Mekong Regional Water and Sanitation Program (MEK-WATSAN)

EXTENSION OF WATER SUPPLY, CAPACITY BUILDING AND MONITORING ACHIEVEMENTS TOWARD REACHING CMDGs IN SVAY REANG TOWN, CAMBODIA

Output under the Cooperation Agreement between UN-HABITAT and Svay Reang Water Supply Utility

Summary Report Output A1

Stakeholder's Inception Workshop for Svay Reang Town

2011

SVAY REANG WATER SUPPLY UTILITY CAMBODIA

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Currently the population of Mekong Basin is around 250 million in which four of six countries have the economic growth approximately 5% since 1980s. The population growth rate is in between 4%-5% per annum. Poor people in Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam have migrated to urban. Currently poor households in urban consist of about 9%-26% of urban population. Most of those poor people live in remote areas or slum areas which are not hygiene (no sewerage system) do not have water supply system, sanitation facilities and other social services. With the high growth rate and lack of proper planning of relevant authorities like potable water supply, sanitation infrastructures, and other facilities has affected their livelihood and health. In general, those poor people have to pay more for water than medium or rich people and the results they are getting poorer and poorer. After a long period of civil war, Cambodia now is developing gradually. The Royal Government of Cambodia has set out Cambodian millennium development goals which are in line with the world MDGs; and water supply and sanitation are mentioned in the CMDGs. They are clearly mentioned that at least 80% of urban population will have water supply and 74% will have sanitation facilities by year 2015. To achieve these goals, the RGC has developed national policies related water supply and a number of measures since 2004. For example, there were a number of reforms in water supply sector like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap water supply authorities were transferred to autonomous authorities. Even then water supply and sanitation in Cambodia are still big issues which need large amount of investment from the RGC and it is clear that RGC does not have enough budgets to invest in this sector and need support from outsiders, and most of the loans were allocated in infrastructure development like roads, bridges, schools, hospital, etc. So it needs supports from NGOs, IO or UN organizations. Based on the above mentioned CMDG, UNHABITAT with the cooperation from MIME, especially Potable Water Department have implemented water supply extension and sanitation project in four provincial towns: Kampong Thom, Pursat, Kampong Cham and Svay Rieng. This project under the MEK-WATSAN programme has been designed to demonstrate a community based approach which will increase the access by the poor to improve, affordable and sustainable water supply. This project builds on the efforts of the government and the investment already made, and will contribute to strengthening the capacities of MIME in monitoring progress towards achieving the MDGs for water and sanitation as well as the capacities of the Svay Reang Water Supply Utility and district authorities in improving water and sanitation services through participatory and innovative approaches by 2011, 4,532 people out of wich 30 percent are poor-will benefit from the expansion of water supply infrastructure. With the project completed successfully, the coverage of water will rise to 37 percent. MIME has conducted workshops to introduce MEK-WATSAN program to those targeted four towns. The stakeholder workshop was help to disseminate the main objectives and scope of the project, and to coordinate main activities at the town level. In coordination with local authorities, commune council and community representatives, Svay Reang Water Supply Utility led a participatory assessment of beneficiaries to identify the poor householders in expansion areas as well as to coordinate implementation arrangements. This activity included the definition of a set of criteria to identify poor households to inform pro-poor water cost-sharing arrangements such as revolving funds for household connection fees. The assessment of beneficiaries also provided preliminary data for water indicators database and support the development of a poverty map. The engagement with the community provided an opportunity to build wide support for the project including its objectives and implementation methodology.

In Cambodia for the second phase, MEK-WATSAN program focus on four provincial towns like Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Svay Rieng and Pursat towns. On 23 June 2010 MIME and UNHABITAT have conducted stakeholder inception workshop in Svay Reang Town to introduce MEK-WATSAN program to the local authorities and relevant stakeholders and seek for support and cooperation from those relevant stakeholders. The overall objective of MEK-WATSAN program is to support the Royal Government of Cambodia to attain its water and sanitation related MDGs agreed in 2000. The main objective of this project is to provide sustainable water supply services and improve environmental conditions of the residents of Svay Reang Town particularly for the poor. The specific objectives of the project are: - Increase access to improved water supply on a sustainable and affordable basis for 4,532 residents in Svay Reang Town by 2011; - Develop and establish participatory framework for implementation that includes an assessment of beneficiaries and poor householders; - Develop and establish community based financing mechanism, such as revolving funds to assist poor householders with the connection fees; - Strengthen the capacities of the Svay Reang Water Supply Utility on community-based project management, operational management and a more sustainable use of water resources based on the principles of HVWSHE principles and Water Demand and Conservation Management (WDCM) among other relevant concepts; and - Develop a baseline database on water and environmental sanitation indicators and generating and information base for local action and monitoring of the MDGs in secondary towns, particularly in Svay Reang Town. The purpose of stakeholder inception workshop was to introduce the MEK-WATSAN program, discus about the targeted beneficiaries, seek for support and cooperation and recommendation from all relevant stakeholders. Besides, the workshop also introduce about the MDGs and CMDGs. The stakeholder inception workshop had invited relevant government institutions and NGOs to attend the workshop. There were 4 government institutions i.e. MIME, Svay Reang Water Supply Utility, Provincial Department of Industry, Mines and Energy, and all levels of local authorities from province to village including communities; and two NGOs like Rural Environmental Development Association and Center for Development. There were total 30 participants. The stakeholder inception workshop was held in Svay Reang Town on 23 June 2010. The workshop was for half day and started to register at 7:30 am. The workshop starts with the introduction of workshop objectives by Mr. Sorn Savnin, project director, from 8:00-8:15, followed by welcome speech of UNHABITAT's representative from 8:15-8:30, and opening speech of H.E. Heng Sok Kong from 8:30-50. From 8:50-9:10 was the presentation of Mr. Din So Me Thearith on the project background, project objectives and the expected outputs of the project. From 9:10-9:30 coffee break. From 9:30-10:30 was presentation of Mr. Sorn Savnin and from 10:30-11:00 was the presentation of Mr. Prach Norn, Director of Svay Rieng Water Supply Utility on Svay Rieng's present Water Supply Utility operation. From 11:00-11:20 was the impression of Mr. Chuon Chanrithy, Svay Reang Municipality. Three presentations were made during the stakeholder inception workshop where: First presentation was presented by Mr. Din So Me Thearith, Program Manager of UNHABITAT in Cambodia on the background of program, program objectives and the expected outputs of the program. Second presentation was presented by Mr. Sorn Savnin, MEK-WATSAN program director, on the MIME's mandates related to potable water supply, the cooperation

with all donors or NGOs on potable water supply development, the advantages of potable water usage, the policies and strategies of Royal Government of Cambodia in potable water supply sector, MDG and CMDG related to potable water supply, the cooperation with UNHABITAT, the implementation of MEK-WATSAN in Svay Reang Province and suggestions. Third presentation illustrates about the present operation of Svay Reang Water Supply Utility.

In the closing remark, Mr. Chuon Chanrithy had expressed his impression that MIME and UNHABITAT are going to implement the MEK-WATSAN program in Savy Rieng Town. This program will benefit the poor in this town and the project will share with the Royal Government of Cambodia in poverty reduction. He also expressed his commitment in cooperating with all relevant stakeholders to implement the MEK-WATSAN program successfully in Svay Reang Town. After the impression of Mr. Chuon Chanrithy, H.E. Heng Sok Kong has summarized the whole workshop's presentations and all suggestions from the participants. He appreciated for the good cooperation from all relevant stakeholders and their active discussion and recommendations. The workshop was held smoothly and provided fruitful results. H.E. Heng Sok Kong also proposed to have good cooperation from all relevant stakeholders in implementing the project in Svay Reang Town in the future and have setup next step work plans and assigned teams for carrying out the baseline survey and poverty mapping. All participants were aware that MEK-WATSAN program will be implemented in Svay Reang Town to extend water supply to those area where do not have water supply yet and this program will benefit poor households to improve their health and also their livelihood. During the inception workshop, local authorities have requested the program to include Chong Prek village in Svay Reang commune, Svay Reang Town to the project areas. All relevant institutions have committed to cooperate with this program to extend the water supply service. The local authorities especially commune/sangkat, village chiefs and communities were happy to join the program in surveying and implementing.