Economic resilience in water supply service in rural Tajikistan: A case study from Oxfam

The water utilities established by the Tajikistan Water Supply and Sanitation (TajWSS) project, which is funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and led by Oxfam in Tajikistan in collaboration with Government of Tajikistan focussed mainly on decentralization of drinking water services and ownership of the water supply assets by local governance bodies. However, owing to the increasing demand for water and pressures on water resources as a result of climatic variability, water utilities in rural areas are facing financial, operational and environmental challenges which prevent them from responding adequately. These challenges require highly resilient considerations in the design, construction and management of water supply and sanitation facilities and access to financial resources to overcome unforeseen risks. Oxfam's experience in Tajikistan shows that a community's socio-economic status and water utilities’ business operations were key factors for building the resilience of water and sanitation (WS) systems in rural areas. In this paper, the approach in building WS systems that are highly resilient to disasters or risks in rural areas is investigated along with how different factors such as demand and supply, institutional capacity, access to finance and community ownership affect the sustainability of WS services.

IMPORT SUBSTITUTION IN THE INDUSTRY OF WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION

Import substitution in the industry of water supply and sanitation (WSS) in the context of the current economic crisis is a rather attractive operation. The problem of import substitution in the water supply and sanitation industry is complex being characterized by features such as production conditions, the availability of scientific and technical developments, the intensity of relations with foreign colleagues. Many WSS sector participants focus on implementing measures to reduce their dependence on foreign suppliers and shifting to products of domestic manufacturers within the framework of import substitution. The overall goal of this paper is to assess the feasibility of import substitution in the sector of water supply and sanitation in Russia. In addition, the article offers a choice of equipment in the field of water treatment, which can be produced in Russia in order to create products that are competitive on the world market. This article provides a review and analysis of the nomenclature of the main and auxiliary equipment for the water supply sector. The article offers an overview of patents for useful models in the field of water treatment which are feasible to produce in the domestic industrial market, however, they are currently imported from abroad. The review investigates the extent of import substitution demanded by the industry of water supply and sanitation in Russia. It also describes types of water treatment equipment to be produced in Russia. The structure of the paper is as follows: - the history of the development of water supply and sanitation industry; - the analysis of the current status of water supply and sanitation industry of Russia and review of basic technological equipment for natural water treatment plants and for wastewater treatment; - the review of utility model patents in the field of water treatment; - the conclusion.

The impact of access to water supply and sanitation on the prevalence of active trachoma in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Trachoma is a worldwide infectious disease causing blindness. Trachoma continued as a public health problem in Ethiopia due to a lack of sanitation and inadequate prevention strategies. This study aimed to identify the impact of water supply and sanitation intervention on preventing active trachoma among children. Methods Systematic literature searches were performed from 4 international databases. The search involved articles published from January 1995 up to March 2019. The Cochran Q and I2 statistical tests were used to check heterogeneity among the studies. A random-effect meta-analysis was employed to determine the pooled estimates with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Data analysis was performed using the CMA V.3 and RevMan 5 software program, and the result of the systematic review was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Findings Out of 211 studies screened for the analysis, only 29 studies were finally included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The result revealed factors that are significantly associated with increased odds of active trachoma. Accordingly, households with no access to toilet facilities (odds ratio [OR]: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.75–2.38), no access to improved water (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.27–1.96), and do not practice regular face washing for children (OR: 4.19, 95% CI: 3.02–5.81) have shown increased odds of active trachoma. Besides, the results show a higher prevalence of active trachoma among children who did not wash their faces with soap and frequently. Conclusions The study found strong evidence that lack of access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) was associated with increased prevalence of active trachoma among children. Therefore, a comprehensive and partnership-oriented program is needed to tackle the problem, but further study will be required to strengthen its implementation.

Evaluation of the Implementation of Community-Based Water Supply and Sanitation Programs in Cihara Village, Lebak Regency

This study aims to evaluate the implementation of Community Based Drinking Water and Sanitation Provision III in Cihara Village, Cihara District, Lebak Regency. The theory used is the evaluation theory by Dunn (2003: 610), namely effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, equity, responsiveness, and accuracy. The method used is descriptive with a qualitative approach. The result of this research is that the implementation of the PAMSIMAS III program in Cihara Village, Cihara District, Lebak Regency has not run optimally. Suggestions that become recommendations for supervision from related agencies after the construction of facilities is complete and there are efforts from related agencies to provide awareness to the community about the importance of PHBS, community self-help groups have strategies so that people can participate in the form of in-cash contributions and in deliberations, and the existence of cross subsidies for infrastructure maintenance fees for people who are economically underprivileged.

Ecological And Hygienic Aspects Of Optimization Of Water Supply Of The Population

The high quality of drinking water is the result of a comprehensive solution to a number of problems, the main of which are the development and implementation of modern water treatment technologies, the use of effective laboratory control mechanisms, optimization of water supply, an integral approach to assessing the quality of drinking water, the use of hygienically sound solutions in terms of water supply and sanitation.