Serving the Rural Poor: A Review of Civil Society-Led Initiatives in Rural Water and Sanitation

Abstract

Globally, there are around 1.1 billion people without access to safe water supply and 2.4 without adequate sanitation. Of these, around 700 million without water supply and 2 billion without adequate sanitation live in the Asia and Pacific region. The problem is particularly grave and pressing in the rural areas where 70% of the world's poor reside. Efforts undertaken and investments made for the development of the rural water and sanitation sector in the past were either limited or plagued by various problems. ADB's Change Agenda, formulated during the 2004 ADB Water Week, calls for increased investments in the rural areas to overcome its inherent disadvantages. At the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City, 16-22 March 2006, the Asian Development Bank announced a major new initiative that will double its investment in the region's water sector in 2006-2010. Using new financing modalities, products, and processes, the Water Financing Program (WFP) intends to increase ADB investments in the sector to over $2 billion annually, focusing them on three dimensions of water--- rural water, urban water and basin water. Under the WFP's rural water track, ADB will work on services to improve health and livelihoods in rural communities, including investments in water supply and sanitation, and irrigation and drainage. In late 2005, ADB commissioned the Streams of Knowledge, a global coalition of resource centers in the water and sanitation sector, to study the extent and contribution of civil society (CS) engagement in rural water supply projects. Findings from the study indicate that: • There are at least four models of effectively engaging civil society in rural water projects, as shown by experiences in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and the Philippines. • Long-term partnerships of CS organizations in local projects tend to ensure functional and more sustainable systems. • Investments in rural water supply and sanitation implemented with CS involvement positively impact other poverty reduction efforts. The study was peer reviewed by ADB staff and discussed in a seminar last 4 May 2006. Inputs from the seminar have been incorporated into this report. ADB expects to use the findings from this study to strengthen WFP’s program of action for rural water.