WaterAid's new programme in Nicaragua
WaterAid America is exploring the possibility of starting a new programme in Nicaragua following an earlier scoping by IRC of various countries in Central America.
Nicaragua has the greatest need of all countries in the region in terms of access to safe water and sanitation, and is one of the poorest countries in the Americas. Despite fast economic growth earlier this decade, 48.3 per cent of the total population (just over five million people) lives in poverty, with 17 per cent living in extreme poverty. The country is suffering from the effects of hurricane Felix, rising oil and food prices in 2007-2008, and the international financial crisis of 2009.
WaterAid considers there is scope to develop an effective programme there as the government welcomes international cooperation by NGOs and bilateral and multilateral aid agencies.
Establishing the first WaterAid programme in Central America would also raise the visibility of WaterAid as a regional actor in the field, strengthening our ability to pursue advocacy objectives aimed at highlighting to all governments the vital role water and sanitation services play in reducing poverty and underpinning health, education and livelihoods. The programme would also enable us to work with donors who have a specific interest in supporting water, sanitation and hygiene programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
2. What are your plans in Nicaragua?
A scoping mission will visit the country in late November 2009 to meet with all the major government and non-government actors in the water and sanitation sector and with them determine where WaterAid can have the most impact. In line with our global strategy we will be seeking to contribute to increasing poor people’s rights and access to safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation by working with existing NGO and donor networks.
We will be exploring how we can strengthen the work of the Nicaraguan Network on Water and Sanitation (RASNIC) and the Freshwater Action Network for Central America. We would draw on our experience globally in areas such as building the capacity of government departments responsible for water and sanitation provision, and the testing and scaling up of technical innovations in sanitation and hygiene in collaboration with national and regional training institutions.
3. What is the current water and sanitation situation in Nicaragua?
Of the 2.4 million people living in rural Nicaragua only 27% have access to piped water and only 34% have improved sanitation. Our initial scanning suggests that the inhabitants of the Autonomous Regions of the Atlantic Coast are seriously underserved. In the Autonomous Region South (RAAS) there are local authorities where only 14% of the rural population has access to drinking water and only 21% have access to sanitation.
4. What impact do you think WaterAid could have in Nicaragua?
The opening of a programme in Nicaragua would enable WaterAid to draw on learning in areas such as urban water supply and sanitation design and community water resource management where significant advances have been made. We would particularly focus on introducing innovations in sanitation and hygiene.
Drawing on our experiences in Africa and Asia and our focus on equity and inclusion, WaterAid could work with partners to increase access to water and sanitation by excluded groups. We could help to map excluded populations including groups such as the elderly and the disabled and help design strategies for reaching those groups.
We could explore opportunities to design approaches and mechanisms for communities to adapt to the effects of climate change. Nicaragua has experienced increased intensity and frequency of hurricanes, particularly in the Atlantic Coast Regions, but needs to strengthen community preparedness.
5. Do you have any other plans for expansion in Central and South America?
Over the course of the next six years, WaterAid will explore expansion into other countries in Central and South America. Countries under consideration include Honduras, Peru and Ecuador. However, in light of the unpredictable and unstable economic environment we will closely monitor and review our plans to ensure that we can honour our existing commitments without over-stretching our resources.
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