Features
Lifebuoy sells handwashing along with 2.6 billion bars of soap across Africa and Asia
Unilever sells 2.6 billion bars of Lifebuoy soap every year across Asia and Africa and is the market leader in every Asian country where it is sold. Nearly half of the Lifebuoy brand's consumption is in rural Asia, where most of the population live on less than US$ 1 per day.
Natuapura, Bangladesh: seven-fold increase in latrine use
There are important lessons to be learned from the efforts of a local NGO and a village to transform water supply, latrines and hygiene practices in their community. These efforts resulted in dramatic increases in latrine construction and use, improvements in the water supply and a substantial – if disappointing – increase in good hygiene practices.
Caring for HIV-infected people in South Africa requires love, patience and 200 litres of water per day
Home-based caregivers provide critical support for people who are HIV infected and ill in South Africa as in many other countries. However, their role is made more difficult by limited water supplies and in some cases by inadequate toilets. Limits on water supply also compromise the impact of health and hygiene education and promotion carried out by community health workers.
GWA News
From fishing to farming
Land and water resource management at Katosi landing site, Lake Victoria, Uganda.
South Asia: First regional strategic planning for mainstreaming gender in IWRM by GWA
One of the aims of the Gender and Water Alliance (GWA) for the years 2005-2010 is to regionalise its activities. To do so, regional strategic planning workshops are being organised with the aim of setting the priorities for gender mainstreaming in the region and developing a regional work plan. The first GWA South Asia Regional Workshop was held from January 23-25, 2007 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Cap-Net News
Gender mainstreaming on the upswing in South Asia: Cap-Net and GWA join hands
Cap-Net networks and the Gender and Water Alliance (GWA) in South Asia have agreed to join hands to promote gender mainstreaming.
Groundwater management capacity building in Africa
Groundwater is the major source of drinking water in rural Africa, but one that has so far been largely neglected in water management, even in recent IWRM reforms.
Fluoride pollution in groundwater in central Senegal
In Senegal more than 80% of water consumption derives from groundwater aquifers. However, this important source of drinking water supply is affected by natural fluoride pollution up to 8.5 mg/l, far higher than the maximum WHO standard of 1.5 mg/l.
Developments in the Arab Region
The Arab Integrated Water Resources Management Network (AWARENET) is raising the visibility of the capacity building network across the Arab Region.
IWRM – the difficulties of river basin management
Integrated water resources management (IWRM) remains an elusive concept to many people, yet countries are implementing IWRM plans and facing the challenge of what this means on the ground. The international scale of reform suggests not only that a lot of capacity development is required, but also that there is a lot to be gained from rapid and efficient exchanges of experience.
IRC News
New IRC title on Learning Alliances
Massive efforts are put into developing innovative approaches that will rapidly increase access to sustainable water and sanitation services and deliver improved hygiene practices. This book brings together theory and practice to examine the challenges of widespread innovative change in a real-world setting.
Two other studies for Gates Foundation
IRC has embarked on two other short-term studies under funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The topics: Assessment study on multiple use approaches to improve water services for the poor; Quantifying the costs of meeting unmet needs.
Landscaping study for Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is exploring the best way to move into structural financing of water, sanitation and hygiene (WS&H). Before it even addressed the key questions it researched the sector in 2005 and found IRC and a number of other knowledge based organisations. In 2006, IRC with Cranfield University and Aquaconsult in the UK won a tender to assist the foundation in this exploration. The partnership produced a mapping and landscaping study, including consolidated papers on innovative approaches and technologies for improved water, sanitation and hygiene.
Two other recent workshops
Partners from the Middle East and Burkina Faso were involved in two other recent training programmes.
IRC team trains senior BRAC field staff in managing a five-year WASH programme
BRAC is the largest NGO in the world with the twin objectives of poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor in Bangladesh. It commissioned IRC to organise a training programme for its senior field staff, mostly district managers who manage a project staff of around 1,500 people in an area of 2.5 million people.
Nepal: Pre-testing develops better, more user friendly materials
Information can flow like water, and like water, it can be clear or murky. To get it right demands careful preparation and – as an essential step – pre-testing. NEWAH did not forget this vital lesson when they responded to the needs assessment produced by the Resource Centre Network Nepal (RCNN), a loose network of national and international NGOs.
