Schuen, R. and Parkinson, J. (2009). Study for financial and economic analysis of ecological sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nairobi, Kenya, Water and Sanitation Program-Africa. xi, 32 p. : 14 fig., 9 tab.

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This study on financial and economic analysis of ecological sanitation (ecosan) in Sub-Saharan Africa focuses on a comparison of sanitation technologies suitable for urban settlements.

It compares ecosan with conventional sanitation systems in terms of financial and economic costs and benefits based. An analytical framework and a computer model were developed to assess and compare different technologies in terms of financial and economic Net Present Value (NPV).

The economic benefits derived from improved sanitation include health and environmental benefits, as well as those which are associated to excreta reuse.

The study is based on three case studies, which all promoted Urine Diverting Dry Toilets (UDDTs):

• Kabale, Uganda
• eThekwini, South Africa
• Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

The economic and financial performance of these projects is compared with traditional sanitation technologies such as ventilated improved pits (VIPs) and sewerage. The model uses capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) data, assigned to different elements of a sanitation system. These include costs for both hardware, such as the cost of the latrine itself and software, which includes all promotional, training and other capacity building activities.

The results show that operational and maintenance costs determine the financial performance (in terms of NPV) from a household perspective in situations where latrines are heavily subsidized. However, when subsidies are removed and overall project costs are taken into account, the picture changes remarkably, as the capital costs become the most critical factor which influences the financial performance of each option.

By reusing excreta, households with ecosan toilets can generate monetary benefits and increased crop production can have a positive impact on them financially. The key factors influencing the viability of ecosan in urban environment are the amount of land available, and the agricultural conditions.

The results indicate that the benefits from crop production can offset the higher capital and operational costs, but the benefits may not be sufficient to cover additional costs required for implementing ecosan.

The study also points towards the need to reuse excreta as close to the point of generation as possible, whilst keeping the costs of installation down. Where this is not viable, a communal excreta reuse system becomes economically attractive, provided the project management and capacity building costs associated with the promotion of ecosan can be lowered.

Based on the case study analysis, none of the currently implemented systems are seen to provide an obvious model for scaling up without considerable external support. Much research is still required to assess the costs of marketing ecosan compared with conventional sanitation, and to assess the costs of different management arrangements. A communal excreta management system such as that in Burkina Faso may overcome some of these constraints, and is more appropriate in denser urban environments.

There is need to look in more detail, at the different management arrangements and costs for setting up and operating house-to-house collection services. There may also be ways of introducing more cost effective technologies to enhance the efficiency of the operation.

Appelo, T. (ed.) (2008). Arsenic in groundwater : a world problem : seminar Utrecht 29 November 2006. (NNC-IAH publication ; no. 5). Utrecht, The Netherlands, Netherlands National Committee of the IAH. iv, 136 p. ISBN 978-90-808258-2-6
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This publication presents the problem of arsenic in groundwater in a manner accessible to a broad and involved public that might not normally have access to scientific literature. It includes sections on: sources and distribution of arsenic in groundwater and aquifers; geochemical experimentation and modelling are tools for understanding the origin of arsenic in groundwater in Bangladesh and elsewhere; review of arsenic behaviour from groundwater and soil to crops and potential impacts on agriculture and food supply; and health effects in inorganic arsenic.

For more information see the IGRAC Special Project page on Arsenic in Groundwater Worldwide

ICRC (2009). Water and war :  ICRC response. Geneva, Switzerland, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). 21 p.
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This brochure looks at key water and sanitation issues in conflict-affected countries where the ICRC works. It analyses challenges from the point of view of operational practice, which has developed and become more professional as the years have gone by.

Black, Maggie and King, Jannet (2009). The atlas of water. (2nd ed.). London, UK, Earthscan. 128 p. ISBN 9781844078271
Price: £12.99
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The new edition of the atlas shows water distribution worldwide, and reflects the latest thinking and emerging issues.

With updated data throughout, the atlas covers a wide range of topics to map how our limited water resources are shared and used around the world, as well as the challenges posed to their management by population and environmental pressures.

It includes new maps on climate change, water for tourism, dam construction, biodiversity, and water management, commerce and legislation. With snapshots of especially vulnerable areas and major polluters as well the global picture, the atlas is aimed at general readers as well as policy makers and students.

Divided into six parts, each prefaced with an introductory essay, the atlas investigates the nature of the resource itself, through its uses in all kinds of human activity, to the vexed questions of how to manage water well and avoid the threat of ‘water conflicts’.

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Knechtel, J. (ed.) (2009). Water. (Alphabet City ; 14). Cambridge, MA, USA, MIT Press. 320 p. : 200 colour ill. ISBN-10: 0-262-01329-0. ISBN-13: 978-0-262-01329-1
Price: $15.95/£11.95 (cloth)
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In this full-colour artbook, writers, scientists, architects, and artists consider the many aspects of water, at levels from the microscopic to the global, touching on subjects that range from new water infrastructures to ancient bathing rituals.

Water includes a chemist’s accounting of the true cost of water; photographs taken inside a city’s secret waterways; an urban planner’s description of how Toronto, New York, Hamburg, and Seoul have redesigned and rethought their waterfront areas; a conceptual artist’s series of water bottles “branded” with various modern credos; photographs of a water-damaged ledger from the 1905 Yukon gold rush; two architects’ rethinking of how to collect, divert, and transport water from water-rich to water-poor regions; a philosopher’s invocation of the spiritual lessons of water; and photographs of a disturbingly beautiful flooded landscape.

Read John Knechtel’s introduction to Water.

Read the related features The Waters of Metaphysics by Timothy Stock and The Public Bath and the City By Christie Pearson.

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Image from Water the book. Photo: Alphabet City

Water is the 14th annual anthology in the Alphabet City series. Each volume in the series addresses a one-word topic of global concern and draws on the diverse perspectives of writers and artists from many cultures and disciplines. Alphabet City, founded by John Knechtel in 1991, appears each October accompanied by an arts and ideas festival in Toronto, Canada.

Feig, H. and Finlayson, B. (2009). ADB assistance for public-private partnerships in infrastructure development : potential for more success : evaluation study. Manila, The Philippines, Asian Development Bank. ix, 65 p. : fig., tab. 15 ref.
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The special evaluation study (SES) evaluates the performance of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) public and private sector operations in support of PPPs in the power, transport, and water sectors, and the development of related policy, legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks.

The performance evaluation methodology combines project assessments with assessments of ADB’s strategic approach, development impact and value addition, and performance. The analysis is based on (i) findings of a review of all PPP-related public sector operations by the Independent Evaluation Department (IED), and (ii) evaluations by IED and the Private Sector Operations Department (PSOD) for completed PPP investments.

ADB’s support for PPPs in infrastructure development in general was rated “successful,” but there are areas for improvements for both, public sector and PSOD operations, as implied by lower performance ratings in some specific areas and sectors.

Chapter II is a brief overview of ADB’s strategies and assistance programs for PPP in infrastructure. Chapter III presents assessments of ADB’s assistance for PPP in its public and private sector operations, as well as an overall rating of ADB’s assistance in this area. Chapter IV summarizes key findings and lessons, identifies issues, and has recommendations for ADB management with regard to future assistance.

ADB (2009). Impact of rural water supply and sanitation in Punjab, Pakistan : evaluation study. Manila, The Philippines, Independent Evaluation Department, Asian Development Bank. vii, 127 p.
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The study was conducted in Punjab Province of Pakistan and covered two projects funded by the Asian Development Bank:

• Punjab Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (Sector) Project (PRWSSP), and
• Punjab Community Water Supply and Sanitation (Sector) Project (PCWSSP).

The study assessed project performance and identified lessons for maximizing the development effectiveness of water supply and sanitation (WSS) interventions. It quantified the impact of WSS assistance on household welfare with a focus on health, education, and employment and evaluated the sustainability of WSS interventions.

The sustainability analysis focused on two key aspects of the WSS projects: (i) technical and physical status and (ii) the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of subprojects.

The following evaluation methods were used:

• household surveys (1,301 project households and 1,301 comparison non-project households)
  technical survey of 115 subprojects
• focus group discussions with 115 CBO executives responsible for O&M, and
• knowledge, attitude, and practice survey (KAP) of 1,400 adults and children in the project and non-project communities.

The study rates the overall performance of ADB’s assistance to rural water supply in Pakistan’s Punjab Province as successful but at the lower end of the scale.

Bird, J., Lincklaen Arriens, W., and Von Custodio, D. (2009). Water rights and water allocation issues and challenges for Asia. Manila, The Philippines, Asian Development Bank. ix, 66 p. 38 ref.
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As governments across Asia are searching for ways to increase water security for rural and urban water uses, the need to articulate water rights and improve water allocation practices is rapidly becoming a priority issue to them. The process is made more complex by rapid urbanization, climate change, and other drivers of change. With the support of the Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO), practitioners are discovering what role they can play in avoiding and solving problems among stakeholders, and in building an enabling environment for integrated water resources management in river basins.

This report builds on the foundation of the five NARBO workshops on water rights. The report aims to:

• provide practical clarity on the concepts and terminology surrounding water rights and water allocation
• summarize key findings from the cross-country comparisons made during the four workshops held between 2005 and 2007
• stimulate in-depth discussion on water rights and identify ways to overcome the challenges of their implementation
• provide inputs for future NARBO and ADB activities to assist governments in the region in improving water rights and water allocation in the context of integrated water resources management

UTCE (2008). Sustainable replication and scaling up of small piped water networks : technical assistance consultant’s report. Manila, The Philippines, Asian Development Bank. 107 p. : 45 fig., 13 tab. 15 ref.
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This study assesses outcomes of the Asian Development Bank’s four small piped water network (SPWN) pilot projects in the Philippines (2 projects), Tien Giang Province in Viet Nam, and in Ahmedabad, India. It also reviews related documents and literature to provide actual policy recommendations for ADB related to their “replicability”, sustainability, and scalability. The focus of this study is on the small-scale water providers (SSWPs) who pioneer and operate piped water networks.

The rationale for this study is not to repeat the obvious fact that implementing water supply in low-income areas brings high social benefits but to identify which characteristics might be changed to increase the potential for their sustainable large-scale implementation in the future.

In this study, the advantages and disadvantages of engaging SSWPs and SPWN systems are evaluated in comparison to the traditional style of piped supply in which central utilities deal directly with individual consumers. After the literature review (chapter 2) and methodology (chapter 3), chapters 4, 5, and 6 describe the situation in the studied cases and their respective estimated potential for sustainability. Replicability and scalability is context dependent – different system characteristics are optimal in a different context. Therefore, these are generally discussed (in chapter 7) after the review of outcomes of all studied SPWNs in the different local contexts. Conclusions and recommendations for ADB are in the final chapter.

See also: Asian Development Bank (2008). In the pipeline : water for the poor : investing in small piped water networks. Manila, Philippines, Asian Development Bank. Download here

Finnish Consulting Group International … [et al.] (2009). NEP : Preparing the Improved Water Quality, Sanitation, and Service Delivery in Emerging Towns Sector Development Program : technical assistance consultant’s report : final report.  Manila, Philippines, Asian Development Bank. 6 vol.

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This Final Report is the fourth and final main output from the ADB PPTA 4972-NEP for the preparation of a sector development project to attract loan and grant funding from the Asian Development Bank for reform of the urban water supply and sanitation sector in Nepal, with a focus on small towns, and a project for the provision of water supply and sanitation infrastructure and service delivery in emerging towns throughout Nepal. The Sector Development Program (SDP) will include investment in capacity building and institutional strengthening of various organisations involved in management and service delivery at national and local level, and the project will include investment in infrastructure and operational capacity at town level.

Contents:

• VOLUME 1: Final Report: Sector Development Program (SDP) Rationale and Strategy
• VOLUME 2: Appendices: COMPONENT 1 – Sector Development Program Design
• VOLUME 3: Appendices – Finance and Economics
• VOLUME 4: Appendices COMPONENT 2 – Small Towns Services Project
• VOLUME 5: Sub-Project Feasibility Studies
• VOLUME 6: Initial Environmental Examinations (IEE) of Khandbari, Duhabi and Sukhad and Summary Initial Environmental Examination