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WSP-EAP Economics of Sanitation Initiative Regional Workshop

The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) is an international partnership for improving water and sanitation sector policies, practices, and capacities to serve poor people. It has launched a multi-country Economics of Sanitation Initiative (ESI) to study the economic impacts of poor sanitation (Phase 1) and the costs and benefits of improved sanitation options and programs (Phase 2). The ESI Vision is that:

• Those with influence over sanitation policy making or funding take into account efficiency considerations in their decisions, reflecting the real-life costs and benefits of sanitation programs (topic for Phase 2).
• The amount of funds is increased through a better understanding of the benefits and cost-benefits of improved sanitation and hygiene, and their multiple beneficial effects (topic for Phases 1 and 2).

ESI is at an advanced stage in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, implementing the 2nd phase of the initiative, in partnership with ADB, to do the cost-benefit analysis of sanitation options. Also through cofinancing from ADB, the same initiative was launched in June 2008 in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. ADB supports the ESI along with other donor agencies.

This workshop brought together ESI Phase 2 study implementers and WSP staff from six countries of the East Asia and Pacific region to discuss issues related to data collection, data analysis, reporting and dissemination of study findings.

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The workshop aimed to:

• Clarify data requirements and agree on standard methods
• Discuss study implementation issues and how to optimize deliverables with the resources committed
• Discuss concerns or unresolved issues
• Support countries/sites where study is at earlier stages
• Agree on required regional level support to complete the study
• Agree on forms of products (deliverables) and study outputs (main results) and how these will be communicated and disseminated
• Agree on work program and time line to complete the study in each country

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The workshop was organized by WSP Cambodia with support from USAID’s ECO-Asia and ADB.

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WSP regional and global staff and representatives from USAID’s ECO-Asia and ADB participated in the workshop.

View the list of participants [ PDF ]