Jamie Bartram University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Keynote IWorld Water Summit IV

New Orleans, USA20 May 2011

Building Communities: The Changing Principles of International Development. What does sustainability mean?And how do we achieve it?

Jamie Bartram University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Keynote IWorld Water Summit IV

New Orleans, USA20 May 2011

Building Communities: The Changing Principles of International Development. What does sustainability meanAnd how do we achieve it?

Annual cost of not dealing with water, sanitation and hygieneLives lost• 1.6 million annually due to diarrhoea alone• Especially children also malnutritionHealth care costs:• US$7 billion per year to health agencies• US$340 million to individualsValue of time lost• US$ 63 billion per yearEconomic impact • estimated 1US$-4 trillion (2 – 7% of GDP).

WaSH = disease and poverty ?

• Inadequate water supply

• Unsafe sanitation

• Inequitable access

• Time, financial cost

• Disease burden

• Health care costs

POVERTY

WaSH = motor for community development

• Improved water supply

• Safe water resources

• Universal safe sanitation

•HWTS where needed• Time, financial savings

• Averted disease costs

• Health & education

Development

Jamie Bartram University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Keynote IWorld Water Summit IV

New Orleans, USA20 May 2011

Building Communities: The Changing Principles of International Development. What does sustainability meanand how do we achieve it?

History

Report from the League of Nations Health Organization on water supply and sewage treatment

1936

WHO and UNICEF conduct pilot projects focusing on rural sanitation

Reduce disease through introduction of safe water technologies and demonstration of excreta disposal methods.

1950s

WHO established, Committee on Environmental Sanitation established

Promote the improvement of environmental hygiene, including sanitation. Minimize the burden of water associated ill-health.

1948Established Community Water Supply (CWS) Programme

Develop water supplies that were adequate, in quality and quantity, to provide for all public, agricultural and industrial needs

1960s

1970s

United Nations Conference on Water in 1977

Adopt programmes with realistic standards for quality and quantity to provide water for urban and rural areas by 1990, if possible

International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade

Priority to the poor, less privileged and to water scarce areas

1980s

1990

Changed universal access goal from 1990 to 2000

WaterSupply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) established

Emphasized focus on high-risk communities and sanitation

1990s

Environmental Sanitation

Community Water Supply

Health and Environment

Water and Sanitation

Health and Development

Field activities

Development Targets and Monitoring

Since 1960s (potentially 1930s)• Access to …• safe drinking water and basic sanitation …• for all• [recently ‘sustainable’]• [sometimes] … giving priority to less privileged

A Changing World

In 1962 survey of 75 developing countries…

• 27% of the people in developing countries lived in urban areas

• < 10% of population of developing countries had piped water connections

In 2010 JMP survey…

• 44% of the people in developing countries lived in urban areas

• 49% of developing countries population served with piped water connections

Millennium Development Goals

• Target 7c (1990 – 2015):

Halve, by the year 2015, the proportion of population

without sustainable access to an improved drinking

water source and improved sanitation, urban and

rural

Trends in use of an improved drinking-water source 1990 – 2008 and projections to 2015

Source: WHO and UNICEF, 2010. Progress on Sanitation and Drinking-water 2010 Update

199023% un-served

1.2 billion

2015 (projected)9% un-served

672 millionOut-perform target (12%)

Drinking water progress

Optimistic assessment• About half at home• Much unsafe

Health and population impacts:

• Time savings (esp women)• Disease prevention

(hygiene, safe consumption – morb, mort, qual of life)

• Costs avoided (households, health systems)

Trends in use of improved sanitation1990 – 2008 and projections to 2015

Source: WHO and UNICEF, 2010. Progress on Sanitation and Drinking-water 2010 Update

199046% un-served

2.4 billion2015

36% un-served2.7 billion

Under-shoot target by 1 billion

Sanitation Progress

Optimistic assessment• Especially in middle income

urban settings (unsafe sewerage)

Health population impacts:• Time savings• Disease prevention (morb,

mort, qual of life)• Costs avoided (households,

health systems)• School attendance esp girls

Photo from WHO and UNICEF 2010 credited to WaterAid/Abir Abdullah

WaSH works!

WaSH+ households and communities:

• Healthier• Wealthier• Wiser

WaSH works! How to make it work for all?

WaSH+ households and communities:

• Healthier• Wealthier• Wiser

Selected challenges• Community-managed

rural water• Household water

treatment• Rural sanitation

challenge – CLTS to launch change

• Behaviour!

“Changing Principles of International Development”: Community Participation

Jamie Bartram University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Keynote IWorld Water Summit IV

New Orleans, USA20 May 2011

Building Communities: The Changing Principles of International Development. What does sustainability meanand how do we achieve it?

Sustainable1

• Capable of being sustained

• Of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged

• Of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods

Sustainability is…

• “whether or not something continues to work over time.”2 (Len Abrams)

• “the possibility that human and other life will flourish on the planet forever.”3 (John Ehrenfeld)

What is Sustainability?

1 Merriam-Webster Dictionary2 Abrams, L. (1998). http://www.africanwater.org/sustainability.htm3 Ehrenfeld, J. (2008). Sustainability by Design. Yale University Press.

Q: Approximately what percentage of hand pumps in Sub-Saharan Africa are not functioning at any given time?

< 25%

25 – 50%

50 – 75%

> 75%

Audience Participation!

A:

Data collated by Peter Harvey, UNICEF Zambia, May 2007http://globalwater.jhu.edu/magazine/article/the_myths_of_the_rural_water_supply_sector/

~30% of handpumps

are non-functioning in Sub-Saharan

Africa

Basic questions:• What proportion of Rotary-supported handpumps

(or latrines etc) are operating today?• Or lasted 5 years?• Do Rotary projects do as well as other NGOs (what is

our benchmark)?• How well do we expect Rotary projects to perform?• How will we know when we get there?• How can we learn from the Rotary projects that

perform best (or less-well)?

Functionality versus Sustainability

Source: WaterAid (2010). A framework for sustainable water and sanitation services and hygiene behaviour change

2006 Functionality of TZ rural water supply schemes by Age

Functionality versus Sustainability

Source: WaterAid (2010). A framework for sustainable water and sanitation services and hygiene behaviour change

2006 Functionality of TZ rural water supply schemes by Age

Functionality vs. Sustainability (Carter 2010)

Functionality• Snapshot (cross-sectional)

view of whether system is working or being used

• Adequacy of service provision

Sustainability• Why functional?• Future perspective

Issues in Sustainability

Jamie Bartram University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Keynote IWorld Water Summit IV

New Orleans, USA20 May 2011

Building Communities: The Changing Principles of International Development. What does sustainability meanand how do we achieve it?

Common Factors in Sustainability (Lockwood, Bakalian, & Wakeman 2003)

• Maintenance– Preventative (2)– Major repairs/replacement (4)

• Spare parts availability (2)• Electricity supply &

affordability (4)• Standardization of

components (4)• Tools & Equipment

availability (4)

1. Technical (Lockwood, Bakalian, & Wakeman 2003)

http://2.imimg.com/data2/WQ/DE/IMFCP-2394967/hand-pump-tool-kits-757167-250x250.jpg

• Adequate tariff for recurrent costs (1)

• Adequate tariff for capital replacement or system expansion costs (3)

2. Financial(Lockwood, Bakalian, & Wakeman 2003)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jebuCK78mWw/TRuY9YXHfwI/AAAAAAAAC5I/8gB6jRJd7lQ/s1600/deq-logo-financial_assistance_10384_7.jpg

• Community management capacity (2)

• User satisfaction, motivation & willingness to pay (2)

• Involvement of women (3)

• Social capital or cohesion (3)

• Continued training & capacity building (3)

3. Community & Social(Lockwood, Bakalian, & Wakeman 2003)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/4393657927_91673781d4_z.jpg?zz=1

• External follow-up support (1)• Cont. training & support to

sanitation & hygiene education interventions (2)

• Private sector involvement (goods, services, mgmt contracts) (3)

• Legal frameworks for recognition of water committees & ownership (3)

• Supportive policy & regulatory environment (3)

• Clarity over roles for O&M (4)

4. Institutional & Policy(Lockwood, Bakalian, & Wakeman 2003)

http://www.sswm.info/sites/default/files/toolbox/WSP%202002%20Chaos%20in%20Water%20Supply_0.jpg

• Water source protection, quality and conservation (2)

5. Environment(Lockwood, Bakalian, & Wakeman 2003)

http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/images/ocp2003/ocpfy2003-fig5-1.htm

Jamie Bartram University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Keynote IWorld Water Summit IV

New Orleans, USA20 May 2011

Building Communities: The Changing Principles of International Development. What does sustainability meanAnd how do we achieve it? WASRAG – Water Institute at UNC cooperation

Memorandum of Understanding

• … work together to develop monitoring and tracking tools and appropriate indicators for baseline assessment, monitoring and evaluation of … WaSH projects.

• … develop, test and refine an interactive monitoring and evaluation system that will advance sustainability

Memorandum of Understanding

The WI and WASRAG will:

:

2010 Water and Health ConferenceOctober 25-26, 2010

Diversity of WaSH Community represented

Water & HealthWhere Science Meets Policy

2011 ConferenceBringing together academic research

and professional development workshops

October 3-7, 2011Chapel Hill, NC

Key Conference Issues

Monitoring and Evaluation Sustainability

• Post-2015 WaSH Development Targets and Monitoring with WHO and UNICEF.

• Simple Indicators/NGO workshop "WASH Commitment” convened by Water For People and others .

• The New Age of Rapid Methods for Water Quality Applications: Blending Scientific Advancement with Routine Monitoring Needs convened by Institute of Marine Sciences at UNC.

• Simplified on site water quality testing organized by Bristol University and UNC/WaterSHED

• Scaling up hand washing and Community-Led Total Sanitation – a focus on behavioral sustainability convened by WASH Advocacy Initiative, Water and Sanitation Program and Plan International

• Household Water Treatment Network meeting convened by WHO, UNICEF and others

• Intersection of water and economic issues with environmental and social sustainability convened by Duke University, Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and UNC

• Sustainable Water on Campus convened by UNC

Key Conference Issues

Behaviours Advocacy and Partnership

• Household Water Treatment Network meeting convened by WHO, UNICEF and others

• Scaling up hand washing and Community-Led Total Sanitation – a focus on behavioral sustainability convened by WASH Advocacy Initiative, Water and Sanitation Program and Plan International

• Simplified on site water quality testing organized by Bristol University and UNC/WaterSHED

• WaSH Advocacy what is it and how to do it. A learning workshop convened by WASH Advocacy Initiative and others

• A total of around 30 workshops convened by partnerships, networks and Communities of Interest

Jamie Bartram University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Keynote IWorld Water Summit IV

New Orleans, USA20 May 2011

Building Communities: The Changing Principles of International Development. What does sustainability meanand how do we achieve it?WASRAG – Water Institute at UNC cooperation

Jamie Bartram University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Thank You!

Sanitation lags behind waterSanitation Drinking-water

Current benchmark Improved sanitation ‘at home’

61%MDG off track

Collect water from an improved source

87%MDG on-track

Water lags sanitationSanitation Drinking-water

Current benchmarks Improved sanitation at home

61% servedMDG off track

Collect water from an improved source

87% servedMDG on-track

Household level benchmarks

Improved sanitation at home

61% served MDG off-track

Improved water at home

57% served MDG off track

Water lags sanitationSanitation Drinking-water

Current benchmarks Improved sanitation at home

61% servedMDG off track

Collect water from an improved source

87% servedMDG on-track

Household level benchmarks

Improved sanitation at home

61% served MDG off-track

Improved water at home

57% served MDG off track

Safe water at homeEven more off track!

Why do we care?

Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects, The 2008 Revision.http://www.prb.org/Educators/TeachersGuides/HumanPopulation/PopulationGrowth.aspx

• A sustainable intervention “continues to work over time” (Abrams 1998)• Continued functionality suggests (Carter 1999):

– It is being USED– It is being MAINTAINED– Maintenance is being FINANCED– The service is PERMANENT – no time limit

• What if beneficial impacts are not sustained over time?– Not cost-effective– Progress towards a service coverage target is undermined– Discouragement of HHs, communities, and local government or NGOs

• BUT successful sustainable interventions encourage confidence among communities and supporting institutions that may lead to future local initiatives

Functional Sustainability in WASH