World Bank’s biggest ever grant to an Asian water project

The World Bank (WB), in one of its largest grants to an Asian country in rural water supply and sanitation development, has agreed to provide US$33.50 million as an outright grant for the government’s Second Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSSP).

The Sri Lankan government is contributing US$7.5 million and the community US$10.11 million, bringing the total cost of the project to US$50.76 million.

At a presentation last week, it was explained that the project which began in September 2003 is expected to reach completion in August 2009. Naoko Ishii, WB Country Director for Sri Lanka said that the Bank is happy to support the government on a project of this importance, adding that 25 – 30 % of Sri Lanka's population experience difficulties with access to water, the percentage being even higher amongst the rural population. "One third of the population relies on river, streams and unprotected water supplies," Ishii added.

The 2nd CWSSP aims to improve the health and well-being of approximately one million people in its project areas. Provision of safe drinking water, adequate sanitation facilities, hygiene education and environmental awareness are the main project activities. The project will be implemented in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Matale districts in the Central Province, the Kurunegala district in the North Western Province and the Trincomalee district in the North and East province. The Tricomalee district project is yet to commence.

The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Division (RWSSD) of the Ministry of Urban Development and Water Supply is the implementing agency. Director General of the RWSSD, Piyasena Wellakkage said the suffering of the rural poor through the lack of sanitation and drinking water is profound. According to him, the sustainability of these projects is the most important factor. Wellakkage said the success of the pilot CWSSP, initiated in 1993 covering Ratnapura, Matara and Badulla and rated as one of the most well managed projects amongst 200 similar projects worldwide funded by the WB, helped pave the way for the creation of this second project. The first, which concluded in 1998, resulted in increased health and sanitation, a higher labor productivity, decrease in poverty, government relief in providing free medical care to a certain extent and improved socio-economic conditions. The second project will include a decentralized implementation mechanism which involves the participation of the Provincial Council's, the local authorities and Community Based Organizations (CBO's). The project hopes to empower the local communities by putting the CBO's in charge of all procurement and put into practice home and village based environmental programs. The village based programmes promote water sources and watershed area protection and environment conservation aimed at protecting water resources.

The second project has embarked on the challenging task of testing a community based participatory development approach with the estate sector communities for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka. The Diyagama East Estate, located in Agarapathana within the Nuwara Eliya Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) area, was selected to pilot the approach. Estate communities were suffering from serious water shortages due to the availability of only two stand posts with intermittent but highly polluted water supply.