Decentralisation of rural water

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This document discusses decentralization of rural water services in various countries. It finds that while all countries have undergone or are undergoing decentralization processes, progress has been mixed, with some experiencing only "paper reforms" that fail to provide local governments with the capacity or resources to take over responsibilities. Success in rural water sectors appears linked to broader public sector reforms, including stable fiscal flows to local governments and clear definition of roles. However, local governments often still lack skills and resources to fully support water service delivery life cycles. The process of decentralization takes many decades even in developed countries.

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Harold Lockwood Aguaconsult - IRC Brisbane, Australia Session A3. A Moving towards a solution or out-sourcing the problem? Decentralisation of rural water

Various dimensions: administrative, fiscal and political

Varying depth: deconcentration, delegation, devolution ,[object Object]

Decentralisation and sector reform ,[object Object]

Strong focus on urban sector and privatisation

Ruralwater sector – often overlooked; CBM adopted as norm,[object Object]

Mandate is transferred but with ‘paper reforms’ leaving local government with little capacity and resources to do the job

Fiscal decentralisation tends to be last stage Two thirds of expenditure is outside the control of local government (Wateraid, 2008)

Progress in rural water - Triple-S study USA High Thailand  South Africa    India (Gujarat) Uganda   Colombia India Sri Lanka Extent of decentralisation in rural water   Mixed Benín   Ghana Honduras   Ethiopia Burkina Faso  Limited  Mozambique 4,000 8,000 1,000 2,000 16,000 32,000 64,000 GDP US$/CAP

Issues and constraints Honduras – CONASA and ERSAPS ,[object Object]

Sector reform has met resistance to change and conflict over roles: CWSA Ghana, PHEDs in some states in India, SANAA Honduras

Limited political commitment and lack of common sector investment plans,[object Object]

Ministry of Agriculture should have rehabilitated all systems

Many systems handed over in poor repair, with only €1,500 per Commune

The document discusses decentralization of rural water services in various countries. It finds mixed progress, with many local governments still struggling due to limited skills, resources, and ability to support full life-cycle service delivery. Success seems linked to broader public sector reforms. While countries have decentralized policies, implementation is often incomplete with unclear roles and limited local capacity. Fiscal decentralization especially lags, leaving local governments without sufficient funds to do their jobs.

Chapter+8 local+financing+mechanisms

Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C)

Local financing mechanisms for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services are needed to increase coverage, especially for low-income communities. These mechanisms include pooled funds, microcredit, small-town innovations, and enabling policies that support decentralization, capacity building, and participation. Effective financing requires understanding costs, tariffs, billing, and involving actors like utilities, microfinance institutions, and communities to manage funds transparently and sustainably.

KEYNOTE - Lockwood

IRC

1) Much effort has been made to improve sustainability and scale of rural water services, but challenges remain with unacceptable system failure rates of 30-40% resulting in wasted investments and negative health impacts. 2) A new Service Delivery Approach is proposed that moves beyond an infrastructure focus to consider all elements of a water service through strengthening systemic capacity, planning for the long-term lifecycle costs, and improving coordination across different levels. 3) A Service Delivery Model is described that applies this approach through clearly defining the policy, institutional, financial, and management roles from the local to national levels to establish a functional water service.

Professionalising rural water services: a response to the sustainability chal...

IRC

The document discusses challenges and strategies around providing sustainable rural water services at scale. It summarizes findings from a multi-country study looking at service delivery models and their drivers. Key findings include that community management is still predominant but trends toward professionalization; a variety of delegated contract models are emerging; and strengthening institutions, monitoring, accountability and national leadership are important for achieving sustainable services.

Broken pumps and pipes

IRC

The document discusses challenges in delivering sustainable rural water services. While coverage has increased significantly with tens of billions invested, about 730 million remain unserved and 30-40% of handpumps in Africa are non-functional. Failure rates are unacceptable and investments are largely wasted. The focus needs to shift from initial construction to establishing long-term water services through strengthening sectors, appropriate financing, management models, and support for operations and maintenance. National governments, donors, NGOs and communities must work together to establish permanent water services.

Session SDM - Smits - Models for support to sust Colombia

IRC

The document discusses models for providing post-construction support to community-based management of water services in rural Colombia. It finds that while the national government and some local municipalities provide some support, it is limited in scale and impact. Other models have emerged from civil society organizations and private sector actors to fill gaps, but are limited in geographical reach. It concludes there is a need for a coordinated, programmatic approach from government that recognizes local support mechanisms and takes a gradual approach to strengthening community-based organizations' management capacity.

Broken pumps and pipes: Why the rural water sector has failed to deliver trul...

Decentralisation of rural water

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