ALM UNDP

Summary:

Case studies of water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives by NGOs in: Indonesia, Timor Leste, Vietnam, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

On World Health Day, 7 April 2008, WaterAid Australia and the International WaterCentre launched their joint publication, Sharing Experiences: Sustainable Sanitation in South East Asia and the Pacific. This publication promotes the practical application of low-cost sustainable sanitation in South East Asia and the Pacific.

For more information: WaterAid Newsroom: New low-cost sustainable sanitation publication

For the full document:Sharing Experiences: Sustainable Sanitation in South East Asia and the Pacific

This paper contributes to a growing, and reflective, community of practice in sanitation and hygiene initiatives in South East Asia and the Pacific and beyond.

As stated in the introduction, "the case studies have been prepared for those with an interest and involvement in sanitation and hygiene education, and should be of use to those who wish to learn more about work happening in the region. It is hoped that these case studies will stimulate discussion, motivate people to read further, build interest in a range of approaches, and more broadly contribute to making—and keeping— sanitation the topic of conversation."

These case studies document approaches that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have implemented in South East Asia and the Pacific to promote water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives. The publication presents nine case studies that explore sanitation initiatives and in each case study the authors discuss various practical and logistical dimensions of these initiatives from technical components, cultural implications, and impact on the environment.

All the case studies focus on practical implementation issues: from the challenges of training staff and community members, to the ways community engagement tools are used in practice, to the difficulties in designing culturally appropriate hardware components.

There are lessons learned and gaps identified. Including:

• Sanitation programs need to support household investments and behaviour change;
• Steps need to be taken to increase the expression of informed demand and to improve access to sanitation hardware;
• Focus on behaviour change; and
• Thorough understanding of current behaviours and practice is essential for facilitators and trainers who are trying to build awareness of affordable options and their benefits.

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