Catalog

Clean Water for Better Health

Community water taps and latrines are improving life in rural Nepal

Omana Nair (onair@adb.org)
External Relations Officer

An estimated 880 million people in South Asia are deprived of proper sanitation facilities, including 18 million in Nepal. Low literacy rates and severe poverty have contributed to a lack of proper sanitation practices. As a result, waterborne diseases are widespread and are the major cause of child morbidity and mortality in rural areas.

A campaign to educate rural people about the importance of clean water and improved sanitation is part of the community education program under the Fourth Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project funded by the Asian Development Bank. The project aims to expand the access to clean water and low-cost sanitation of rural communities, including those in the country's far-western development regions, which are among Nepal’s most economically deprived, remote, and geographically disadvantaged areas.

But old habits can be hard to break.

Even for a well-educated person like engineer N. R. Sherstha, it was a difficult task to convince family members to use latrines rather than the fields: “I worked on my mother to change her mind at every opportunity and tried to educate her on good hygienic habits.”

He says that lack of safe drinking water supplies and sanitation facilities has resulted in worsening public health conditions, deteriorating quality of life, and increasing economic costs in remote areas in Nepal.

Communities Take Charge

“We are dramatically changing the lives of hundreds of poor people for the better and we are also having a beneficial impact on reducing poverty,” said Project Manager B.H. Bhatta as we drove along a bumpy road in Kailali District off the east-west highway, heading for the village of Kauwpur.

The 1,250-member community welcomed us with cockscomb garlands and shouts of namastee (the traditional greeting), which became a regular feature in every village we visited.

A group had convened in front of a house, and the residents listened attentively to the briefing of the water users committee chairman. “We are happy to have a clean water supply, and latrines are fast becoming a common feature in this village,” the chairman said. He pointed out that 20 community taps and 118 latrines had been constructed for the 279 households.

Before community taps were introduced, distant springs, wells, and streams were the main sources of drinking water for this village. In many of the hill and mountainous areas, women and girls often must fetch water from distant sources. It is not unusual for women and girls to spend up to seven hours a day fetching water, often to the detriment of the children’s health and education.

“Women are now spared from fetching water from far away streams and carrying jugs on their heads,” he said.

Through the project, the local community members were also trained to manage their own water and sanitation facilities. “This community-oriented approach has improved dramatically the level of sustainability of the project,” said Mr. Bhatta.

Improved Sanitation and Privacy

Volunteer Santhia Tapa says that even after the official campaign has ended, she will continue the campaign to cultivate the habit of using latrines and educate people on the importance of good hygienic practices. "I’ve built my own latrine, which is very convenient,” she says, adding that she sometimes allows her neighbors to use it.

For student Rekhapun, a latrine by her home means no longer needing to go out to the fields. Spending 2,500 rupees (US$30) to construct a latrine at home has benefited her in terms of security and improved health conditions. “Now I don’t have to feel scared anymore going out in the dark alone, and I also have privacy,” she says.

Reduced Disease Incidence

When the project is completed at the end of 2001, some 1,500 rural communities that have suffered from distant, inadequate, and poor water quality will have benefited from the project. By expanding access to safe water supplies and improved sanitation conditions, the project is boosting the quality of life of low-income farmers in small villages through time savings and other income-earning opportunities. Reducing the time and energy spent on collecting water from distant springs and streams is improving the quality of life and health of women and girls, who are often undernourished.

At Polkhari Village near Mahen- dranager, Chairman Jangraj Josh seems to have had little trouble in coaxing the residents to change their water usage and sanitation habits, but much more needs to be done. The 31 community taps provided for the village so far are insufficient to serve the entire population of 1,480 he says, adding that the community members are willing to cooperate and provide labor to have access to better water and sanitation facilities.

Homemaker Laxmidewi Joshi says that accessibility to clean water and better sanitation have reduced the incidence of diseases such as cholera and diarrhea.

“I’m happy to see that my children are healthier,” she said, adding that even the village schools now have toilets and piped water.

Read the Special Theme Chapter in ADB's 1999 Annual Report -- "Water in the 21st Century"

Know more about ADB’s work in Nepal

Read the news release – Water Shortages Could Threaten Regional Stability

Learn about ADB's Developing Best Practices For Promoting Private Sector Investment in Infrastructure -- Water Supply

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