As many as 76 million people - mostly children
could die from water related diseases by 2020 if situation does not improve.
The need for providing basic services in Asia outstrips that of Africa,
Latin America and Caribbean, put together.
In the millennium declaration, the United Nations has set a goal of halving
the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015.
Emphasis will be placed on improving the living condition of at least
100 million slum dwellers by 2020.
It is for this reason that the programme "Water for Asian Cities"
has been launched. The programme intends to look into the challenges in
water and sanitation sector in Asia and its prospects.
What are the
major thrust areas of WAC ?
The programme will address the following priority
areas:
· Monitoring of progress towards achieving Millennium Goal targets
in the water and sanitation sector in Asian Cities.
WAC would monitor achievements and shortfalls in the provision of services
in Asian region. This programme will provide the basis for policy adjustments
and new investment in the sector.
· Promoting Urban Water Demand Management
The programme will focus on all aspects of demand management: economic,
social, technical, legal, administrative and institutional. Priority will
be given to reduction of Unaccounted For Water; pricing and public-private
partnership; equity in distribution of services; regulation and reallocation
of resources.
· Promoting integrated urban environmental sanitation
Priorities will include the development of appropriate technological options;
promoting public, private, NGO partnerships for scaling-up sanitation provision;
and strengthening innovative financing mechanisms for mobilization of local
funds for sanitation services.
· Income Generation for the Urban Poor through Community Based Water
and Sanitation Services
The focus here would be to develop and implement strategies for the provision
of water and sanitation services that will maximize the income and employment
earning opportunities for the urban poor; special attention will be given
to active community involvement and ownership in the provision and management
of services.
· Pro-poor Urban Water Governance
To promote institutional frameworks that could focus on the needs of the
poor, provide decentralized, simplified and transparent provisions for the
urban poor; right-based (including tenurial rights) approach to the provision
of services; and specific mechanism and attention to the provision of services.
Is there any
other similar programe ?
A programme on the lines of WAC namely "Water
for African Cities" was launched in 1999 to address the water challenge
facing the Africa continent. This programme was initiated as a direct response
to the Cape Town Resolution (1997) adopted by African Ministers.
Initially started as a project titled - Managing Water for African Cities,
this was the first comprehensive initiative to support African countries
to effectively manage the growing urban water crisis and protect the continent's
threatened water resources from the increasing volume of land based pollution
from the cities.
Who funds WAC
?
WAC would fund its activities from governments
of participating countries and multilateral agencies. The programme will
be conducted under the leadership of UN-HABITAT, with major contribution
coming from Asian Development Bank, Government of Netherlands and other
bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors.
Participation of other partners institutions and governments is being worked
out.
Who are the
major partners of WAC ?
WAC is based on higher degree
of partnership and collaboration. The following two kind of partnerships
have been identified for programme support:
Primary Partners: Such as government agencies, urban local bodies,
urban development authorities, water and sanitation utilities, private sector,
non-governmental and community based organization, citizen groups and other
stakeholders.
Secondary Partners: Mainly external support agencies programmes like
WSP & WSSCC and institutions like International Institute for Infrastructural,
Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Delft & Human Settlement Management
Institute, New Delhi.
Where is the
Programme Located ?
The programme is being implemented
in the Asian Region and will be located in the Region. The specific location
of this programme will be finalized soon.
Who can participate
?
The programme strength will be
the active participation of its primary and secondary members.
So all those working with governmental/non-governmental and community based
organizations may participate as primary partners.
All those working with external support agencies and other programme active
in the region would be secondary partners.
However, all professional academicians and scholars working in the sector
shall also contribute to this programme.
How to Participate
?
For participation in WAC, Submit
details about your organization, its activities and expectations from this
programme. This should be accompanied by a proposal on how you wish to contribute
in this programme, its financial implications and sources of funding. These
details be sent to
