KYRGYZ REPUBLIC: RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT · EU Water Initiative Working Group Meeting, May 12 13, 2008 IFI Partnerships WB financed water supply activities in villages

14-May-2008EU Water Initiative Working Group

Meeting, May 12-13, 2008

KYRGYZ REPUBLIC: RURAL

WATER SUPPLY AND

SANITATION PROJECT

IFI Coordination in Provision of Rural

Water and Sanitation Services

Presentation by Jonathan Kamkwalala



Project Details

Project Objectives:

– (a) improve access to potable water in the villages of Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Talas regions in northern Kyrgyzstan through a community approach

– (b) improve hygiene, sanitation and water related practices in a sustainable manner

Total Project Cost and Financing:

Project Cost: US$24.5 million

IDA Financing: US$15.0 million

DFID Financing: US$ 6.2 million

GOK/Community Financing: US$ 3.3 million

Implementation Period:

March 2002 to October 2008



Main Project Features

Project uses demand driven approach at village level involving all community members

Project strengthens capacity to manage water/sanitation systems by supporting establishment of Community Drinking Water Users Unions (CDWUUs) at the local level

The Project has helped establish a decentralized system for the management of rural water supply, by facilitating the dissolution of a Soviet style central institution that was responsible for operation of rural water systems

Instead, a more streamlined central department largely responsible for policy making has been established



IFI Partnerships

WB financed water supply activities in villages selected on a demand driven basis

DFID financed hygiene promotion and good sanitation in villages selected for water supply sub-projects

In addition, DFID financed technical assistance for project implementation and institutional capacity building

DFID/WB Project approach and methodology was adopted in Southern Regions with similar parallel project financed by Asian Development Bank (ADB)



Project Achievements

By end 2007, project activities had been completed in 120 villages covering 138,000 village residents.

The health impact of hygiene and sanitation activities was significant; water borne diseases in participating villages dropped significantly

The population to receive clean water from the project will exceed original estimates

Community development approach has been internalized and communities participation in selection, implementation of water supply systems is satisfactory

Together, the Bank/DFID and ADB projects will cover over 60% of Kyrgyz rural areas



Main Challenges in Scaling Up

Acceptance by communities of simpler, more rudimentary but sustainable water supply systems from those provided under the former Soviet Union, which are no longer sustainable

Acceptance by communities of cost recovery principle and community contribution to project costs after a legacy of Soviet provided subsidized water systems

Continued capacity to operate and manage the systems after project completion

Weak institutional capacity of Central Government for policy making

Possible politicization in the selection of participating villages



Lessons Learned

Sustained dialogue with communities to ensure acceptance of approach is critical (at the expense of delays to project implementation)

Simple project design with activities initially focusing on demonstration effect and scaling up later

Community involvement oriented towards engaging communities on priorities, options, and empowering them with information on project and technical solutions helped overcome some of the initial resistance to project approach



Benefits of IFI Collaboration

WB/DFID Collaboration allowed for greater leverage in discussing policy reforms with Government and promoted harmonization

DFID grant resources leveraged Bank credit sources for effective use of resources

DFID/Bank Collaboration allowed other donors, e.g., ADB to “join the bandwagon”

Complementary Support in strategic financing now being provided under OECD National Policy Dialogue Initiative, thus increasing potential of scaling up of donor support

Bank/DFID collaboration will continue in a follow-up project



Challenges of IFI Collaboration and

Lessons Learned Differences in donor policies created potential for conflict in

such areas as procurement, fund disbursements, etc

Co-financing effectiveness would benefit from better complementarities in activities financed; i.e. DFID financing was sometime seen as separate project by stakeholders

Ownership at the Central Government level was inadequate as project was seen as donor owned



Thank You!

Documents

KYRGYZ REPUBLIC: RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT · EU Water Initiative Working Group Meeting, May 12 13, 2008 IFI Partnerships WB financed water supply activities in villages