On 18 June 2007, the Nepal WASH Coalition sent a letter to Nepal’s National Planning Commission and Minister of Finance, appealing for an increased budget allocation for sanitation and drinking water services. The letter was signed by representatives from the WHO, UNICEF, UN-Habitat, WaterAid Nepal and national organizations, including NEWAH, Lumanti and the Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO). The letter echoes the demands of Nepal’s Ministry of Physical Planning and Public Works, that water and sanitation be given the same priority as other basic services, like health and education. The letter also explicitly expressed concerns that the current budget-plan focuses on urban projects, while it neglects semi-urban and rural areas, where the majority of the poor and vulnerable in Nepal live.

The signatories stressed that investments in water supply, sanitation and hygiene facilities generate significant returns, including the reduction of health expenditures, increased school attendance by girls, and general economic growth.

The Nepal WASH Coalition has scheduled a face-to-face meeting with members of Parliament to discuss concrete commitments and to insist on placing WASH issues higher on the political agenda.

Web site: WSSCC – Nepal WASH Coalition

Contact: Umesh Pandey, National Coordinator, Nepal WASH Coalition, c/o Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH), umeshpandey@newah.org.np

Source: Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council Newsletter, Sep 2007

Tags: information and communication, policies & legislation