Millions wasted in poor water aid projects

By Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent
Published: March 19 2009 19:10

Hundreds of millions of dollars on aid projects to provide water and sanitation in Africa have been wasted, as the projects have failed, according to a new report.
The problem is that aid organisations and governments are keen to provide the initial infrastructure, such as boreholes, pumps, wells and sanitary facilities, but without money to maintain them these can quickly fall into disrepair, so that local people return to their prior, often unsafe, sources of drinking water.

The International Institute for Environment and Development, in a report published today, estimates that somewhere between $215m and $360m has been wasted on water infrastructure that has since collapsed.
About 50,000 boreholes, wells and other water supply points have fallen into disrepair, the IIED estimates, rendering poor communities at least as badly off as they were before the aid money was spent.
Jamie Skinner, author of the paper, says: “It seems simple and obvious, but it needs to be said: there is little point in drilling wells if there is no system to maintain them. Every day that a borehole does not provide safe water, people are obliged to drink from unclean pools and rivers, exposing them to water-borne diseases. ”
He concludes that donors should work with local communities to give them the expertise to look after and maintain any new water and sanitation infrastructure, and ensure that structures are in place - such as a local community fund - to provide the money necessary for repairs.
The IIED report was released to coincide with the World Water Forum in Istanbul, a meeting of governments, charities and businesses to discuss worldwide water issues and possible solutions to the problems of water scarcity and the lack of sanitation in large swathes of the developing world.
Businesses were facing as much risk from water scarcity as poor communities, said Stuart Orr, freshwater manager at WWF International. He said businesses could not escape from the problem, as sources of water across the world were at risk from overuse, pollution and climate change.
He warned that businesses could not view their own operations in isolation: “If you are an efficient business sitting in a poorly managed river basin you are still exposed to extremely high water risk.”
He warned that water was so basic a commodity that many businesses failed to realise the extent to which disruptions in supply or increases in price – both of which are predicted to occur with increasing frequency – could affect their operations.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009