Source bulletin 63-2011

w w w. s o u r c e . i r c . n l /
“WASH services that last” focus in 2011
How can WASH services be built to • The need to pull together key data and
last? This critical question for sustainable methodology and sell it to decision In cooperation with
services will be given a special focus in makers in donor organisations and
the four Source feature issues planned for government was one of the central
2011. In each issue we will publish stories messages to emerge from the IRC
that will be tagged as “WASH services Symposium, Pumps, Pipes and Promises
that last”. in November 2010. A round-up report
from Peter McIntyre highlights the high
In this issue of Source Bulletin, three cost of failed services and the way in
articles highlight outputs and lessons from which households have to pick up the
the two major programmes WASHCost pieces themselves (Page 9).
and Triple-S that are funded by the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation: Cover the costs of maintenance
• Quotes highlighting the links in the and replacement
chain for sustainable services, a field
The Triple-S study found a critical lack of
story from Ghana. Nick Dickinson spent
life-cycle costing for capital investment,
two months recently in Ghana assisting
minor and major repairs, direct and
the process documentation work of
indirect support costs and the costs of
IRC and WASHCost teams there and
he worked with photographer Peter capital for asset replacement. Even in the
DiCampo on a photo story to highlight USA, rural water service providers must
the governance issues involved in tap soft loans and grants to cover major
Highlights
securing water services (Page 5). repairs and replacements.
• “WASH services that lasts” focus in 2011
• Ensuring rural water services that While three quarters of the total cost of • Can we close the loop by making money from
last: lessons from a 13-country study, meeting the MDG water and sanitation poop? Gladys Quispe thinks so
by Sarah Garriger, who highlights target is needed for maintaining and • Northern Uganda: Water’s open door
lessons from a recently completed a • Helping the people of Masaba sub-county access
replacing existing structures, only 13% of
13-country study to identify factors water and sanitation through joining hands
current funding for water and sanitation
that contribute to, or constrain, the • Sustainable WASH services
from eight major donor agencies is in fact
delivery of sustainable rural water • Quotes highlighting the links in the chain for
earmarked for this.
services at scale. Sarah is providing sustainable services
communication support to the Triple-S Dick de Jong • Ensuring rural water services that last: Lessons
project (Page 8). from a 13-country study
• IRC Symposium challenges WASH sector to cost
and finance sustainable services

Confirm your interest to receive Source Bulletin News from the WSSCC
• The road to SACOSAN IV: addressing equity and
Dear reader of the paper version of Source Bulletin, in order to reduce the increasing inclusion issues
distribution costs we are asking you to renew your interest to receive Source Bulletin. • West African delegates visit Bangladesh – a
As of now we will be offering Source Bulletin still free of charge by e-mail in various great example of sharing and learning between
versions. countries
• Menstrual Hygiene Management
E-mail us at sourceregistration@irc.nl with your e-mail, name and organisation if you • WSSCC to Host Global Forum on Sanitation and
want to change your paper subscription to an e-mail version. Hygiene
• Confirm your WSSCC membership or join now!
If you live in a developing country and do not have e-mail you can still receive the
paper version free of charge. You need to fill out the form on the pre-addressed return News from IRC
card, and send it to us by regular mail. • Switching politicians on to sustainable city water
• Cities can show the way to sustainable, efficient
If you don’t send the form back to us we assume that you don’t want to receive Source and equitable management of water resources
Bulletin anymore and we will stop sending the paper version to your address. • World Water Day 2011: Waste water is a liquid
asset
The Source team
• IRC to help African communities and schools
boost community-led sanitation

Source Bulletin No. 63 - March 2011 Page 1

Can we close the loop by making money from poop? Gladys Quispe thinks so
I wipe the dust from my eyes for what We had a toilet in the basement, and surely
feels like the hundredth time, resist the it must have flooded too? A similar thing
urge to scratch the nagging bites around happens in San Pedro, but it happens every
my ankles, and lean in closer to hear what year and is not solved with a sump pump
Gladys Quispe has to say, as the squeaking and two crabby parents. Most homes
pigs and clucking chickens compete with consist of three separate structures; one
the feisty Bolivian woman. We have found room where the family sleeps- from 4-12
the only shade in her patio underneath people; a kitchen where women and girls
a banana grove on this unusually hot spend most of the day preparing and
morning. Gladys doesn’t know it, but she’s cooking food over wood fires, and finally,
famous. Word that a woman had organised usually in the corner of the lot-as far
other women in her barrio into a woman- away as possible, but still on the family’s
run business had reached me and I was property-is a three-sided, un-roofed, waist-
eager to meet the ‘compost’ lady. high simple pit latrine. I can see the indents
from the latrines of past years; those whose
In San Pedro, Bolivia, a town of mostly
contents were spread throughout the
migrants from other parts of Bolivia, we
neighbourhood with the yearly rains.
are here to listen, learn, and improve our
sanitation programming. The town is cut off Comfort and money
from the rest of the world for 2-4 months
We can’t stop the rains, but we can stop
out of the year when the nearby River Pirai
them from spreading shit into people’s
swells its banks and covers everything. Gladys Quispe, the ‘compost’ lady
cooking areas, bedrooms, and neighbours’
Nearly all the houses are made from wood
homes. For several years, we have been
or chuchillo, a local plant that reminds me
supporting an ecological sanitation is starting to see some of her investments
of super-sized sugar cane. Men spend all
programme in the region, in which come back and surely this cold hard cash
day-or week-in their fields tending to rice,
elevated, alternating-twin pit toilets have prize will help take this to the next level.
soy, and sugarcane.
been constructed with local government,
Bathroom
Few own their land, and many have lost community, and Water For People support.
the last two years of rice to erratic weather. It was time to have a look and see what As we saunter under umbrellas from house
Page 2
Women, and more often than not, their was working and what was not. Gladys to house, we stop at a large piece of land
daughters, stay at home doing all that is one of the women “thinking out of the that she is renting for the construction of
needs to be done to get by in places where bowl” in her community, and seeing how a much larger production area. Gulping
wood needs chopping before you can ecological sanitation can make her life down chicha de maiz, she points out the
cook, water needs to be stored to wash more comfortable, beyond having a safe, work that they have already done and the
clothes, and the never-ending fight against private, place to go to the bathroom, but excitement in her voice for her future plans
dust requires constant efforts. Mother also putting some much-needed income in is contagious. “Ese baño es una maravilla,”
Nature was particularly nasty this year, her pocket. she says as she gives it a gentle pat, “no
bringing flood levels not seen in years solamente no huele, es más sano, y me
Gladys breaks out into a hearty laugh as we
and hemorrhagic dengue in addition to da unos bolivianitos.” (This bathroom is
come up with creative strategies on how
“regular” dengue. The water level marks on a wonder; not only does it not smell bad,
to get difficult men in the neighbourhood
the homes tell stories of past floods and the it’s healthier and gives me a little bit of
on the pot, as we walk over to her field
hardships that go along living in several feet income).
trial site. Since emptying her toilet last
of water each year. Glady’s story is a bright one in a sea
year for the first time, Gladys has been
Taking stock of Gladys’s home, I remember experimenting with plants and fertilizers. of failed sanitation projects not only
our basement flooding when I was a child. She thinks she has found the magic mix, in San Pedro, but the world over. One
after trying several different types of of the lessons learned after the 1980s
fertilizers on a variety of ornamental plants International Water and Sanitation Decade,
and citrus fruits. was that sanitation programming must be
determined by customer demand. Gladys is
She doesn’t think small, though, this 34
an “early adopter” as marketers would call
year old mother of three. Recently, her
her and her successful toilet-fertiliser-plant
women’s group won a 30,000 Boliviano
business could be just the local catalyst
($4,200) prize for productive sanitation.
needed to convince others to use their
They have been collecting neighbours’
bathroom effectively, and to reap some of
compost and they started a small business
the “unconventional” benefits, too.
selling plants. Her customers say that her
One of the prize winning field stories in the
plants are larger than others of the same
Source story contest 2010. Kate Fogelberg
age and in the past few months since the (KFogelberg@waterforpeople.org), Regional
business began, she has pulled in several Manager, South America, Water For People.
Gladys’nursery using manure from her toilet with hundred bolivianos. This is the first year she
plants in used yoghurt bags.

Page 2

Northern Uganda: Water’s open door
At Akodokodoi village in Northern Uganda, At this point, the pace of the conversation
the tree divides us. On one side, we the picks up. There is some back and forth
project staff from CARE and partner between the men and the women. The rest
organisations sit on short wooden folding of us wait impatiently for the translation.
chairs, forming a loose circle with the men.
As I understand it, the men’s viewpoint boils
On the other side of the tree the women
down to this: collecting water is a woman’s
settle themselves on the ground. I wonder
burden to shoulder. One of the men goes
if they prefer this shield of separateness, the
as far as to say that he paid a bride price
better to breastfeed their children or shift
for his wife and the issue of going to verify
them around on their laps. Some look off
how long it takes to get water is none of
into the distance or tug distractedly at tufts
his business, she must work. A woman
of grass, their legs stretched out in front of Meeting with men, Photo: CARE 2010
counters that she finds the issue of bride
them.
price insulting. seen from direct experience in projects that
But to assume the women to be prioritise women’s involvement, but also has
The situation in Akodokodoi village is by
disinterested observers would be a mistake. far-reaching repercussions, as these norms are
no means typical. But it’s far from unusual.
After the men speak of how the community also at the heart of many other poverty and
It was proof to me that water is not a
worked with us to get the borehole that social justice issues.
neutral issue but rather a deeply gendered
is now their main water source, we ask
and political one. Women get stuck with Willing to challenge the status quo?
the women what difference the borehole
the burden of collecting it, a matter in
has made for them. They speak without For development organisations, what if one
which they have little choice. Women are
hesitation and with the precision of those of our criteria for selecting communities to
usually left out of decisions about how
that know what they’re talking about. The assist with water access was whether they
water is used and accessed, particularly
first thing a woman named Janet Adongo would be willing to challenge the status
when it is used for productive purposes like
says is that that their husbands don’t beat quo, having men and boys help with water
agriculture.
them anymore. In the past, they would collection responsibilities? What if policy
leave early in the morning to walk three Access to safe water reduces death from makers prioritised women’s control and
kilometres to the nearest water point at a diarrhoeal disease, helps keep children in ownership of water and land as an important
school. Once there, they stood in line for school and frees up time that can be spent issue as their right to an education? What if
hours. They came home to find husbands making a living. But this only temporarily councils and watershed management bodies
irate with hunger because lunch hadn’t ameliorates some of the unfairness to actively sought the participation of women
been prepared yet and suspicious of their women and girls. If water scarcity increases in decision-making bodies, realising that men
wives’ whereabouts. Violence ensued. once again, girls will be the first ones to and women think about and use water in very
be pulled out of school to search for water different ways? What if donors supported
“This facility is encouraging our husbands
while their brothers remain undisturbed. smarter policies towards the provision of
to love us more,” says one woman.
What are the implications for development water and sanitation?
The fact that lack of water close by leads to
organisations, donors, governments and After its heated turn, the conversation
domestic violence was no surprise to me,
other actors who promote, advocate in Akodokodoi village flowed to other
having seen in other countries how water
and directly implement interventions testimonies of what a critical difference the
scarcity affects practically every aspects
that increase access to safe water and water point made for the community. But I
of domestic life. Yet this situation seemed
sanitation? If providing access to safe water was most moved by the early words of those
particularly egregious.
and sanitation puts us at the nexus of women who were not afraid to speak the
“Why,” I question with the boldness of the power and prejudice it also gives us an open truth. Let’s act with the same boldness.
naïve, “do the men not believe their wives door into changing and challenging cultural
One of the prize winning field stories in the Source
when they say it takes half a day to get and institutional norms that perpetuate stories contest.
water?” inequity. Doing so not only improves the
Malaika Wright, Learning and Communications
effectiveness of the programmes, as we’ve Officer, CARE USA Water Team, mwright@care.org

Helping the people of Masaba sub-county access water and sanitation
through joining hands
I am Bilabi Moses, a second year student that flood and contaminate the waters reached, women move for fairly long
of the Uganda Christian University. I come making it unsafe for drinking. The poor distances to look for protected springs.
from Buboolo parish, Bukissa Village, sanitation in Masaba communities is mainly The number of latrines in families is low
Masaba sub-county in Sironko district of due to ignorance and conservativeness since compared to the population in that some
Eastern Uganda. Masaba sub-county is almost 60% of the population is illiterate. families have resorted to sharing latrines
characterised as being hilly since it is in the The water and sanitation problems have and this is as a result of poverty, laziness
Mt Elgon region and blessed with many resulted in poverty because of constant and lack of knowledge on sanitation.
rivers. visits to hospitals as a result of water and Intervention
sanitation related diseases. In some places
The sanitation and safety of the water here As a young boy, the Masiyompo Movement
where our intervention in water has not
is still poor because of constant heavy rains which works in this sub-county, supported


me as an orphan and this motivated me Disseminating lessons to has reached so that sustainability is
to take up some of the challenges they communities realised.
were facing in order to address the water 4. I have developed a data bank with
We have developed an extensive base of pictorials showing water and sanitation
and sanitation needs of the communities.
WASH information so that communities are activities so that communities can
In 2004, they saw the need to set up a
able to join hands in taking up the challenge learn from within and outside their
sustainable water project in Masaba sub-
of improving the accessibility of water and geographical locations hence improving
county and this project was instituted. It has
sanitation. I am also documenting several the access.
supplied several communities in sub-county
proposals requesting for funds so that our 5. There is increased community
with safe piped water using gravity flow
communities can access more water and participation and sharing of knowledge
technology. Today this has helped families
improve their hygiene and sanitation state. through door to door sensitisations, joint
to spend less on medication as it used
I have imitated the idea of promoting action on water and sanitation activities
to do because the water is 90% safe for
learning forums at the parish level every five and learning forums.
consumption and free from contaminations
months where we call together community 6. Sanitation and hygiene has improved up
by man and animals, unlike river water.
leaders of water and sanitation activities so to 40% through effective and innovative
Sanitation has improved at least by 10%
that they can share achievements, problem approaches.
from 30% to 40%.
and failures What have you done to ensure that
In 2009, I started an active role in seeing you and your neighbour get water and
that water and sanitation improves through Positive outcomes
improve hygiene and sanitation?
my effort. I started going for various A number of positive outcomes have been
workshops on water and sanitation to realised as a result our effort in struggling Dear ladies, gentlemen and children the
gather more information on best practices to address the water and sanitation issues access of water and sanitation calls for a
from other organisations, donors’ advice of the communities in Masaba sub-counties: joint effort and not only governments and
and line ministry advice and bringing it donors as many of us think. As an individual
1. Firstly our effort has resulted in the
home for practical experience. For example, what have you done to ensure that you
construction of the multimillion gravity
I attended conferences in Speke Resort and your neighbour get water and improve
flow scheme. This has helped women
Munyonyo in October 2009 and East hygiene and sanitation? It calls for love for
and children to access clean safe
African sanitation conference on 2nd- water from nearby. It has reduced the one another so that we realise the need for
4th March 2010. I gave presentations prevalence of related diseases. sharing the few water resources around us.
there and got knowledge in an effort to 2. In addition, through learning forums and It gives me pleasure to give this message
improve the water and sanitation in our community sensitisation, communities and the contribution we have made
communities. This enabled me to bring have gained more knowledge on including my effort to see communities in
Page 4 Masaba happy especially on the issue of
home pictorials, books to our communities sanitation promotion in homes and
so that they can learn as they derive lessons water management. water and sanitation.
on what they see. 3. On water management, we have One of the prize winning field stories in the
instituted water management Source stories contest.
committees composed of three men and Moses Bilabi is a 23-year old community water
two women in every village were water and sanitation promoter, Ugandan Christian
University, Mbale campus, P.O.Box 189, Mbale,
Uganda, e-mail: mossebi@yahoo.com

Top three Source hits feature online articles in 2010
IRC endeavours to generate and post on downgraded if pupils also have access Mayling Simpson-Hebert and Dennis
line the best, most insightful, informative, to urinals. It seems like the concept of Warner) took third place, with 395
and provocative WASH stories from the urinals for girls was one that intrigued views. The ArborLoo is the simplest of
field we can find, using the online Source readers. all eco toilets and treats human excreta
pages and “The voice from communities” 2. IRC ran a contest entitled “Tell us a as a resource to be utilised rather than
blog http://voiceofcommunities.wordpress. story – for pride and a prize” (http:// waste to be avoided. The ArborLoo
com/. www.irc.nl/page/51946) (Author: is steadily becoming part of Ethopian
Caridad Machín Camacho). And Source rural culture. After each use, a cup of
The top three most viewed Source articles Bulletin sent out an international call soil and wood ash mixture is added to
on the IRC website last year were: for stories based on communities and encourage composting, reduce smell,
1. Atono school in Kenya (http://www. applied interventions which helped and discourage insects.
irc.nl/page/54200) (Authors: Dick de (or failed to improve) sanitation and
Jong and Ingeborg Krukkert), was part IRC will continue to track website activity
hygiene situations. 399 people followed
of the Regional Programme - East Africa in 2011 in order to spot trends and useful
this post during 2010, and 30 stories
newsfeed. The picture story focused ways to share stories and information.
were submitted. Thanks to the positive
on water and sanitation improvements reaction from readers, IRC decided to Please send you stories to: storycontest@irc.nl
at this school in Kenya and attracted continue the contest into 2011. Caridad Machín Camacho & Angelica de Jesus
684 viewers. The Antono school study 3. Another Source feature: “Ethiopia: the
aimed to find out if the Kenyan Ministry success of the ArborLoo latrine” (http://
of Health’s standard ratio of 1 latrine to www.irc.nl/page/51945) (Authors:
25 girls and 1 toilet to 30 boys can be

Page 4

Quotes highlighting the links in the chain for sustainable
services
Ghanaian planning processes do not communities with services that they can manages the local water
systematically address the full range afford and for the communities to be able system. He accepts the
of post-construction costs to ensure to assess what goes into the management challenge of providing
indefinite provision of WASH services, of a facility. That would help the directorate a continuous flow of potable water to a
according to Dr. Kwabena Nyarko, of the to budget properly and communities to growing population, but points out that
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science make their contributions. According to the “local funds cannot cover the costs of
and Technology. He is the director of the director, “Once we know how much it will expansion”.
WASHCost project in Ghana which has cost to provide these levels of services, then
Mr. Augustine Owusu, Abono WatSan
found inadequate co-ordination between it will help us also to make appropriate
Committee Treasurer, verifies the costs of
planning, budgeting and finance. financial commitments to be able to deliver
parts from the area mechanic. He feels
the service.”
The sustainability of water services for his community should charge more for
people in rural and peri-urban areas Mrs Theodora Adomako-Adjei, the water, like other communities do. Too little
depends on a whole chain of things going Extension Services Co-ordinator for the revenue is generated because some people
right - from the Ministry of Water, Works Community Water and Sanitation Agency would rather go to the lake for free.
and Housing in the capital down to the (CWSA) understands a good service as
Kune Banahene,
water vendor in a community. convenience, availability and accessibility.
an area mechanic
Her focus is on equipping people with the
This chain is reflected in a photo story for 11 years,
right knowledge, information, the skills,
produced by IRC with WASHCost Ghana says that towns
and, “the right attitude to take care of the
and the Resource Centre Network in sometimes fail to
facility.” Her question is, “How much will it
Ghana. In “From Top to Bottom” a whole maintain systems
cost to actually change human behaviour?”
chain of people from the Minister for Water but still expect the
Resources, Works and Housing to a water Mrs. Fay Ephrim, Eastern Zonal Planner company or NGO
vendor in the community reflect on the link for CWSA says the focus should be on to come back
between costs and services from their own long-term planning that looks at trends in and repair the
unique point of view. costs, housing, and energy. CWSA wants system. He only
communities to be able to sustain services repairs systems
as long as possible. of communities
who are serious
Bosomtwe District
about maintaining
Much of the burden to plan and deliver facilities.
sustainable services falls to district
Water vendor Akua Afriyei is concerned
professionals. District Water and Sanitation
that if the pump in a village borehole breaks
Plans address the capital costs for
down it is impossible to maintain services.
installation of new systems, but do not yet
The community cannot afford to install
address significant reinvestment in keeping
another borehole itself, but if they had
infrastructure going nor the costs of
one more borehole they could maintain it
institutional support related to monitoring
The Hon. Alban S. K. Bagbin, Minister without taking loans.
and training. In practice, when a major
for Water Resources, Works and Housing
breakdown occurs, the facilities are typically The photo story was made in Ghana by
himself grew up in a rural area and
abandoned. Nick Dickinson with photographer Peter
understands the challenge of meeting the
DiCampo. Bismark Dwumfour-Asare from
Millennium Development Goals. “We are In Bosomtwe District in the Ashanti WASHCost did some of the interviews and
compelled to spend a lot more in replacing region, professionals reflect on Rebecca Obuobisa-Darko provided the
broken down water systems, either because these issues narration.
of lack of maintenance, or because of lack
Mr. Bartholomew Amponsah, the District Nick Dickinson
of knowledge,” he says.
Water and Sanitation Engineer, is involved
Minta Aboagye, Director of the Water in proposing district budgets to the district
Directorate, stresses the need to provide assembly. Sometimes, the district does not
have enough money to cover monitoring
costs, which prevents visits to communities.
According to the engineer, if you do not
visit, some communities will let anybody
fetch water for free and fail to generate the
required revenue.

Mr. Francis Asare Kusi of the Kuntanase
Water and Sanitation Development Board


News from WSSCC Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council

The road to SACOSAN IV: addressing equity and inclusion issues
The 4th South Asian Conference on Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), months in the region with our partners and
Sanitation (SACOSAN 4) will be hosted national think tanks and non-governmental government, inviting suggestions and using
from 4-8 April 2011 in Sri Lanka. South organisations have undertaken studies on opportunities presented nationally.
Asia has progressed relatively well with specific dimensions of equity and inclusion
The overall aim is to prepare a regional
sanitation and hygiene policies, institutions in South Asia. Using SACOSAN as an
synthesis that will be shared nationally
and investments. However it remains the opportunity, four organisations (UNICEF,
and then be used to catalyse discussions
region of the world with the largest number WA, WSP and WSSCC) have come together
during the SACOSAN conference itself with
of people without sanitation, together to prepare a regional synthesis paper on
the aim of generating practical joined-up
with widespread poor hygienic practices, equity and inclusion in South Asia, to take
action and advocacy from civil society and
and consequently is unlikely to achieve the stock of what is available and work that
mainstream sector actors (government,
MDGs on sanitation. Several sector players has already been done, to learn lessons and
donors, investors, implementers) in order to
have teamed up in the run-up to SACOSAN catalyse thinking and action for the future.
direct investments, research and action to
4 to bring the voices of the people to the The paper and accompanying audio-
where it is needed most.
podium and raise the challenges around visuals will be shared over the next two
the unserved in the region, with a view As in previous SACOSAN meetings, strong
to seeing increased commitments and civil society participation is being enabled
meaningful collaborative action reflected in through collaborative action and support
the meeting outcomes and beyond. by Fresh Water Action Network-South
Asia (FANSA), WA and WSSCC and other
A hugely challenging area for support
agencies in the region. National committees
across South Asia is the difficulty of
have been set up to strengthen grassroots
reaching largely invisible, marginalised
engagement for SACOSAN 4 with activities
groups and individuals. Equity and
that include civil society pre-meetings,
inclusion remains an intention, rather than
national consultations, research on service
a systematic approach. Action toward
delivery in the region and a linked video on
the improvement of menstrual hygiene
people’s views on sanitation services. The
management and services for disabled
People’s Perceptions Research especially
people are implemented in specific projects,
addresses groups that are left out or
but are not mainstreamed in larger national
unserved in some way and is commissioned
programmes. Several international and
by the regional partnership of WSSCC,
national actors such UNICEF, WaterAid,
Water Aid, Freshwater Action Network
UN Habitat, the Water and Sanitation Toilets that are designed for disabled people,
such as here in Dhaka, remain an exception (FAN).
Program (WSP), the Water Supply and
(photo: Amanda Marlin, WSSCC) For more information contact ina.jurga@wsscc.org.

West African delegates visit Bangladesh – a great example of sharing and
learning between countries
When faced with a difficult problem, one and violence, certain geographic features, and youth groups. The week-long
of the best ways to determine the way increased urbanisation, extreme poverty programme involved meetings and site
ahead is to ask the advice of someone among many members of society and visits to examine different programmatic
who has faced a similar situation. This logic huge challenges to improve the access to approaches, including Community-Led Total
motivated a group of extremely enthusiastic safe sanitation. But they also share many Sanitation (CLTS), sanitation marketing,
WASH practitioners from Liberia and Sierra of the same advantages: community and urban programming. Participants
Leone to visit Bangladesh in November leaders committed to improving social and were enthusiastic to learn about sanitary
2010. They came to talk to people in Dhaka economic development, forward looking toilets adapted for disabled people, and
and rural Chittagong about how to address populations who are optimistic about the about ecological sanitation and biogas.
issues of sanitation, hygiene and water prospects for their children, and dedicated Staff members from the national NGOs
supply. professionals who recognise the urgency Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK) and Village
of ensuring good sanitation, hygiene and Education Resource Centre (VERC), the
Bangladesh was chosen as their destination
water for all members of society. Water and Sanitation Program of the World
because the country has been a global
Bank (WSP), and members of the Water
leader in implementing new approaches The delegates from West Africa, nine
Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council
driven by community-led demand creation. from Liberia and two from Sierra
(WSSCC) National Coalition Bangladesh
The countries have much in common. Leone, represented a cross-section from
were generous in sharing their expertise
They share similar challenges including the government and civil society, including
and time with the delegates. The learning
disruption of societies torn apart by war faith-based groups, women’s alliances

Page 6

WSSCC, 15, chemin Louis-Dunant, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
Tel.: +41 22 560 8181, fax: +41 22 560 8184, e-mail: wsscc@wsscc.org, http://www.wsscc.org

WSSCC sees this style of learning trip as a
trip was devised, and primarily funded The participants left with notebooks full of great example of South-South exchange.
by WSSCC, with support to individual good ideas, a draft plan for implementation Preparation before the trip, hard work in
delegates being offered by WaterAid in their countries, and names and email country, and ongoing follow-up, have all
and WASH Consortium Liberia. Visits to addresses of many in Bangladesh who been aimed at ensuring lasting benefits –
programme sites resulted in questions and offered to stay in touch. They had also especially when these experiences will be
discussions with project staff and members been glad to have the opportunity to used to improve WASH for the poorest and
of the community. In the evenings, share their own solutions and approaches those in most need.
delegates shared their impressions and with colleagues in Bangladesh – in clear
More details about the learning trip can be
planned how to apply what they had learnt recognition that good learning is always a obtained from amanda.marlin@wsscc.org.
to challenges back home. two-way process.

Menstrual Hygiene Management
In November 2010, WaterAid, with • Establish a community of practice of It cuts across other vulnerabilities such as
support from the research consortium individuals and institutions passionate disability, location, poverty, class, caste and
SHARE, brought together 16 practitioners about this issue; to share, work, religion according to the context.”
and researchers with expertise in water, influence and therefore respond to the Menstrual hygiene management is complex
sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, strategic and practical challenges of and needs to be addressed holistically and
equity and inclusion, education and gender women and girls regarding MHM. in context as a package of services that
to share knowledge and experiences The overall spirit and sentiments of the includes voice and space to talk about the
and develop a research programme for roundtable can be summarised by the issue, adequate water, privacy, facilities
menstrual hygiene management (MHM). following statement: “Menstrual hygiene for washing and disposal, and, most
The roundtable was convened to bring management is fundamental to the dignity importantly, increased awareness amongst
together a multi-disciplinary group of of women and girls and an integral part of men, women, boys and girls.
experts on menstrual hygiene management basic sanitation and hygiene services for To download the briefing note issued after the
in order to: which every woman and girl has a right. roundtable please visit http://www.wsscc.org/
• Assess the state of knowledge on MHM; Menstrual hygiene management needs to resources/resource-publications/briefing-note-
menstrual-hygiene-management. For more
• Identify key research questions for policy be seen also within the overall equity and information contact: archana.patkar@wsscc.org.
and practice; inclusion paradigm as a neglected issue.

WSSCC to Host Global Forum on Sanitation and Hygiene
WSSCC will host a Global Forum on and regional sessions; special events and to key programmes and sites in India’s
Sanitation and Hygiene from 9 to 14 field visits; and a “Bottom of the Pyramid Maharashtra State, which is a leader in
October 2011 at the Mumbai Renaissance WASH Fair” of organisations, products and the region in innovative service delivery at
Convention Centre, bringing some 500 services, and ideas. scale. It will feature a unique blend of sector
WSSCC members and sector professionals professionals (both WSSCC members and
The meeting provides a global platform
together in India for a week of sharing and non-members), active global advocates and
for sharing knowledge and findings from
learning around vital sanitation and hygiene development experts.
the regional sanitation conferences held
topics.
recently or coming up in East Asia, South A participant selection process will ensure
The overarching themes for the week Asia, Africa and Latin America. It also draws balanced representation between WSSCC
are “Accelerating Change,” “Building in lessons from the impressive sanitation members and non-members, and from
Knowledge and Capacity,” and “Sharing accomplishments in China and will offer developing and developed countries. For
Across Regions”. These and other cross- instructive and inspirational field visits more information, or to join the mailing list
cutting topics will be reflected in the for forum updates, visit www.wsscc.org.
forum’s programme via plenary, break-out

Confirm your WSSCC membership or join now!
WSSCC is a membership organisation focus of WSSCC’s work is connected to all members who joined before November
that aims at mobilising people with the local communities and local issues. Since 2010 need to register again at http://www.
collective ambition of ensuring access to November 2010 WSSCC has a new website wsscc.org/members/apply-membership.
sanitation, water supply and hygiene for with a member-dedicated area where Prospective members can visit http://www.
all; informing, engaging and enabling members can participate in the WSSCC wsscc.org/members/about-membership
people to better carry out their WASH governance process, search and network and register online for free.
work, particularly through networking and with one-another, engage in conversations For any question regarding membership please
knowledge sharing; and ensuring that the and more. To remain connected to WSSCC contact: astrid.salcedo@wsscc.org.


News from IRC and partners
Ensuring rural water services that last: Lessons from a 13-country study
Approximately one in three rural water the study also revealed a number of approaches. In the
supply systems in developing countries common weak points. case of Uganda,
does not function at all or is performing for example, there
Considering all the costs
well below its expected level. Failure on is a strong national
this scale represents hundreds of millions One of the most critical gaps is the lack policy framework
of dollars in wasted investment and of life-cycle costing - costing that includes supported by a
millions of people who have had to return everything from capital investment to SWAp (Sector Wide
to fetching dirty drinking water from minor and major repairs, direct and Approach).
distant sources - to the detriment of their indirect support costs and the costs of
One of the main lessons from the study is
health, education, and livelihoods. capital for asset replacement. Even in the
that attempting to make changes through
USA, rural water service providers must
While the problem of poor sustainability isolated projects and programmes does
tap various and unstructured sources
- and the threat it poses to achieving the not work. To achieve real change, the
of soft loans and grants from state and
MDGs - may be well recognised, concrete entire system needs to be addressed:
federal government to cover major repairs
steps for addressing it are considerably less policy, institutions, legislation and
and replacement costs.
clear. Triple-S - an IRC initiative funded structures need to be clarified and
by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation In many of the other countries studied, modified as necessary to enable the
- recently completed a 13-country study communities must wait for a major delivery of a service, rather than simply
to identify factors that contribute to, or breakdown and then apply to local the construction of infrastructure.
constrain, the delivery of sustainable rural government, the NGO that implemented
The study has identified ten key factors
water services at scale. the original project, or donors for funds.
in improving sustainability of rural water
These are often not readily available,
The study - which examined trends in supply services:
leading to long, and sometimes 1. Professionalisation of community
rural water supply in Benin, Burkina Faso,
permanent, disruptions in service. Burkina management, including appropriate
Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, South
Faso provided one of the few examples legal status for water committees,
Africa, Uganda, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand,
of a structured approach to capital support services and stronger
Colombia, Honduras, and the United
maintenance financing. Here 40 small monitoring and oversight functions.
States - showed that many countries are
towns and rural villages were able to pool 2. Increased recognition and promotion
moving from a focus on infrastructure
together resources, contract a private of alternative service provider options
to a service delivery approach - one that
operator to handle maintenance, and including small-scale private operators
would support the reliable and continuous
institute a revolving fund to cover major and self supply.
delivery of rural water services. However,
expenditures. 3. Sustainability indicators and targets for
services delivered and performance of
In addition, the study showed that
service providers.
financing for functions such as post-
4. Standardisation of implementation
construction support, back-up for approaches defining common national-
communities, support to local government level frameworks - or ‘rules of the
and learning platforms is seldom game’ - with norms and standards, but
accounted for, although these functions with flexibility in implementation.
have proved to be key to the reliable 5. Post-construction support to service
provision of services. Clear financial providers established and funded to
frameworks at sector level that clarify back-up and monitor community
the costs of such support and learning management entities, or small private
appears to be one of the missing links in operators.
sustainable rural service delivery. 6. Capacity support to decentralised
government (service authorities)
Coordinating all the players covering all key functions in the life-
Harmonisation and coordination between cycle of rural water supply services.
different actors working in the sector was 7. Learning and sharing of experience
also an issue across the board, and not supported at national and
only in the more aid-dependent countries. decentralised levels.
Common agreement and adherence to 8. Planning for asset management carried
sector policy, norms and guidelines is an out systematically with financial
essential building block for working at forecasting and inventory updates.
9. Adequate frameworks for financial
scale. Thailand, South Africa and Uganda
planning to cover all life-cycle costs,
were the standouts in terms of scalable

Page 8

IRC, P.O. Box 82327, 2508 EH, The Hague, the Netherlands, Tel. : +31 70 3044000, fax: +31 70 3044044, e-mail: general@irc.nl,
http://www.irc.nl.

particularly capital maintenance costs 10. Regulation of rural services and
and direct and indirect costs of post- service providers through appropriate
construction support. mechanisms/regulatory agents at the
local level.
Fast facts on sustainability
• Percentage of hand pumps in sub-Saharan Africa that are not functioning: 36%
• Number of water supply systems in Tanzania that fail within two years of installation:
1 in 4
• Amount needed to address water supply and sanitation capital maintenance backlogs
in the United States over the next 20 years: US$ 1.3 trillion
• Percentage of the estimated cost of meeting the MDG water and sanitation target
that is needed for maintenance and replacement of existing infrastructure: 74%
• Percentage of drinking-water and sanitation funding from eight major donor agencies
that goes to maintenance or replacement of existing infrastructure: 13%.
Sarah Garriger

IRC Symposium challenges WASH sector to cost and finance sustainable services
The IRC 2010 international symposium More openness of data will empower service delivery arrangements have been
posed a series of challenges to the water decision makers and the people who hold highlighted.”
and sanitation sector to improve its the decision makers to account. However,
Crisis at community level
ability to cost and finance sustainable donors and governmental decision
services – and to understand the price that makers were under-represented at the The high level of support needed to
communities pay when those services fail. Symposium. There is a communication keep community services running in rural
challenge to reach them with these areas was underlined by detailed figures
The symposium, Pumps, Pipes and
arguments and this information. There from two municipalities in South Africa
Promises held in the Hague from 16-18
was a call for the methodologies for where technical support costs represented
November brought together 120
collecting costs and key messages from between a half and two thirds of the total
researchers, practitioners, economists,
the research to be documented and operational costs for water services and
engineers and governance specialists
communicated effectively, with training to repairs to pumps were often beyond the
from 27 countries to draw together issues
spread these skills. capacity of village based CBOs.
around costs, financing and accountability.
Accountability gives citizens the One area in the spotlight was the failure
It was strongly supported, with 40 papers
right to challenge abuses of community management to provide
presented from UNICEF, WaterAid,
a mechanism to deal with substantial
Plan, Water and Sanitation Program, There was a consensus that corruption
maintenance, in a context where a US$
Transparency International and many needs to be tackled wherever it occurs.
50,000 borehole often fails because the
other key sector organisations. The first This means having effective regulatory
US$ 500 handpump cannot be replaced.
preliminary results from the WASHCost bodies, and providing citizens with clear
Patrick Moriarty of IRC pointed out that
project to identify costs in four countries information so that they can challenge
it is unreasonable to expect communities
were released in a series of papers. misuse of funds and resources. Without
to keep large enough reserves for larger
transparency, accountability, and improved
Sustainable services is the aim scale repairs and capital maintenance.
access to information, cost data is unlikely
Alternative mechanisms, such as some
The overall focus was the need to to improve outcomes.
switch from infrastructure to sustainable
The background paper for the Symposium,
services in water, sanitation and hygiene.
(Pezon, Fonseca & Butterworth, 2010)
It reflected a shift in the WASH sector
points out that decentralisation has the
towards greater clarity in planning and
potential to build a stronger link between
financing services that reach people with
citizens and their services. “However,
the regularity and quality they demand.
administrative capacities and checks and
The Symposium called for data that can be balances are also generally less developed
understood by those who make funding at this level, and the dangers of corruption
decisions and greater accountability and taking root within newly decentralised
transparency on costs and services.
Burkina Faso working group


in hygiene, show that many people in poor Who pays for what?
countries across the world are investing
Keynote speaker, David Hall, Director of the
huge amounts of money, effort and time in
Public Services International Research Unit,
improving their lives.”
argued that the main provider of finance is
The high cost of failure and will continue to be the Governments of
developing countries themselves. He called
Catarina Fonseca, Director of the
for aid to be redirected to support countries
WASHCost Project, pointed out how
that have low tax revenues, and said that
expensive it is to provide low quality water
the private sector has little role to play in
and sanitation services. WASHCost research
financing water and sanitation services in
suggests that switching from boreholes
low income countries.
with handpumps to small piped services can
Eddy Perez and Arjan Naafs sharing knowledge triple the costs of service delivery, but often Symposium combined research and
leaves people with service levels somewhere practical experience
between sub-standard and basic. “The cost
form of mutualisation, are needed to spread The symposium was hailed as a success by
ranges are huge for providing the same
the risks. organisers and participants. Alana Potter
low levels of service – for water between
said: “What‘s exciting is that we are starting
Households carry the burden sub-standard and basic. What we are
to see the synthesis of three critical ideas in
finding is if you want to go from basic to
There is much less understanding of the terms of costs, accountability and financing,
the next stage higher up, you need a much
costs of sanitation and hygiene than of which are often seen as particular disciplines
higher investment effort, not in the capital
water – but it is clear from the preliminary in themselves. We are starting to see more
expenditure component – but in all the
findings from WASHCost that many interdisciplinary sharing and the synergies
other components.”
households bear the majority of these costs starting to emerge between those three
themselves. WASHCost has proposed service ladders content areas. “
for water and sanitation with five levels: no
Symposium organiser and facilitator, Alana Peter McIntyre
service, sub-standard, basic, intermediate
Potter from IRC, said: “Findings coming Download the 19 page Synthesis report from the
and high. It is no longer enough to count
out of WASHCost with respect to the kinds Symposium at http://www.irc.nl/page/61225.
the number of water points or toilets
of investments households are making in
- providing safe, reliable services is all
water and sanitation improvement but also
important.

Page 10
World Water Day 2011: Waste water is a liquid asset
Waste water is a liquid asset was the slogan • Proposed slogan for the messages under • The word ‘local government’ is not
that came up in a discussion on World the sanitation and pollution theme: reflected in the messages – they are the
Water Day 2011 during the last day of the waste water is a liquid asset. ones that have to make things happen at
international conference 'Sustainable Water • Education and capacity building were the local level.
Management in Cities in Zaragoza. On missing in the WWD 2011 messages • Financing needs to go to local
17 December 2010 participants discussed provided by UN-HABITAT. governments, not central governments.
WWD 2011 messages that UN-HABITAT • There need to be concrete messages for
More inputs received on the messages
had tabled. Participants gave their inputs to what people can do at household level.
will be made available in the conference
the messages by writing their comments on • We need fewer and simpe messages.
highlights booklet.
• Create the messages in such a way that
posters that were displayed for days in the
they provide the solution. UN-HABITAT is the lead UN agency for this year’s
corridors of the venue.
World Water Day that has as theme Water for
Here is a summary of the comments and Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge, see
inputs: their site http://www.worldwaterday2011.org.

Switching politicians on to sustainable city water
Politicians do not want to be associated discussions about the political opportunities • Find politicians who can influence
with things that are bad. It is important to and challenges for sustainable water changes in the legal frameworks.
support and engage politicians to learn how management in cities. • Highlight the benefits for engaging the
water management can be improved and politician.
Other political lessons include:
improve the environment. • Science provides trust – it is something
• Positive messages are critical.
for politicians to rely on.
These two important lessons for water • Raise awareness among the public.
• Politicians may only be ‘decision-
sector advocates emerged from the Political will begins with the people.
approvers’, while civil servants may
December 2010 conference 'Sustainable • Tailor your approach. Political
be the key decision-makers. The latter
Water Management in Cities: engaging frameworks differ in different countries.
can be easier to engage too, so a good
stakeholders for effective change', held • Engage and treat politicians as
tactic.
in Zaragoza, Spain . They came out of stakeholders. Politicians have interest in
providing water to the people.

Page 10

• Important that good things are not on board for more sustainable city water
compromised by political changes - management. Of the 157 participants,
they need to be institutionalised. 23 were political representatives, such
• Create awareness and build alliances, as mayors and councillors, 26 were high
before taking on difficult and level public administration directors, 18
controversial issues. were media and communication experts
The Zaragoza City Council, the UN-Water (but only 8 of these were independent
Decade Programme on Advocacy and journalists).
Communication, the SWITCH consortium “If they want the politicians to engage,
and the United Nations Human Settlements why are they organising a separate field
Programme (UN-HABITAT), organised this visit for them?”, asked one of the political John Butterworth of IRC.
five day conference from, 13-17 December representatives in the Conference Daily
2010 to contribute to the sustainable newsletter. Roel Landingin from the Philippines stressed
management of water in cities. It brought
Lessons on media engagement that you could not just expect journalists to
together experts, local government
write what you wanted. They would take
officials, media specialists, key water There were lessons too on how to engage their own line.
operators and political representatives of with the media – and how not to!
cities and stakeholder groups to discuss ”We are really two different worlds. There
Dalia Abdel-Salam, from Egypt, said: are two different agendas. It is good to
issues, propose practical ways to progress
“Sometimes as journalists we are in big recognise that for realistic engagement. A
the international agenda and share
trouble. Experts expect that the journalists good journalist is not expected to repeat,
solutions for engaging stakeholders. This
write about their research in their paper, but but to own and add value to a story. They
event was also used as an intermediary they do not try to simplify their research - won’t choose the intended story. This can
step in preparations for World Water and make it accessible for the reader.” be good and bad. You can’t hope to use
Day 2011, which focuses on urban water
Rebecca Munetsi, from Namibia, needs them.”
management.
good ammunition to ensure her stories This means that there is tension between
Political and media engagement are well used. “The problem I’m facing being a journalist and being an advocate for
was the main target comes from the newsroom. That is where a cause.
the pressure comes from. For them water
Conference organisers targeted political and Dick de Jong and Petra Brussee
is old news. I always have to convince my
media people by spending a day on each
editor.”
discussing with them how best to get them

Cities can show the way to sustainable, efficient and equitable management
of water resources
Achieving sustainable development requires new policies. One group argued that Specific outcomes of the meeting – especially
that we institutionalise and act upon sustainability is more likely from good case studies – will be presented on World
lessons learned in the arena of urban water stakeholder engagement. Water Day on 22 March 2011.
management and city development. • Contexts are very different. Stakeholder
A selection of SWITCH cities’ stories of change
engagement is more alien and difficult in are available at: www.irc.nl/page/61309
Holistic approaches, methods and skills are some places than others. See the official conference website at: www.
needed to enable successful cooperation • Stakeholder engagement processes un.org/waterforlifedecade/swm_cities_
and collaboration, including communication always have their objectives (it is done zaragoza_2010/index.shtml
techniques which enable stakeholders The daily newsletter with interviews of
for a reason), and this is one reason why
participants and reports from the sessions
to exchange knowledge, views and processes all look very different. is available at: http://www.un.org/
preferences so as to build a collective, • Many transferable lessons were waterforlifedecade/swm_cities_zaragoza_2010/
feasible vision of the future and an effective identified, including the need for daily_newsletter.shtml
programme of implementation. intensive facilitation, a common baseline Petra Brussee
of information, involving stakeholders
• To make the case for stakeholder
in action research and creating the right
engagement we have to show
incentives.
outcomes such as reduced pollution or


Source bulletin 63-2011

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