Urban communities in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Angola are creating – and funding – their own water supply and sanitation services. Partnered with local governments they are covering large areas at much lower costs than conventional projects. To meet the Millennium target of sustainable access to safe drinking water, international agencies need to learn how to support such innovations.

As a survey by the International Institute for Environment and Development shows, where groups of urban poor people are able to drive the development of their own communities, they can ensure that affordable water and sanitation services reach the poorest people. Funding is largely generated locally and external funding requirements are modest. In many cases better services are one outcome of more ambitious projects, in particular those whose main aim was upgrading and regularising tenure for illegal settlements, schemes to service such sites, and loans or funding to build or improve homes.

Over 12 successful projects in as many countries demonstrate how more equal partnerships between groups of urban poor people and water service providers can lead to dramatic changes. Instead of conventional patronage-based relationships, success happens when there is transparency, and when providers are accountable to their urban customers and act within the law.

Local government is crucial to ensuring MDG targets are met. The researchers maintain that international agencies and projects that overlook or dismiss this level of government will fail on several counts. Most importantly long-term sustainability relies on urban communities building relationships with their local governments and holding their representatives to account. The researchers also make the following points:

When people and communities with inadequate services are at the centre of processes and are allowed to have real influence they can design and build appropriate, low-cost systems.

Many water and sanitation solutions came out of projects where water and sanitation were not the main focus, but part of wider improvements and processes.

These community-driven examples are much cheaper than those designed by professionals, require less external finance, can cover very large areas, including entire cities, and are more successful at reaching the poorest people in the community.

To achieve the MDGs, development professionals have to acknowledge the capability of communities to design their own solutions. The goals will not be met without financial help from the international community, but agencies need to learn how to support community-driven initiatives. In addition:

MDG discussions need to acknowledge the importance of local government rather than dealing only with national and international policy.

Detailed mapping of all households lacking adequate provisions is necessary to meet the MDG targets; this needs to happen in each locality and to support community-driven processes.

More attention should be given to the role of local non-profit organisations in supplying water and sanitation services, whether in partnerships with water utilities or alone.

Source(s):
‘Community-driven development for water and sanitation in urban areas: its contribution to meeting the Millennium Development Goal targets’, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council and International Institute for Environment and Development Human Settlements Group, by David Satterthwaite with Gordon McGranahan and Diana Mitlin,  2005 Full document.

Funded by: Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)

id21 Research Highlight: 27 July 2005

Further Information:
David Satterthwaite
Human Settlements Group
International Institute for Environment and Development
3 Endsleigh Street
London WC1B 4HH
UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 7388 2115
Fax: +44 (0)20 7388 2826
Contact the contributor: david.satterthwaite@iied.org

International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), UK

Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)
International Environment House
9 Chemin des Anémones
1219 Châtelaine, Geneva
Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 917 8657
Fax: +41 22 917 8084
Contact the contributor: wsscc@who.int

Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)

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Improving water resource governance in southern Africa

'Boosting water and sanitation services in Ecuador'