Presentation by ESCAP Knowledge transfer and capacity building for water and sanitation services in Asia and the Pacific 17-19 February 2009

1. Survey of national experiences on
institutional changes for
sanitation
Presentation by ESCAP
Knowledge transfer and capacity building for water and
sanitation services in Asia and the Pacific
17-19 February 2009
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

2. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Goals of the Survey*
(*presented at the World Toilet Summit & Expo, Macao, China)
Highlight good practices and lessons learned
from governments on the improvement of
sanitation
Promote consensus on priority issues to
achieve the MDGs on sanitation
Serve as input to the preparation of the SG’s
report on the implementation of IYS to the
General Assembly at its 64th session in 2009

3. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
South & Southwest Asia: 3
Pacific Islands: 3
List of responses Southeast Asia: 7
No Country Organization
1 Bangladesh Department of Public Health Engineering
2 Cambodia Ministry of Health
3 Indonesia Ministry of Health
4 Lao PDR Ministry of Health
5 Nepal Ministry of Physical Planning and Works
6 Palau Ministry of Health
7 Philippines Department of Health
8 PNG WHO
9 Sri Lanka UNICEF
10 Sri Lanka National Water Supply and Drainage Board
11 Thailand Ministry of Public Health
12 Timor Leste Ministry of Health
13 Vanuatu Ministry of Health
14 Vietnam Ministry of Health
15 Vietnam UNICEF

4. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Main Outcomes
• Most countries have created national coordination
mechanism for sanitation (9/13)
• Most important driver for change in sanitation is
civil society mobilization (13/15)
• Local governments need to be trusted not only
with decision-making authority, but also with
finance, rewards and incentives (all)

5. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Major achievements & successes
Awareness campaigns (all)
Sanitation through curriculum (THA, BAN)
CLTS (CAM, BAN, INA, NEP)
Sustainability – ECOSAN (NEP, SRI)
Awards & incentives for local leadership (THA,
BAN)
Decentralization with funds (BAN, INA, THA)

6. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL

7. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Institutional Changes
9 of 13 countries have established a
coordination mechanism for sanitation
issues
6 countries have produced a strategic
document or policy on sanitation
3 countries emphasized on their
decentralization initiatives

8. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Total % NO Total % NO
Legal, Policy and planning reform 27% 6
Q2: Institutional Changes
Strategic Document/ Policy (Legal)
23% 5
Integration of sanitation into existing Plan 5% 1
Coordination reform 45% 10
Coordination Group/ Committee/ Mechanism 41% 9
Creation of a Special Ministry 5% 1
Decentralization reform 18% 4
Decentralization initiatives 5% 1
Distribution of budget to local authorities 14% 3
Financing reform 18% 4
Involvement of the Ministry of Finance 5% 1
Local government budget matched by the
central government 14% 3
Technological reform 9% 2
Quality control initiative 5% 1
Appropriate technology identification 5% 1
Public awareness promotion 18% 4
Awareness campaign (Household, school) 18% 4

9. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Drivers of institutional reform for
sanitation
Drivers Total % NO (15)
Political
Leadership 73% 11
Civil society
Create
mobilization 87% 13
demand
Community-based
initiative 80% 12
International Aid 67% 10
Private Sector
Participation 60% 9

10. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Priorities for Action at the national
level
Technology on sustainable, ecological
solutions
Building and rewarding local leaders
Local government ownership
Horizontal learning & knowledge sharing (all)
Private sector participation
Social Marketing

11. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Priorities for International
Organizations
Capacity building of governments
Knowledge-sharing on community
initiatives
Assistance with fund-raising

12. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Priorities for EASAN & SACOSAN

13. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Conclusions
Guiding Principles:
• Emerging risks (Climate Change, Disasters) demand innovative solutions
• Affordability, sustainability (definition) & conformity to cultural practices
Most important drivers of change:
• Institutional: Civil-society mobilization, education, local
champions, decentralization & sustainability criteria
• Financial: National budget lines, household contributions,
microfinance & external fundraising
• Legal: coordinated action plans, PPP law, grass root &
community law

14. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
Conclusions
Most common MODALITY (SLOW-Moving institutions)
• Education, Awareness campaigns & Advocacy (100%)
• Pilot projects
• Identify cultural practices that promote or inhibit
Most important POLICY reform (FAST-Moving institutions)
• Creation of coordination mechanism, anchor institution
• Include sanitation in development plans/ legal framework
• Lagging behind on decentralization & funds (100%)
• Monitoring & Evaluation – reliable data

15. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
THANK YOU!
For additional
information:
sokou@un.org
ti.unescap@un.org

16. ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE WELLBEING OF ALL
QUESTIONS:
How else can IOs reach slow moving institutions?
How can we motivate local governments – incentives?
What national (central) government decentralization
policies have worked?
Can we gain independence from donor financing? How?