Source South Asia 2009, Issue 16

Published - 24 Mar 09

South Asia - General

South Asia: ADB president calls on governments and private sector to do more on sanitation

Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda has called on regional governments and the private sector to do more to help the 1.8 billion people in Asia who lack access to adequate sanitation.

Bangladesh: underground piping system presented at World Bank Water Week

An underground irrigation and drinking water supply system developed by the Rural Development Academy in Bangladesh was presented at the World Bank Water Week in Washington, USA, on 19 February 2009.

India, Haryana: no toilet, no wedding campaign having an impact

Women in Haryana, India, are fighting against insanitation by insisting that their daughter marry into a household with a toilet. The campaign is part of the government's objective of improving sanitation practices across the agriculture-dependent state.

India, Uttar Pradesh: Oscar village to get improved water supplies

A village in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is to undergo a makeover since a film about one of its younger residents won an Oscar. The film, Smile Pinki, tells the story of Pinki Sonkar, whose cleft lip made her a social outcast.

India, Karnataka: responses to household water and sanitation survey

In 2008, the Indian NGO Arghyam conducted an extensive survey of household water and sanitation in the state of Karnataka. Arghyam then asked experts and practitioners for advice on how best to analyse the data.

Maldives: 12 islands face serious water shortage after long dry season

Twelve islands in the Maldives have been suffering from serious shortages of drinking water since February. Some families are spending up to 80% of their income on buying safe water to drink.

Nepal: protests against water shortages in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur

Residents of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal have demonstrated against irregular supplies of water and electricity. They threaten to step up their protests if the government does not take effective action.

Nepal: extra marks for students with a toilet at home

Many students of Dhikpur Village Development Committee (VDC) in Dang Deokhuri District, southwestern Nepal, get an additional 10 marks in their exams if they construct a toilet in their home. Local women and young people came up with the idea to make the village clean and the schools agreed.

Pakistan, Karachi: slum dwellers fear impotence from water-purifying tablets

Women in the Machar Colony, the largest slum in the Pakistani city of Karachi are refusing to use chlorine tablets to purify water because their husbands fear it will make them impotent. Community workers say that this is only one of a range of excuses not to use the tablets.

Sri Lanka: SLWP and Water Integrity Network Partnership fight illicit sand mining

In 2008, the Sri Lanka Water Partnership (SLWP) and the Water Integrity Network (WIN) joined forces to fight illicit and unregulated river sand mining. They produced an integrated package of activities, including awareness programmes, brochures, posters, and a documentary.

Jharana Thapa: Nepalese actress and Sanitation Brand Ambassador on campaign

Nepalese actress Jharana Thapa, Sanitation Brand Ambassador for the End Water Poverty campaign spends a lot of time shooting films around the country. She takes advantage of the opportunity to promote better sanitation practices.

Shashi Tharoor: former UN Under-Secretary General responds to accusations of anti-Cola activists

Former United Nations Under-Secretary General Shashi Tharoor has responded to accusations from activists in his native state of Kerala, India, regarding his membership of the Advisory Board of Yatn, the Coca-Cola India Foundation. In an open letter, the activists accused him of “insensitivity and unconcern to align with the criminal Coca-Cola against the people of Plachimada”.

Community-Led Total Sanitation: whistle-blowing children combat open defecation in Bangladesh

Children in the villages of Dinajpur district in northern Bangladesh have caught some 250 people practicing open defecation in the past six months. They shame the culprits by blowing whistles.

India, Bangalore: improving water and sanitation for slum dwellers

With the help of local NGO AVAS, the residents of Sudhamnagar, a slum community in Bangalore, now have household latrines and a safe drinking water supply.

Urban sanitation: people-centred upgrading of informal settlements in Pakistan

Around 60% of Karachi's population lives in low income, informal settlements known as ‘katchi abadi’. The Orangi Pilot Project has transformed sewage systems in these communities and, in doing so, has challenged regular development approaches.

Arsenic: using flocculant-disinfectant point-of-use water treatment to reduce exposure in rural Bangladesh

Researchers from Bangladesh and the USA introduced flocculant-disinfectant water treatment for 12 weeks in 103 households in Bangladesh to assess if drinking water would be chemically and microbiologically improved and the body burden of arsenic reduced.

Ecological sanitation: using faecal pollution indicators to estimate pathogen die off conditions

As the introduction of dehydrating toilets progresses, the safety of handling and reuse of their biosolids remains a question. This study investigated the storage conditions of selected faecal indicators in four urine diverting dehydrating toilet units in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

Hygiene: link between fecal contamination of drinking water after collection and hygiene practices

Water-borne illness, primarily caused by fecal contamination of drinking water, is a major health burden in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Researchers from the University of Iowa (USA) and the Institute of Health Systems (India) discovered that fecal contamination occurs principally during storage.

Water treatment: fact sheet on system for Shechen Clinic in Kathmandu, Nepal

A system for treating groundwater for the Shechen Clinic in Kathmandu, Nepal, has been constructed with a € 28,000 microgrant from the Fondation Ensemble. The system delivers water in three different qualities for different uses.

Infrastructure fund: Japan announces green loan fund for crisis-hit developing countries

Japan has announced a US$ 5 billion loan fund to help developing countries hit by the global credit crisis to put in place running water, solar power systems and other environmental infrastructure.

India/Bangladesh: PepsiCo Foundation announces Save the Children grant to improve nutrition and hygiene

On 19 February 2009 the PepsiCo Foundation announced a three-year, US$ 5 million grant to Save the Children to help ensure the survival and well-being of children living in rural India and Bangladesh. The two countries are home to 40% of the world’s malnourished children.

World Bank Water Week 2009 Asia presentations online

The 2009 Water Week took place at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC from 17-20 February 2009. The event, entitled “Tackling Global Water Challenges”, was organised by the Water Anchor in partnership with the Water Sector Board. All presentations are now online.

Singapore International Water Week

Singapore, 22-26 June 2009

The theme of the 2nd Singapore International Water Week is “Sustainable Cities - Infrastructure and Technologies for Water”. The five highlights of the Week are: Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Water Expo, Business Forums and Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize.