Attached you will find a “Background Paper” for a possible U.S. community
water initiative per our conversation. Material in the paper can be used for
a variety of purposes including:
—briefing material for an explanation of the problem and our response to it;
and
—discussion of various specific ways our assistance can be utilized.
For this reason the paper is not perfect for any one of these purposes and
would have to be edited or tailored for individual use. Left out of the
paper, for the moment, is exactly how the initiative should be organized and
followed up on. It is my view that if it is enunciated it [Page 978] will require some kind of special
organizational backstopping if it is not to fall into the bureaucratic
quagmire and be swallowed up thereby. (That’s what happened to many of
Henry’s famous efforts in speeches!)2
I particularly call your attention to the section of the paper on U.S.
assistance levels. You will note that FY 79
funds for community water programs now project a severe decline in overall
funding levels. Obviously this problem must be dealt with.
If you need any more information or a retailoring of the material attached,
please let me know.
Attachment
Background Paper on Community Water Initiative by the
U.S.
3
The Problem
Only about 10 percent of the population in the developing countries
utilize fully protected water sources. Less than a tenth of the villages
of India have access to clean drinking water. In the developing
countries many large urban areas’ drinking water supplies are unsafe.
There are, however, great differences between countries and particularly
between urban and rural areas. World-wide, about two-thirds of the
LDC population is without
“reasonably adequate” water or sanitation services. However, in many
urban areas and especially in rural communities organic waste is
accumulating and water supplies are being increasingly contaminated. The
UN Children’s Fund estimates about
one billion rural people in the LDCs and 200 million in urban shanty
towns must use unsafe water sources.
A UN report has stated: “. . . Few could
disagree that of any single activity in these urban areas, the
improvement of water supply would have the greatest impact on the
prevention of disease, the improvement of living conditions, the
cleaning of streets, the beautification of parks and playgrounds, and
the servicing of commercial, governmental and industrial operations.
Similarly, if any single action were to be taken in these rural areas
with the aim of reducing exposure to the most prevalent diseases,
upgrading lifestyle (particularly that of women and chil[Page 979]dren), catalyzing community organization
and participation, and setting a basis for the development of cottage
industry and community development, it would be the improvement of water
supply.”4
In developing nations there is even less access to safe waste disposal
systems than availability of safe drinking water. The contamination of
food and water by human waste is the main reason for the dissemination
of intestinal diseases carried by parasites and bacteria. For example,
hookworm, which infects about 700 million individuals and causes severe
anemia results from skin exposure to infected human waste deposited in
surface soil. Further, there is a direct relationship between deaths due
to diarrheal diseases in children under five and the availability of
piped water systems. Water borne diseases also combine with other
factors including induced fever which interfere with the body’s use of
food energy which lowers nutritional value. More than five million
people die every year from water-borne diseases.
Another dimension of the community water problem is the scarcity of water
for growing urban centers. Many cities in the Third World as they
rapidly grow due to population increase are finding it increasingly
difficult to supply their citizens with clean water. The result
sometimes has been the increase in sickness, the drying up or pollution
of wells and conflict over water ownership between communities.
International Institutional Background
The problem of potable water was examined in varying degrees at several
UN conferences including those on
the Environment, Population, Habitat and most recently at the UN Water Conference at Mar del Plata in
March 1977. Specifically, both Habitat and the Water Conference passed
resolutions or recommendations about community water with the main aim
dealing with the problems of the least developed and most seriously
affected countries. The Conferences called for increased financial
contributions, multilaterally and bilaterally, for assisting community
water supply and sanitation.
Also emphasis was placed on improvement of domestic hygiene especially
through education and motivation. The application of appropriate and
low-cost technology was cited as key elements in dealing with this
problem. Priority was also given to immediate national planning to give
high priority to projects in this sector.
Specifically the key UN Water Conference
recommendations were
“(a) That where human needs have not yet been satisfied, national
development policies and plans should give priority to the supplying [Page 980] of drinking water for the
entire population and to the final disposal of waste water; and should
also actively involve, encourage and support efforts being undertaken by
local voluntary organizations;
(b) That Governments reaffirm their commitment made at Habitat to ‘adopt
programs with realistic standards for quality and quantity to provide
water for urban and rural areas by 1990, if possible’;
(e) That in 1980 the national programmes which have been implemented for
that purpose, and the extent to which the countries concerned have
succeeded in mobilizing local and national support should be reviewed by
an appropriate mechanism to be determined by the Economic and Social
Council and based on the use of existing machinery, with a view to
attaining coordinated action toward agreed targets;”
Extent of Present U.S. Assistance Efforts
Direct AID funding for community water
supply and sanitation has had an irregular pattern varying between $16
million to 79 million between FY 76 and
FY 78. In FY 78 AID is funding $43
million directly for community water supply and sanitation (CWS). In addition some $29.7 million is
being spent on projects in which there is a CWS component. (These are mostly well sinking and farm
projects.) In addition some $96.5 million in Supporting Assistance (SA)
is funded for CWS largely in Egypt for
the “Canal Cities Water and Sanitation” project. ($12 million also is
going to Portugal.)
However, AID is tentatively only
budgeting $23.4 million in FY 79 for
CWS development assistance and $60
million for SA. Funding for projects in which CWS is a component and SA programs similarly will
experience a major decline. An important reason for this is the
inclusion in FY 78 funds of new major
projects especially those in Egypt. However, the overall marked decline
projected for FY 79 will impact untimely
upon total amounts devoted to this sector.
Multilateral Programs
A number of international development lending institutions (IDLIs) have
programs relevant to community water systems. In particular, the World
Bank has projects in water supply and sewage. They also support some
programs dealing with the related problems of population and nutrition
but little in other areas of health. (They only have a Onchocerciasis
Control Program in West Africa.) The Bank decided not to fund health
programs directly but to incorporate health questions into the basic
design of projects.
Character of US
Initiative
In keeping with the importance of the problem for human health and
productivity and in following up on the relevant UN resolutions, [Page 981]
the US is proposing a major concerted
global effort to develop for the poorest sectors in developing countries
safe drinking water supplies and safe sanitation in keeping with the
recommendations of the UN conference
that dealt with this problem, including encouraging countries to have
plans by 1980 for the accelerated development of drinking water systems.
The US is prepared
to join with other countries and international bodies to supply
financial assistance to sound projects and to train local personnel.
We are also ready to assist where we can and where we are asked, in
the design of the plans now being developed.
A Comprehensive Strategy to Improve the Quality
and Quantity of Community Water Supplies
Improvement in the availability and quality of community water supplies
has a number of elements which must be integrated and understood for a
successful program. The United States, within the context of its
initiative and its available resources supports a carefully planned and
integrated approach to community water problems. This integrated
approach and our assistance should include, as appropriate, the
following factors:
—Assistance programs should primarily focus on encouraging local
management and resource allocation to safe local water supply and
sanitation. The problem will not be solved alone by outside assistance
which can only be a small percentage of the total funding required. Thus
strengthening and providing incentives for national and local
governments to undertake their own major efforts would be the main focus
for foreign assistance.
—A community water program should be integrated into other related areas
such as health, family planning and nutritional efforts. Also
coordination with agricultural programs, especially irrigation, etc.,
will be necessary if rural areas are to receive maximum benefit.
—An element in a comprehensive strategy to provide safe community water
is that of education and communication. Very simple and limited basic
information, if communicated to individuals can make a great difference
in their nutrition, sanitation and disease situation. This is especially
important for expectant mothers and those with young children. Thus a
community water initiative should include an educational component.
—In this regard, a maximum utilization of existing community structures,
including schools, rural extension services, health facilities and local
administration. Mass media and local schools should be utilized in
providing basic hygiene information.
—The interaction between large-scale water projects, community water and
sanitation systems and the spread of disease should be [Page 982] studied and programs developed to ensure
maximum coordination to minimize the possibility of untoward health
hazards.
—Primary emphasis of the US
effort will be on supplying initial foreign exchange costs (for
example chlorination machinery and supplies) and assisting in the
development of national and local planning and management capability.
This might include, for example:
—Scholarships for Environmental and Public Works Engineers.
—Support for local educational and training institutions in the fields of
environmental planning, sanitation, public health and hygiene, etc.
—Foreign exchange costs of necessary equipment.
—Support of programs aimed at preventing and cleaning up polluted surface
and ground waters used for community purposes. (Part of such an effort
would be the early detection of such pollution and identification of
possible solutions.)
—Establishment of local laboratories for the analysis of water samples to
assist in preventing contamination and to warn of possible dangers to
human and animal health.
—Assistance in the installation, development and research associated with
low-cost waste water treatment facilities or alternative acceptable
economic uses of waste which would protect community water supplies.
—To up-grade the local capability of the public health and other relevant
institutions to deal with water borne diseases particularly prevention
techniques.
—Promote regional cooperation in specific areas where such cooperation
would increase community water quality and quantity and prevent the
spread of diseases.
—In addition, the US with other concerned
countries would consider supporting global and regional research and
studies required to deal with specific high priority community water
problems especially those affecting the spread of diseases through the
aquatic environment.
—The US is prepared to work with other
countries and international organizations to deal more effectively with
community waste problems including specifically to increase the amount
of total resources devoted to this sector and the development of
international uniform methods and standards for assessing and monitoring
water quality and the control of waste borne diseases. We will urge
international development lending institutions to increase their efforts
and to specifically assist where long-term and large scale efforts are
required. In addition, multilateral institutions can promote regional
cooperation in this area.
