Source South Asia 2008, issue 6

Published - 01 Sep 08

South Asia - General

South Asia: Asia Water Day highlights role of leaders in meeting WASH challenges

The first Asia Water Day was held at this year's World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. It focused on the role of the region's leaders in meeting water and sanitation challenges.

Bhutan: 'toilet revolution' has not led to high use

Despite widespread availability of public toilets in Bhutan, they are not used very intensely. They often fall into disrepair or are used for other purposes.

India: rising costs hit total sanitation campaign

Rising steel and cement prices have affected cost estimates of many of the Indian central government's development projects, including its total sanitation campaign.

India: government introduces comprehensive rural drinking water reforms

The Indian government has introduced a package of reforms to address the high rate of failure in rural drinking water schemes. The reforms are being supported by the Water and Sanitation Program – South Asia (WSP-SA).

India: women manual scavengers to meet human rights commission

Women from scavenging communities have met with the National Human Rights Commission in Delhi, India, to demand dignity for their labour. Despite the practice being illegal in India, there are still an estimated one million manual scavengers in the country.

Nepal: Kathmandu to reintroduce mobile toilets

After a failed experiment a decade ago, Kathmandu Municipal Corporation (KMC) is planning to reintroduce mobile toilets into the city. They will be constructed in 50 different locations in cooperation with the private sector.

Nepal, Kathmandu Valley: Melamchi Water Supply Project to be completed within five years

The controversial Melamchi Water Supply Project 'can be completed in five years' after a loan from the Asian Development Bank.

Nepal: water and sanitation to be taught in schools

The Ministry of Education and Sports is to introduce education on water and education in ten schools in Nepal. The objective is to teach children to conserve water and adopt good sanitation practices.

Sri Lanka: schoolchildren learn the value of safe water and good sanitation

Malteser International and UNICEF are working with the Sri Lankan government to improve the quality of drinking water and sanitation in 53 schools. The programme will reach 16,000 schoolchildren.

Dr. Jacqueline Kirk killed in Afghanistan

Dr. Jacqueline Kirk, recently appointed Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education at McGill University, was killed together in southern Afghanistan on 13 August 2008.

Regional Advocacy and Policy Advisor, Asia

WaterAid Asia is looking for a Regional Advocacy and Policy Advisor to lead the ongoing development of its policy and advocacy work across Asia.

Apply before Thursday 04 September 2008

Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist, Manila, the Philippines

The Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist will lead the planning, development, and execution of new initiatives in the water supply and sanitation sector across all Asian Development Bank developing member countries.

Apply before Wednesday 03 September 2008

Domestic wastewater treatment and reuse for engineers, architects, builders

New Delhi, India, 22-26 September 2008

This training course, offered by the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, India, explores current wastewater treatment practices and suggests an alternative paradigm suited to the Indian situation.

Decentralisation: local governments and user groups plan and implement water supply schemes in India

WSP-SA field note documents the progress of three large, river-based schemes in Kerala, India. The schemes are the first to be planned and implemented by local governments and user groups.

Community contributions: key to safe water in Bangladesh

A survey conducted by the government of Bangladesh in 2005 shows that contributions from the community are one of the main factors affecting safe water supplies. It also showed that services are more likley to work where communities have paid for them.

Cholera: research findings shed new light on epidemic behaviour

New research findings may be able to explain why cholera epidemics follow the paths they do. They suggest that the disease spreads until 'there is no one left to spread to'.

Arsenic: predicting groundwater arsenic contamination from surface parameters

Arsenic contamination of groundwater resources threatens the health of millions of people worldwide, particularly in the densely populated river deltas of Southeast Asia. This study helps predict arsenic contamination in the region.

School sanitation: ITT launches ITT Watermark

The ITT Corporation has launched ITT Watermark, a philanthropic programme to provide water and sanitation to 300 schools in Asia and Latin America.

Asia: Austria contributes US$ 5 million to multidonor water fund

The Austrian government has pledged US$ 5 million to the Asian Development Bank’s Water Financing Partnership Facility. The WFPF helps bring safe drinking water and sanitation services to remote and impoverished areas of the Asia and Pacific region.

Waterlines, edition on South Asian sanitation

The July 2008 edition of Waterlines, the international journal of water, sanitation and waste, features some of the most promising approaches to water and sanitation problems in South Asia.

Water democracy: reclaiming public water in Asia

This collection of essays by civil society activists, trade unionists and other water practitioners, presents examples of struggles against water privatisation and people-centred public water management from across Asia.

Financing water and sanitation at local levels

WaterAid carried out analyses in 12 developing countries in Africa and Asia to identify key blockages and systemic weaknesses that stand in the way of development finance reaching local authorities responsible for delivering water and sanitation services.