-tive and innovative. It brings forward theproven practices in different parts of theregion which are pro-poor, innovative,appropriate, affordable & acceptable bythe user communities.

The experiences presented in the Publica-tion provide a road map to the implement-ing authorities which are flexible, reflectsnew knowledge & strategies and facilitatea framework to faster WATSAN services inthe region. The Publication presents 60Local Actions & Best Practices being prac-ticed in 26 Nations of the Asia-Pacificregion which include Azerbaijan, Bangla-desh, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia,Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Kuwait,Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Nepal, Paki-stan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,Qatar, Singapore, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste,Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan & Viet-nam.

UN-HABITAT is supporting the ADB Loanproject (VIE-2272) for Central Region

Small and Medium Towns with a signifi-cant capacity building component underthe Water for Asian Cities Programme in

Vietnam. UN-HABITAT has developedtwo Cooperation Agreements with Mu-nicipal Water Utilities in the towns ofCam Ranh and Gia Nghia in 2006. Atpresent, the implementation process hasstarted in both towns of Cam Ranh andGia Nghia. The rapid assessments ofwater and sanitation situation are beingundertaken where UN-HABITAT has pro-vided the funds and methodology to utili-

ties for all the activities under the agree-ment.

UN-HABITAT is also developing furtherthree cooperation agreements with theMunicipal Water Utilities of Song Cau,Thap Cham and Ca Na towns with afocus on water and sanitation to the tuneof US$350,000. UN-HABITAT is alsoexploring the possibilities for developingthe fast-tract projects with the involvementof five Water Utilities in these towns. Thiswill help the water utilities to enhancetheir ability & autonomy as well as ca-pacity building through implementationand management of project in the sector.

In order to boost the activities in thesefive towns, UN-HABITAT is organizing a

one-day Inception Meeting in Nha TrangCity, Central Region of Vietnam duringthe last week of July 2007. The key ob-jective of the Inception Meeting is tobring together primary and secondarystakeholders to discuss and decide onthe approach and strategy to be adoptedby UN-HABITAT in the implementation ofthe fast-track activities within WAC pro-gramme in the Central Regional townsunder ADB loan project. The InceptionMeeting will be basically a platformwhere a large number of representatives

from the Government in the project prov-inces, Mayors and Commissioners fromthe 5 project towns and representativesfrom NGOs/CBOs in Vietnam wouldhave the chance to learn and share theirconcept, experience and views about thecommunity-based water supply and sani-tation for the urban poor projects.

The one day-meeting will be followed bytechnical sessions on Mapping the poor;

Water Conservation and Demand Man-agement (WCDM); Water Saving Tech-nology and Human Values-based Water,Sanitation and Hygiene Education(HVWSHE).

Community-based Water and Sanitation for theUrban Poor in Vietnam

UN-HABITAT and Asian DevelopmentBank (ADB) is jointly organizing a Semi-nar on Integrated Slum Upgrading:Meeting the Water and SanitationNeeds of the Poorest of the Poor on 14

August 2007 from 0900 to 1200 hrs

during the World Water Week 2007 inStockholm. The seminar proposes to fo-cus on big challenges that have to befaced to make water & sanitation a localagenda and share experience as to howsanitation coverage can be ensuredthrough peoples participation.

Nearly one billion people today live inslums, majority of them women and chil-dren. Slums are characterised amongst

others by inadequate water supply, lackof sanitation, poorly built shelter andovercrowding. It is in these slums wherethe battle is being fought to meet theMDGs in addressing the needs of thepoorest of the poor. It is important to

build the capacity of local governmentsto work in equal partnerships with com-munities and the private sector as part ofthe process of pro-poor urban water &sanitation governance.

The Seminar will be Chaired by Ms. IngaBjrk Klevby, Deputy Executive Director,UN-HABITAT & Co-Chaired Mr. ArjunThapan, Director General, ADB Manilaalong with other eminent speakers.

Seminar on Integrated Slum Upgrading during theWorld Water Week 2007 in Stockholm


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fied sample of material and (iv)Obtain information kept in elec-tronic devices. There are largenumber of success stories re-garding citizens resort to RTI

Act to demand better servicesfrom public authorities regard-ing water supply and sanita-tion. Use of RTI Act is likely toincrease, which would result inpublic debate regarding ineffi-ciency in operation of the Mu-nicipal Corporations and ex-pose corrupt practices.

Obligations of Municipal

Corporations: Pro-active useof RTI Act to improve the man-agement of water and sanita-tion services to the citizens isenvisaged in Section 4 of theRTI Act, which places severalobligations on the Public Au-thorities. Section 4(1) (a) re-quires the Public Authorities tomaintain the record duly in-dexed and catalogued to en-able any citizen to access infor-mation. Section 4(1) (b) re-

quires them to publish all detailsrelating to management of ser-vices and up-date the informa-tion every year. Section 4(1) (b)requires them to suo moto dis-close the information requiredby public, so that citizens neednot resort to RTI Act to obtaininformation. Section 4(3) re-quires the public authority towidely disseminate the informa-tion in such form and mannerwhich is easily accessible to

public.Current status of imple-mentation of RTI Act: Thisenactment has far reachingconsequences for ushering indemocratic governance by ac-tive participation of the citizens.It is in early stage of implemen-tation, as the law which camein force on 12.10.2005 has

UN-HABITAT has been workingin the four project cities ofMadhya Pradesh viz. Bhopal,Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpurunder the Water for Asian Cit-ies Programme. The MunicipalCorporations of these citieshave the delegated powers tofunction as self governing urbanlocal bodies. The services levelsfor basic urban facilities inthese cities are very low, finan-cially unsustainable and do notmeet the requirements of urbanpoor. Innovative solutions ofcommunity participation areessential to meet the administra-tive problems of:

(a) Unauthorised water connec-tions leading to unacceptablelevel of losses in distribution ofwater;

(b) Involvement of community inthe water supply and sanitationprojects; and

(c) Transparency and publicaccountability in the administra-

tive machinery to remove ineffi-ciency and contain corruption.

Pro-active measures to involvecitizens are needed, for improv-ing the management of urbanfacilities for water supply andsanitation. Recently enactedRight To Information Act 2005would facilitate citizens partici-pation, by sharing information.

Right of the Citizens: SinceOctober 2005, Municipal Cor-

porations are Public Authoritiesunder the RTI Act 2005. Thisenactment has ushered in anew era of transparency andpublic accountability, tostrengthen democratic govern-ance. RTI Act enables any citi-zen to (i) Inspect works, docu-ments and records, (ii) Takenotes, extracts, certified copiesof any record, (iii) Take certi-

not been fully implemented.Citizens and public authoritiesare at early stages of the learn-ing curve. The potential of en-hanced public accountability inimproving the management offour selected Municipal Corpo-rations of Madhya Pradesh hasto be fully explored. This canset the replicable example forusing RTI Act for improvingservices of Municipal Corpora-tions in other District in India,as well as other countries whereRight To Information / Freedomof Information laws have beenenacted.RTI and reforms in urbanwater supply& sanitation:Practical examples of use of RTI

Act by citizens relating to urbanwater supply and sanitationshows that this enactment en-ables the citizens to demandbetter services from the publicauthorities at the cutting edge.There are instances of improv-ing sanitation, maintenance of

parks, cleaning of roads, etc. incases where citizens demandedmuster roll of employees tomonitor whether they are actu-ally performing the assignedduties. Full potentiality of usingRTI Act as a measure of admin-istrative reforms is yet to beexplored.

UH-HABITAT is also monitoringwhether the actions taken bythe Municipal Corporations infour selected cities of MadhyaPradesh would ultimately resultin sustained revenue streams,which would enable the Munici-palities to repay the loans. Thethrust is on pro-poor pro-grammes which depends uponcommunity participation. Imple-mentation of Right To Informa-tion Act opens up a new regimefor informing the citizens.

Right to Information Act supports Citizens Participation inWater Supply and Sanitation Projects in India

Water is LifeSanitation is Dignity

Page 8

UN-HABITAT Water for Asian CitiesProgramme Regional OfficeEP-16/17, Chandragupta Marg,Chanakyapuri, New Delhi -110021Tel: +91-11-42225019/42225022Fax: +91-11-24104961Email: [email protected]

Web: www.unhabitat.org/waterwww.unwac.org

Editorial Board! K.E. Seetharam, Senior

Water and Sanitation Spe-cialist, ADB Manila

! Ravi Narayanan, ViceChair, Asia-Pacific Water

Forum, Japan! S.K Singh, Joint Secretary,

Government of India! Ashok Das, Principal Secre-

tary, UADD, Govt. of M.P! Krishna Prasad Acharya,

Joint Secretary, MPPW,Govt. of Nepal

! Zheng Guangda, DeputyDirector General, Ministryof Construction, PR China

! Somphone Dethoudom,Director General, MCTPC,Govt. of Lao PDR

! Nguyen Sinh Hy, DirectorGeneral, Ministry of Con-struction, Govt. of Vietnam

Chief Editor! Andre Dzikus, Chief, Water

and Sanitation Section II,UN-HABITAT Nairobi

Managing Editor! Kulwant Singh, CTA, WAC

Programme, UN-HABITAT,New Delhi, India

Documents

WAC Regional Newsletter May-June 2007