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Jamaica: Minister suspends licensing of privately operated water suppliers

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:50:05 GMT

Jamaica’s water and housing ministry will not be issuing any more licenses to private companies looking to provide potable water until the national water policy is revised. Ministry head Horace Chang said that when the policy was formulated in 2002, legislators rushed to involve the private sector and shift the responsibility for investments to provide [...]

Peru: local water utilities bankrupt, new legislation proposed

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:37:13 GMT

The majority of Peru’s 50 regional water utilities (EPS) are on the brink of bankruptcy – having registered negative financial results – and 41 have a total debt of US$1.62bn , according congressman Isaac Serna. Serna has presented a bill to strengthen EPS [by creating] policies to finance, modernize and reorganize the management of the [...]

Peru: Legislators discuss bill to strengthen local water utilities

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:31:39 GMT

A bill to strengthen Peru’s regional water utilities (EPS) was presented by congressman Isaac Serna. The majority of the country’s 50 EPS are on the brink of bankruptcy – having registered negative financial results – and 41 have a total debt of US$1.62bn, according to Serna. The bill looks to create policies to finance, modernize and [...]

Paraguay: ministry creates water, sanitation unit

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:19:31 GMT

Paraguay’s public works and communications ministry (MOPC – Ministerio de Obras P?blicas y Comunicaciones) is creating a unit which will be responsible for drawing up government policies for the water sector, local paper ABC Color Digital reported. The new potable water and sewerage services unit is being supported by a US$2mn World Bank (WB) loan [...]

Chile: Public works committee calls for creation of national rural sanitation

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:38:09 GMT

Chile’s senate public works committee is calling for the creation of a national rural sanitation services sub-department [within the waterworks department, as] an integral part of a bill, currently being debated, governing the provision of these services. Currently, rural potable water systems (APRs) are run by local committees. [...] “We believe it is fundamental that [...]

Corruption killing water sector, says TI

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:34:40 GMT

Transparency International Kenya and Maji na Ufanisi conducted a study among Nairobi hourseholds about the scale and impact of corruption and poor management within the water sector.

Barbados: water authority bankrupcy forces water rates increase

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:31:00 GMT

The July 1st [2009] increase in water rates is necessary because the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), has been rendered “technically bankrupt”, due to losses in each of the past 13 years, except for 2005/06. Prime Minister David Thompson [...] pointed out that successive losses had forced the BWA to borrow to sustain its operations [...]

Barbados: water authority bankrupcy forces water rates increase

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:25:39 GMT

WASHCost project launches new website

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:48:34 GMT

Read all about the WASHCost project on its new website. The WASHCost project website aims to share good quality information on the project which is being implemented with local partners in Burkina Faso, Ghana, India and Mozambique. Twelve frequently asked questions on the new site will help you understand what the project is about. Stories [...]

WASHCost project launches new website

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:46:01 GMT

Uganda: improving district level leadership on sanitation and hygiene

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:47:30 GMT

Improved water supply and sanitation services are key priorities of Uganda?s Poverty Eradication Action Plan. Statistics show there is a lot of work to be done. Latrine coverage stands at 62% nationally, and 79% of these latrines lack hand-washing facilities. In schools, there is an average of 69 students per latrine. Sanitation and hygiene are not [...]

Mauritius: Who owns the rain on Rodrigues island?

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:13:46 GMT

With the inhabitants of the island of Rodrigues [pop. 40,000, a dependency of Mauritius, located 560 km east of Mauritius island] forced to purchase their water from the Rodrigues Water Company (RWC), Alain Leveque laments the commoditisation of the country’s natural resource. The privately-run yet government-owned RWC has installed water meters under a user-pay system [...]

Investing in water information, knowledge and monitoring

Sun, 17 May 2009 21:16:47 GMT

Winpenny, J. (2009). Investing in information, knowledge and monitoring. (The United Nations World Water Assessment Programme. Side publication series. Scientific papers). Paris, France, UNESCO. 16 p. ISBN 978-92-3-104113-6 Download here Even though information about water is as essential to life as the water itself, this paper argues that not enough information is produced. From both a social [...]

India, Tamil Nadu: Movie highlights success in water management

Wed, 13 May 2009 13:32:14 GMT

B. Kailasam?s 55-minute long movie ?Writing on Water? [...] captures a couple of success stories wrought in the last few years by the Change Management Group (CMG) [of the Tamilnadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD)] in the attitude of government officials and the resulting success in villages in the State. S. Panneerselvam, an Assistant Engineer [...]

Nicaragua: decentralised water financing bill under discussion

Fri, 01 May 2009 09:24:04 GMT

The environmental and natural resources committee of the Nicaraguan congress has started debating a bill aimed at [giving] communal potable water and sewerage committees (CAPS) [...] legal authority to manage financing from national and international entities for maintenance and improvement of potable water systems. Additionally, the entities would receive technical support from [...]

Implications of the financial crisis for developent finance and global governance

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:29:38 GMT

Mold, A.; Paulo, S. and Prizzon, A. (2009). Implications of the financial crisis for developent finance and global governance. (OECD Development Centre working paper ; no. 277). 48 p. ?Full text Abstract This paper examines how the different forms of development finance for low-income countries are likely to be affected by the global financial crisis, principally through [...]

Water and sanitation services: public policy and management

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:25:35 GMT

Esteban Castro, J. and Heller, L. ?(eds) (2009).?Water and sanitation services: public policy and management. London, UK. Earthscan.352 p. ISBN 9781844076567. Price: GBP 65 -?Order online here Publishers information: Substantially reducing the number of human beings who lack access to clean water and safe sanitation is one of the key Millennium Development Goals. This book argues and demonstrates [...]

Zimbabwe: resurrecting a collapsed infrastructure

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:43:40 GMT

Repairing Zimbabwe’s infrastructure is recognized as a key strategy in tackling the cholera epidemic that by 1 April [2009] had claimed 4,127 lives [94,277 recorded cases since August 2008]. [...] The practice of digging shallow wells to draw water [...] is widely recognized as the flashpoint for the disease, because the collapse of sanitation systems [...]

Maldives: Water and Sanitation Authority abolished

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:10:02 GMT

President Mohamed Nasheed has abolished the Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority and the Environment Research Centre and transferred all activities to the newly established Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Following this change, the EPA will be linked to the Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment. The EPA will also operate as a regulatory authority administered under [...]

Pakistan, NWFP: Water Supply and Sanitation (WATSAN) Cell established

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:50:42 GMT

On 2 March 2009, the Government of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), announced it had established a Water Supply and Sanitation (WATSAN) Cell in the Local Government and Rural Development Department, with UNICEF support. The objectives of the Cell are: building capacities of Local Councils to improve water supply and sanitation services; optimizing impact of WASH services by improving [...]

Indonesia: Police corruption unit to question officials over dam disaster

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:24:41 GMT

At least 93 people were killed after the Situ Gintung dam burst near the Indonesian capital, Jakarta on 27 March 09. Police corruption unit of Jakarta now started to question three Tangerang regency and South Tangerang municipal administration officials over the Situ Gintung disaster. The National Police spokesman said police had begun looking for evidence and questioning officials, experts and local residents to determine whether the disaster was caused by negligence. "At the moment, we haven't decided whether the embankment collapsed due to weather conditions or lack of maintenance. Once we have enough evidence and testimony, we will be able to determine who should be held responsible," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Decentralized Local Governance: Perspectives and Experiences

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:53:29 GMT

Menon, S. (ed.) (2008). Decentralized local governance : perspectives and experiences. Hyderabad, India, Icfai University Press. 264 p. ISBN 978-81-314-1656-3 Price: US$ 17 (Overseas Orders) / INR 425 (Special Indian price) Order online here This book examines diverse perspectives of decentralized governance, the definition and implications of the concept, its genesis and growth in developed [...]

20-22 April 2009: International Meeting on Water and Cooperation in Africa, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:15:03 GMT

Casa Africa and the United Nations Office to Support the International Decade for Action ?Water for Life’ 2005-2015 (UNO-IDfA) are co-organizing the International Meeting on Water and Cooperation in Africa. The main objective of the meeting is to reinforce cooperation tools and mechanisms that will strengthen the capacities of African countries to achieve the Millennium Development [...]

Guinea-Bissau: Instability deprives people of clean water

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:37:38 GMT

With 80 percent of the Guinea Bissau capital’s water contaminated with harmful bacteria, residents are used to outbreaks of cholera and other deadly diarrhoeal diseases, but donors say they can fund major infrastructure projects only if stability can be guaranteed. [A recent cholera outbreak] killed 225 people and infected some 14,000, most of them in [...]

Peru: Ministers approve legislation to accelerate public works tenders

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:02:39 GMT

Peru’s ministerial council has approved a law to cut in half [from 60 to 30 days] the timeframe for awarding public potable water and sanitation tenders, local press reported. Together, the initiatives account for US$1.5bn in the 2009 budget. [...] The new legislation will apply not only to ministries but also to regional and local [...]

Community kiosks: learning from water supply failures in Malawi

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:23:12 GMT

The Lilongwe Water Board is the sole water supply authority in Malawi’s capital city. However, its service suffered from inadequate response to system and community problems and lack of transparency in water billing. In response to a request for assistance from the community, WaterAid Malawi developed a strategic partnership with the Lilongwe Water Board, aimed [...]

Managing water for all : an OECD perspective on pricing and financing

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:07:15 GMT

Managing water for all : an OECD perspective on pricing and financing. OECD Publishing Mar 2009 Language: English Pages: 148 ISBN: 9789264050334 OECD Code: 972009021P1 Version: Print (Paperback) + Free PDF Price: ?24 | $32 | ?20 | ?3000 | Order online here Version: E-book (PDF Format) Price: ?16 | $22 | ?14 [...]

Governance in Urban Sanitation, e-Learning Course, 23 March ? 15 May 2009

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:24:40 GMT

Please note that application deadline for this course is 06 Feb 2009 The goal of the course is to enhance the capacity of local decision-makers to make the most efficient and pro-poor choices and investments in urban sanitation. The course provides analytical tools to understand the financial and institutional framework of the sanitation sector, creating the [...]

Workshop: Developing Innovative Approaches to Environmental Water and Sanitation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Abbottabad, Pakistan, 2-4 March 2009

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:08:10 GMT

The workshop ‘Developing Innovative Approaches to Environmental Water and Sanitation in Afghanistan and Pakistan – Linking Applied Research, Capacity Building and Institution Building’, will be held in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on March 2nd-4th, 2009. The workshop is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), and run jointly by the NORAGRIC – Department of International Environment [...]

In the Pipeline: Water for the Poor Investing in Small Piped Water Networks

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:48:00 GMT

ADB (2008). In the pipeline : water for the poor : investing in small piped water networks. Manila, The Philippines, Asian Development Bank. 116 p. ISBN 978-971-561-747-5 Small piped water networks (SPWN) refer to the delivery of piped water services by a water provider, using materials conforming to the main utility’s standards, operated legally to bring [...]

The policy implications of accountability in municipal service delivery in Sudan

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:33:06 GMT

Musch, A. (2008). The policy implications of accountability in municipal service delivery in Sudan. The Hague, The Netherlands, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 11 p. Download here. This paper highlights the importance of issues of local government accountability to citizens, analyses how changes in accountability mechanisms have been accomplished in a specific case, and examines the policy [...]

Strengthening accountability for improved service delivery: SNV?s local capacity development approach

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:14:20 GMT

Todd, B. (2008). Strengthening accountability for improved service delivery :? SNV’s local capacity development approach. The Hague, The Netherlands, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 15 p. Download here Better accountability improves service delivery performance. Based on more than twenty-five case studies in over twelve countries, this paper describes the attempts of SNV Netherlands Development Organisation to strengthen [...]

How Water Utilities Can Strengthen Themselves

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:53:42 GMT

Many a water utility has been overwhelmed by the prospect of developing a capacity building and institutional strengthening program (CBISP). Where do they start? Which aspects are negotiable and which ones aren’t? An effective CBISP for a water utility should enable the utility to: develop full autonomy within the organizational structure define managerial responsibility and accountability implement integrated business, [...]

Institutional reforms: introducing a customer charter and quality circles in Sri Lanka

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:29:22 GMT

To improve customer service, ?Sri Lanka’s National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) introduced a customer charter and quality circles. “Water Champion”, M.A.M.S.L. Attanayake, Deputy General Manager for the Regional Support Centre- Central of NWSDB explains how these innovations came about and what they have achieved. Read more: ?Ma. Christina Due?as, ADB, Dec 2008 [...]

Water privatisation: Yerevan water supply, going private gradually

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:01:29 GMT

In 1998, the Government of Armenia began to seriously weigh a private sector solution to the worsening situation with the water supply system in the country’s capital, Yerevan. The Government’s eventual decision to engage the private sector through a 4-year management contract – backed up by donor-funded projects-helped address some of the system’s biggest issues, [...]