Delivering water supply and sanitation services in fragile states

[Amisha]

#33999

Fragile and post-conflict states are at the greatest risk of not meeting the MDGs. Conflicts, economic crises and natural disasters not only leave infrastructure damaged but often result in a capacity conundrum with governments too weak to meet basic service-delivery standards or donor accountability requirements. As a result, donors either channel funding to humanitarian agencies or set up parallel systems of accountability. While this works in emergency situations, it prevents country-led programs from developing sustainable service delivery models. Poverty is increasingly concentrated within fragile states, while service delivery for water and sanitation struggles to keep pace with rapid population growth.
In WSP’s current approach in fragile states, five areas of intervention are necessary to support the transition from emergency to development. These are not a linear sequence of steps.

Rather, they are complementary and interdependent intervention areas that come in and out of focus depending on context and what other actors are doing in the sector.
Generate planning data to re-establish country leadership – In post-conflict or post-crisis situations, governments need data to regain the coordination role and to orchestrate service delivery by the many non-state actors present since the crisis started.

Leadership exposure to WASH service models– Isolation during conflict means senior officials in these countries lack first-hand understanding of current good practice.

Facilitate adaptation of service delivery models to country context – Trying to import existing models directly into fragile statesis unlikely to work, given low human resource capacity, poorpublic finance management systems and political economyissues.

Monitor and evaluate service delivery models, promoting models that work – With no over-arching government program forWASH, there are multiple models and government pilots,all of which have vested interests in their continuation.

Building and refining investment channels – Most fragile states do not have the systems, processes or absorption capacity to channel budget support. At the same time most existing channels of support – mainly through non-state actors – undermine the government’s ability to build capacity.

[038 deepika Singh]

#34553

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Delivering water supply and sanitation services in fragile states still remains a distant dream. About 20% of the world’s population live in countries where there is a scarcity of water and they are unable to access natural water source. Growing population, urbanisation, deforestation, global warming, climatic changes, pollution, rapid industrialisation, droughts and floods are some of the causes of rising water scarcity. Access to safe drinking water is vital for health, and humans cannot survive without it. Access to safe drinking water is vital for health, and humans cannot survive without it. The lack of clean water is a major problem. More than 800 children under age 5 die every day from diarrhea caused by contaminated water, poor sanitation, and unsafe hygiene. The importance of good hygiene through handwashing and access to clean water has been further highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This big problem can not be solved by the people alone or by a group of some people, it is a problem for which people’s efforts meet at the global level. We need to collectively and individually both take steps to safe water and protect our future. We must stop the waste of water, use water properly and should maintain the quality of water. If we all do our part in conserving precious water supplies, we can make a huge difference for the environment.

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