Sociological Survey on the Project "Rural Water Supply and Sanitation"

Sociological Survey "Rural Water Supply and Sanitation" to prepare a Second Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, WB

In order to address the deteriorating infrastructure and institutional vacuum, in 2001, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, in cooperation with the World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), launched the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (RWSP) in most villages of Kyrgyzstan.

It was agreed that the World Bank and DFID would support project implementation in the northern provinces, while the Asian Development Bank would work in the southern region.

Years of Survey Conduction: 2008

Location: Chui, Naryn, Talas and Issyk-Kul oblasts

Donor: World Bank, Asian Development Bank and UK Department for International Development through ARIS

Survey Objectives
The development objectives of the PSVS-1 project were as follows:
- Increasing the availability of potable water from water supply systems to participating communities;
- to improve sanitation and other rural water management practices at the individual, household and institutional levels.

It was also the task of the project researchers to conduct a qualitative analysis of project implementation results in four villages that participated in the PSWSS-1 and one village that did not participate in the project - in order to enable PSWSS-2 to be implemented, building on the successes of its predecessor, avoiding or mitigating risks and constraints, and avoiding negative or unsatisfactory results. The case studies were conducted as part of the overall evaluation of PSVS-1 over a three-week period, including preparation and actual fieldwork.

Survey location
The case studies were decided to be conducted in the following villages:
- Maman - a relatively large village (population - 2,400), where the implementation of the micro-project was considered (by the project staff) successful;
- Darkhan - a relatively large village (population - 5032 people), where micro-project implementation was recognized as unsuccessful;
- Ak-Kyya - a relatively small village (population - 620 people) where micro-project implementation was recognized as successful;
- Chat Bazar - a relatively small village where the micro-project implementation was recognized as unsuccessful;
- Bakai-Ata - a village that did not participate in the project but has its own water supply infrastructure.

Survey Results
The objectives set for PSVS-1 were achieved by:
- Establishment of infrastructure to provide access to clean drinking water to approximately 340000 people;
- Establishment of 173 Public Drinking Water Consumers' Associations (PWCAs) covering 205 villages - all PWCAs have been established, legally registered and operate their own water supply systems.

Upon completion of the Project, in the fall of 2008, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, with the support of donors (World Bank and Department for International Development of the United Kingdom), started preparation of the Second Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (RWSSP-2) to provide further support and maintain the achievements of the previous project. It subsequently focused on the same objectives and built on the same fundamental approaches.