Sanitation approach taken by various national level projects, policy matters & current status of the sanitation approach in Sri Lanka

Sugandhi T. Samarasinghe: COSI

Abstract

Sanitation is a term for the hygienic disposal or recycling of waste materials, particularly human excrement. Before mid 1980’s government and other organizations considered sanitation should be granted in total subsidiary level and by 2000 it identified the importance of integrating revolving fund. The demand-responsive approach (DRA), piloted by the World Bank Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSSP), has now been adopted by ADB and other big donors and is being implemented across Sri Lanka. Emerging research findings show, development and implementation of DRA in rural Sri Lanka is relatively sophisticated (as compared with Africa for example). Rural water supply development is overseen by the NWSDB which has developed detailed guidelines for implementing agencies. One emerging problem in DRA implementation in Sri Lanka is targeting communities marginalized or excluded under the current selection process. A further crucial issue is targeting marginalized households within communities. NWSDB, Sri Lanka’s principal agency for water supply and sanitation and the project’s implementing agency, has gained the autonomy necessary for mobilizing community-based organizations (CBOs) for the participatory process. An independent audit of the project commissioned by the NWSDB and released in January 2005 showed that communities’ enthusiasm over the project was overwhelming in some villages. In 2001, the government institutionalized certain aspects of the project by making them a matter of national policy. The beneficiary cost-sharing and responsibility was incorporated in the National Policy for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, thereby mandating that the water and sanitation sector be demand-driven and based on participatory approaches. In water and sanitation sector Sri Lanka had developed a national target to provide access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation for all citizens by 2025. The country has set the target of providing basic sanitation for 82% by 2015 as mid term target.

Introduction

Sri Lanka is a tropical island lying close to the southern tip of India and near the Equator which has area of 65,525 square kilometers and population is around 19,722,000. It has developed a national target that access to adequate sanitation for all citizens by 2025.

Sanitation is a term for the hygienic disposal or recycling of waste materials, particularly human excrement. Sanitation is an important public health measure which is essential for the prevention of disease.

Background

Before mid 1980’s government and other organizations considered sanitation should be granted in total subsidiary level but no of beneficiaries were not much big but with the evolution of approaches it become dependent of some % of community or beneficiary involvement by mid 1980s’. But the % of community contribution was still low. By late 1990s’ CWSSP initiated revolving fund approach and it was applied in basic standards. But revolving fund method was applied in its full force through CWSSP by 2000 and received a successful outcome as it helped strengthening Community Based Organizations and contributed on sustainability of project.

The demand-responsive approach (DRA), piloted by the World Bank Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSSP), has now been adopted by ADB and other big donors and is being implemented across Sri Lanka. The new policy implies significant changes in the roles and responsibilities of water sector stakeholders from government down to beneficiary communities. The Secure Water research traces the evolution of policy in Sri Lanka, how it is understood by decision makers and how it is interpreted by practitioners.

Emerging research findings show that the development and implementation of DRA in rural Sri Lanka is relatively sophisticated (as compared with Africa for example). Rural water supply development is overseen by the NWSDB which has developed detailed guidelines for implementing agencies. Partner organizations (POs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) play a pivotal role in the Sri Lankan context and participatory planning processes are well-established. The management and financial capacity of CBOs is a key determinant of the success of community-based schemes but important unresolved questions surround their legal status and relationship to the various decentralized institutions of government. DRA implementation to-date has been mostly linked to major donor projects e.g. CWSSP, ADB II and ADB III but successful scaling-up will depend on identifying an institutional model capable of responding flexibly to changing patterns of demand in the longer-term.

One emerging problem in DRA implementation in Sri Lanka is targeting communities marginalized or excluded under the current selection process. A further crucial issue is targeting marginalized households within communities. It is increasingly recognized that existing approaches will not be sufficient to achieve agreed supply targets unless these issues are addressed.

In the past, large-scale projects supported by the Asian Development Bank on water supply and sanitation expansion in the 1990s—achieved modest results. They were saddled by security risks and high inflation in the local construction industry, among others.

A third project in Sri Lanka, which began in 1999, is currently developing water and sanitation facilities in rural and urban communities covering 1 million people. By June 2007, it aims to have provided latrines for sanitation improvement to 120,000 households.

The modest achievements made by past water projects in Sri Lanka provided the groundwork for the current project, particularly in the formulation of its consultation and participation (C&P) approach. Before 1999, consultations with stakeholders, especially the poor, have been minimal. With the C&P approach, the poor are given a better chance of participating in the project.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB), Sri Lanka’s principal agency for water supply and sanitation and the project’s implementing agency, has gained the autonomy necessary for mobilizing community-based organizations (CBOs) for the participatory process. Furthermore, some CBOs established by Pradesiya Sabas (PS) or local village councils during previous projects are now more organized. The PS supervises CBOs and acts as their immediate link to the NWSDB. It also taps local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as partners to provide technical support and advice, and hygiene/health education training programs.

Each CBO is composed of a few hundred people, each representing beneficiary households. Their willingness to participate has become the most important factor in the project’s success or failure, and the C&P approach ensures their participation.

The high level of participatory development approach has clearly helped eliminate potential big issues that could have seriously delayed the project.

Plan Sri Lanka has been working with children in Sri Lanka, since 1980, on the invitation of the Government of Sri Lanka. Plan's approach is to work together with children, families and communities, to bring sustainable developments to communities, so that they become places where children can grow up healthy and happy. Improve quality of life of children, their families and communities through supporting the government in achieving WES sector development goals implies the main goal of WES project. It is expected to achieve through supporting the national policy of providing sustainable community managed and school managed RWSS services for all by 2025, supporting institutional development to ensure sustainable management of the WES services at the lowest appropriate level, ensuring provisions of services to all and apply strategies for cross subsidies for the poor and supporting hygiene promotion and education initiatives in communities and schools aiming at sustainable behavioral change.

It is used the Participatory development (PDA) approach with partnership approach in implementing the WES project. Partnership between Plan Sri Lanka (Plan) and COSI was initiated on May 17, 2004 which meant to implement Water & Environmental Sanitation (WES) activities in Plan programme areas. Plan & COSI play facilitating/guiding roles in the implementation of the project and the staffs of Operational Partners work/facilitate the project process at community level.

COSI brings its input to the project in the capacity of the Technical Partner while Plan

provides financial assistance to the selected communities for implementation of the proposed WES program. Community Development Organizations (CBOs), representatives of the communities at Grama Niladhari Division (GND) level carry out the implementation activities. Operational Partners (OPs) assist CBOs in community development and engineering activities.

Latrine in Plantation – WES Project – Plan Sri Lanka, COSI & OPs

Project began in 6 districts covering three Plan Program Units where other activities of Plan had been started already. Implementation of the program Kurunegala & Anuradhapura districts (NW PU), Moneragala district (SE PU) and Kandy, NuwaraEliya & Matale districts (Plantation PU) began in September 2004. 12 Grama Niladhari/ Estate Divisions per each PU were selected by Plan. It has given Rs. 6500/= as Plan contribution at the beginning and later on Rs. 7500/= in SE PU, Rs. 7500/= at the beginning and later on Rs. 9000/= in NW PU and Rs. 10500/= in PL PU. Balance including unskilled labour has being contributed by community.

A TIMELY NATIONAL POLICY

An independent audit of the project commissioned by the NWSDB and released in January 2005 showed that communities’ enthusiasm over the project was overwhelming in some villages. Most CBOs met the target and paid up on time.

The effectiveness of the participatory development approach caught the attention of the Sri Lankan government. In 2001, the government institutionalized certain aspects of the project by making them a matter of national policy. The beneficiary cost-sharing and responsibility was incorporated in the National Policy for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, thereby mandating that the water and sanitation sector be demand-driven and based on participatory approaches.

The policy further encourages the beneficiaries to take over full responsibility for ownership and management of the assets. The policy particularly mentions women, saying they should play a central role in the decision-making process of the water supply and sanitation sector.

Current status of the sanitation approach in Sri Lanka

In several focus areas of MDG concerns, Sri Lanka is in general records with good national level performance especially in respect to social indicators such as education and health. In water and sanitation sector Sri Lanka had developed a national target to provide access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation for all citizens by 2025. The country has set the target of providing basic sanitation for 82% by 2015 as mid term target. Out of 20 ml. people in Sri Lanka, nearly 78 percent live in rural areas classifying 24% as poor and' 18% as very poor (receiving less than U$ 4.80 per month). National data revealed that prior to the Tsunami destruction 52% was without access to proper sanitation.

The national strategies on water and sanitation were well focused to address regional discrepancies reflecting inequities of allocation and access to resources. It was well recognized the necessity of localizing the MDGs and designing strategically to support the process both at the level of local leadership and local stakeholders keeping the communities at the center. The Government has formulated the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Policy introducing "people centered" and "demand driven" implementation mechanism with the objective of creating access for rural communities while implementing urban sector mega water and sanitation projects.

With the Tsunami devastation the recovery cost to the water and sanitation sector is more than US 200; million. The response to the disaster has now gone beyond the initial emergency phase and efforts are now focusing on rebuilding the tsunami-affected communities, ensuring health care, adequate shelter, water and sanitation.

The catastrophe had forced the country to re-visit the national objectives on water and sanitation and have to re-formulate the road map to achieve the country's national objective of providing access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation

The new development strategies in the water and sanitation sector have focused on the areas of demand responsive approaches, gender mainstreaming, public-private partnership development, capacity building of local authorities and community based organizations and sustainability issues. As the country look forward positively the key challenge in achieving national objectives in the water and sanitation sector is the resource inputs are mainly being source of capital investment.