Component 3 -
Development of Independent and Commercialized Urban Water and
Sanitation Utilities
 Context
In numerous regions of Yemen, drinking water supplies and sanitation
are inadequate. The responsible state-run sector organisations, as
well as the water and sanitation utilities, frequently lack the
management and operating capacity they need. Around 56% of the urban
population nationwide has access to public water supplies, and
around 31% to public wastewater disposal. In addition, more than
half of the urban population (sometimes also those having access to
network but not receiving enough water supply) has to meet its
supply needs privately through hygienically unsafe and expensive
means. The Government of Yemen has been pursuing a reform process
since 1997 which includes decentralization, commercialization,
community participation and the expansion of public water supply and
sanitation. Establishing
decentralised structures and mainstreaming them in both civil
society and the political sphere has led to clear improvements in
operations management. The launch of the National Water Sector
Strategy and Investment Programme, 2005-2009 (NWSSIP) marked the
emergence of the strategic framework conditions needed for future
development of the urban water sector. This essential effort of
providing consistency and cohesiveness to the Water sector is
pursued with the updated version of NWSSIP, which adoption is
expected soon at the date when this text is written.
Component 3 of the Water Sector Program: Development of autonomous
and commercial water and sanitation utilities
The
Component is helping water utilities to develop efficient
organisational structures, to establish sound business procedures
and to improve customer relations management.
In addition,
public awareness campaigns and stakeholder participation are being
supported. Furthermore, advisory committees and boards of directors
are being encouraged to become involved in supervising water utility
investments and operations.
The Water Utility Component
supports water utilities through consultancy services, facilitating
the exchange of know-how among the water utilities, and the
following-up of issues with the Ministry of Water and Environment
(MWE) and the Central Organisation for Control and Auditing (COCA).
Public awareness campaigns are being designed and implemented in
collaboration with local stakeholders at water utility level,
including local NGOs.
Currently 17 water utilities
are being supported. The scope of support ranges from regular
follow-up visits to intensive capacity-building programmes.
The
Component is active in all cities where KfW (the German Financial
Cooperation) finances infrastructures – and in other towns upon
request of the ministry -. Financial and Technical cooperation come
hand in hand to obtain a multiplying effect in the field, thanks to
improved infrastructures and improved management.
Summary of the past achievements:
Phase I – July 2006 to June
2009
Drawing on the experience and achievements of the
past individual projects elaborated by GTZ (in the fields of water
utility managements, business operations, stakeholder participation
through formation of advisory committees or board of directors,
public awareness and customer relations management), the program “Institutional Development of the
Water Sector” started in 2006, structured in 3-year long phases. The
first phase was completed in June 2009.
Many of the
supported water utilities are undergoing a process of restructuring
the organisation and redesigning core business procedures to improve
operations and service delivery. The Water Utility Component has
helped to establish a sound administrative and financial management.
In addition, advisory committees and boards of directors are trained
and empowered. Furthermore, community mobilizing workers (CMW) are
trained and assisted to arrange and to conduct public awareness
campaigns in order
to inform the local population about water supply and sanitation.
More than 10 years of collaboration in the field of water
utility support have resulted in substantial decentralisation and
commercialisation of the urban water supply and sanitation sector.
NWSA – the previous central supply authority – is responsible for
only less than 5% of the urban population. Water utilities which
have received financial support for infrastructure investment and
long-term capacity development from the German side show good to
outstanding performance. In 2008, it was estimated that around 2.5
million people, some 50% percent of whom are classified as poor,
have gained access to reliable urban water supply. More than 4.5
million people benefit from improved water utility operations
supported by the Water Utility Component.
In a challenging
environment, results were obtained in terms of cost recovery for the
utilities (10 of the water utilities supported manage today to
charge their service to a level that allow them to cover more than
90% of their costs), of diminishing of the customers complaints
(although the support provided in terms of public awareness and
customer dialogue leads initially to a sharp increase in the in
complaints because customers only now have the chance to communicate
with the water utility), of collection efficiency (5 of the water
utilities supported have a collection efficiency of more than 95%
and 6 other utilities have a collection efficiency between 80 and
95%), reduction of the Non Revenue Water – the losses due to
technical or administrative reasons (in the three cities supported
on the that matter – Sanaa, Aden and Ibb - NRW are currently
estimated at a level of 33% on average).
A large customer
satisfaction survey was held in 2008 in seven towns. The findings
from the survey show that 69% of the target groups are satisfied
with the situation of water services in general. This result is used
to monitor one of the overall indicators which is “at least 75% of
target group positively assess the water supply and sanitation
situation in the project area by 2015”.
Phase II
– July 2009 to June 2012
Phase II has started in July
2009. It pursues and consolidates the activities started during the
first phase.
Objective
The operational
efficiency of water and sanitation utilities has improved.
Indicators / Phase II
-
Increase in the number of water
utilities with a cost recovery rate of 90 % (target figures to
be specified after sites have been selected for new investments
under the PTOP Program, co-financed by KfW and the Government of
Yemen)
-
Decline in customer complaints (target
figures to be specified after sites have been selected under
PTOP)
-
The number of water utilities
operating under a business plan (as per NWSSIP) has increased
from 0 (2009) to 7.
-
At least 3 water utilities run at
least 5 core business processes based on a GIS operational
management system (business audit).
Counterpart Organization
Ministry of Water and Environment
Partnerships
Water and Sanitation Utilities, National Water and Sanitation
Authority (NWSA), Central Organisation for Control and Auditing
(COCA), the World Bank, Charitable Society for Women
Development/NGO, KfW Development Bank, German Development Service
(DED), CIM, InWent, ACWUA (Arab Countries Water Utility Association)
Contact Persons
Name: Guillaume Merere / Team Leader
Office: + 967 1 335 036 / 37 /
38, ext 111
Fax: +967 1 231 412
E-mail: guillaume.merere@giz.de
Name: Eng. Zeyad Shawagfeh / Senior Advisor: Utilities
Management
Office: +967 1 335 036 / 37 / 38, ext 119
Fax:
+967 1 231 412
E-mail:
ziad.shawagfeh@giz.de
Name: Saleh Hakami / Senior Advisor: Stakeholder Dialogue –
Public Awareness
Office: +967 1 335 036 / 37 / 38, ext 115
Fax: +967 1 231 412
E-mail:
saleh.hakami@giz.de
|
Water Sector
Factsheets
Detailed
Information about the Yemeni-German Water Sector Program and its
Components.
Download English Version,
1,1 MB, PDF
Download
Arabic Version, 1,1 MB, PDF
The
Components:
Consolidation of Sector
Reform in
Urban Water Supply and Sanitation
 more
Human Resource Development
in the Water Sector
more
Development of Independent and
Commercialized Urban Water and
Sanitation Utilities
more
Decentralization of Water Resources Management
more
Strengthening Local Actors in Arid
Areas for Sustainable Water use at the Community Level in Amran
more |
