Session FT 3.17

Governance of local water and sanitation services - needs of cities in developing countries and responses from intenational initiatives

 

 

 

Conveners

• French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development  (MEDD)
• Moroccan Office of Drinking Water (ONEP),
• French Local Authorities Federation for Water and Sanitation (FNCCR)
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This session strived to bring together “the demand” and “the supply” in terms of governance of water and sanitation services. In this sense it was very successful, as it created awareness about the different solutions that were envisaged for different challenges as well as a forum for constructive debate. Finally, participants to this session were able to contact directly the experts who know best these initiatives.

 

Lessons learned and key messages

 

1. Public responsibility for services in order to insure adequate control of both public and private operators and making sure there is a clear division of functions
   
2. Participation of civil society at all levels of decision making, from planning to the day to day management of water and sanitation systems
   
3. Integrating good governance practices and equitable tariffs in service contracts, private or public.

Orientations for action

 

1. Create a permanent dialogue between the different initiatives and local authorities in developing and developed countries in order to exchange experiences and improve present and future projects.
   
2. Use performance indicators to evaluate services, irrespective of the mode of operation, public or private. This could be done in the framework of a rigorous and formalized initiative such as the ISO TC 224, or in a less restrictive manner (World Health Organization Guidelines, UN Habitat Charter of Essential Services, Public private partnership )
   
3. Undertaking more test to insure that guidelines and standards that are put in place are appropriate for all contexts, especially in developing countries.
   

Local Actions presented

 

Public utility reforms through active engagement of citizens

Lajana Manandhar, NGO Forum for Urban Water and Sanitation, Nepal

Sharing and learning the lessons from the intervention of multilateral foreign lending institutions in the public water supply reforms in Asia-Pacific and suggestions for policy and institutional reforms towards active civil society engagement.

 

Trust building in a Public-Private partnership, a necessary condition for efficient governance and long term achievements

Adrian Castillo Serna, Citizens’ Commission for Water and Sanitation of Aguascalientes

 

Private sector participation in the drinking and sewage water management, established through the rigorousness and clarity of a contract which not only permits all parties to work in a determined framework, but also enables the creation of a long-term action plan, with priorities and targets, allowing the Municipal water management to maintain a sustainable vision for future generations.

 

Tests of the ISO TC 224 norm projects in two Moroccan Cities: Casablanca and Berrechid

Mounir Zouggari, Moroccan National Water Supply Office

ISO TC 224 Standard is a universal standard relative to water supply and sanitation services. A test of this standard in cities in some developing countries  will insure the ISO TC that the standard takes in account the developing countries specificities and that the standard can be used as a tool to improve the service. Two Moroccan cities (Casablanca and Berrechid) were concerned by the test until now.

 

Role and implication of Nantes Metropole in the organization of exchanges between stakeholders involved for a better assessment of the Water supply system

Camille Durand, Nantes Métropole

Implementation of performance standards in the city of  Nantes and contribution to the elaboration of ISO norms aiming to improve the price/quality ratio for the service offer to users.