IRC assists WASH policy development in Honduras
Updated - Monday 19 September 2011
Although water and sanitation coverage in Honduras has increased in recent decades, there is evidence of deficiencies in the quality and efficiency of both water and sanitation. Indeed, gaps in coverage still remain, particularly in rural parts of the country where over a million people – half of whom are children, and a quarter of whom are women – still lack access to safe water and sanitation.
The Framework Law on Water and Sanitation Sector, was adopted in 2003 with the aim of encouraging a process of sector reform and expanding water coverage; improving the quality of provision of urban and rural services; achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the National Plan approved by the Central Government through the decentralisation of the national services company – National Autonomous Service of Aqueducts and Sewerage Service (SANAA) to the municipalities.
But regulators have not yet fully developed, and decentralisation takes time in Honduras, a country that is also in need of a financing policy for the sector. Effective policy needs to be built through multi-stakeholder consultation.
Luca Renda, deputy representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), noted the need for sector dialogue to reach national policy level, commenting that Honduras fully uses the water it has, and often experiences cyclical shortages and rationing.
In October 2010, the management of the National Water and Sewerage Service (SANAA), representatives of the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP), the Joint Water and Sanitation Council (PCAS) in Honduras and the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre together with the National Council on Water and Sanitation (CONASA) signed a 10-month agreement to design the National Policy on Water Supply and Sanitation. CONASA's responsibility is to formulate and adopt water sector policies, The new policy is scheduled to be ready by the beginning of July 2011
PCAS has contributed nearly six million lempiras (€ 221,537) for the further development of local policy in the 13 Honduran municipalities with the lowest human development index (HDI).
Danilo Alvarado, managing director of SANAA, in describing the agreement as a document aimed at materialising the objectives set out in the Water and Sanitation Policy, asked for participation at all levels in the preparation.
Erma Uytewaal, Manager - Africa Team, Director's Office at IRC, stated: “The policy needs to be affordable, it should not become another document, and for further development of the policy, different stakeholders need to be consulted. “
Related news: CONASA, PNUD y el IRC unen esfuerzos para mejorar los servicios de agua y saneamiento, UNDP, 10 October 2010.
Strengthening knowledge management cooperation agreement between IRC and FHIS, IRC, 15 September 2010
Source: Elaboraran estrategia para una Política Nacional de Agua Potable y Saneamiento, Hondudiario.com, 10 October 2010.
