2014 was the year in which we got more insight into how rural water supply systems are doing in Honduras. The situation isn't as bad as often thought. Most water systems are working and water is flowing. But a significant portion face problems with for example water quality. And many water committees are underperforming. My wish for 2015 is that all these systems score an A.
Published on: 06/02/2015
Of the 1300 rural water systems that have been monitored (using the SIASAR monitoring system), 69% are in category "A" (in good condition) and 30% in "B" (operating but needing minor interventions); only 1% classified as "C". This means that about 1 in 3 water systems faces operational problems of, for example, water quality or continuity of supply. In addition, only 15 % of the water committees score an "A" (good performance), 62% a "B" (regular performance), and the remaining 22% a poor or bad performance (C or D).
I hope that 2015 will be the year in which many more of these systems and water committees score an A. Because if that were the case, two important things would have happened:
And through that, the most important A's can be scored: by children who can attend school more regularly, because they are not affected by poor water quality, and can get better grades for their tests; or, by Honduras' economy, as continuous water supplies are more likely to be used for small-scale productive uses, such as vegetable gardens or coffee processing.
At IRC we are committed to contribute to getting an A. Under the umbrella of the Para Todos, Por Siempre (Everyone, Forever) initiative, we will work with over 20 municipalities to analyse how the water systems scored, and what needs to be done to make it to an A. In addition, we hope to put in place processes through which municipalities can continuously update their data on how the water systems are doing. In this way, we hope that 2015 is the year in which more rural water supplies in Honduras score an A.