2011年-世界发展银行全球_Water_Supply_and_Sanitation_in_Liberia___Turning_Finance_into_Services_for_2015_and_Beyond_32页_1mb

Summary of Water Supply and Sanitation in Liberia

Core Content

This document provides an overview of the status of water supply and sanitation (WASH) in Liberia, focusing on the transition from financial resources to service delivery. It is part of the AMCOW Country Status Overviews (CSO2), a regional initiative aimed at assessing progress and identifying reform priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Liberia's water and sanitation sector has been significantly impacted by a 14-year civil conflict (1990–2003), which caused severe damage to infrastructure and disrupted service delivery. Despite this, Liberia has made strides in recent years, including the election of its first female president in 2006 and the development of key policies such as the Integrated Water Resource Management Policy (IWRMP) and the Water Supply and Sanitation Policy (WSSP).

The country has also adopted Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS), with PRS1 (2008–11) and PRS2 (2012–17) setting ambitious targets for improved water and sanitation coverage. These targets are aligned with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), although the document notes that actual coverage may be lower than reported by international bodies like the UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP).

Main Views

• Post-Conflict Recovery: Liberia's water and sanitation sector is in the early stages of recovery, with a focus on rebuilding infrastructure and improving service delivery.
• Policy Development: A comprehensive policy framework has been established, including the WSSP and IWRMP, which aim to guide the sector towards sustainable and equitable service delivery.
• Service Delivery Pathway: The document highlights the importance of a well-functioning service delivery pathway, from planning and budgeting to implementation and monitoring.
• Finance and Investment: Public investment in the sector is limited, with most funding coming from grants. There is a significant CAPEX deficit and a need for more effective resource mobilization.
• Capacity and Coordination: Government capacity to lead and coordinate is still weak, especially in sanitation, and requires strengthening through institutional reforms and stakeholder engagement.
• Rural vs. Urban Challenges: Rural areas face greater challenges in terms of financing and infrastructure, while urban areas, particularly Monrovia, require specific strategies for sanitation and hygiene.

Key Information

Coverage and Finance Trends

• Water Supply: Coverage increased from 37% in 1990 to 25% in 2008, with PRS1 targeting 50% by 2011 and PRS2 aiming for 77% by 2015.
• Sanitation: Coverage dropped from 17% in 1990 to 7% in 2003, rising to 15% in 2008. PRS1 targeted 33% by 2011, and PRS2 set a target of 56% by 2015.
• JMP Data: Based on JMP data, water coverage was 68% in 2008, and sanitation was 17%, suggesting that Liberia could potentially meet its MDG targets if the data are accurate.
• Investment Requirements: To meet the 2015 targets, the CSO2 costing model estimates a US$56 million annual capital investment for water supply and US$68 million for sanitation. However, there is a significant funding gap, with US$22 million needed annually for water and US$41 million for sanitation.
• Public vs. Household Contributions: Public investment is expected to be around US$22 million/year, while household contributions are estimated at US$12 million/year. This leaves a large funding deficit.

Institutional and Policy Framework

• WSSP and IWRMP: These policies aim to improve governance, coordination, and service delivery. The WSSP is particularly focused on water supply and sanitation.
• Water Law: A new water law is being contemplated to provide legal backing to policy objectives.
• Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp): The WASH Compact, part of the SWA initiative, outlines joint commitments in institutional capacity, equity, monitoring, and finance.
• Stakeholder Engagement: The institutional framework emphasizes the need for stakeholder consultation and the establishment of clear roles for government agencies and other actors.

Challenges and Priority Actions

• Weak Institutional Capacity: There is a lack of clear institutional leadership for sanitation and limited coordination across the sector.
• Resource Allocation: Poor resource allocation, including inadequate human resources, is a major constraint on service delivery.
• Cost Recovery: Effective cost recovery mechanisms are needed to sustain services, especially in rural areas.
• Urban Sanitation Strategy: There is currently no urban sanitation strategy, despite the rapid growth of the urban population.
• Rural Sanitation and Hygiene: The Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach is being used to improve sanitation, but its effectiveness needs to be tested.
• Behavior Change and Innovation: There is a need for behavior change initiatives and innovative financing mechanisms, such as micro-finance schemes, to promote sanitation uptake.

Strategic Recommendations

• Operationalize Policies: The WSSP and its proposed institutions should be operationalized with stakeholder consultation.
• Capacity Building: Strengthen institutional capacity at all levels, including county and community levels.
• Sector-Wide Approach: Implement a Sector-Wide Approach to coordinate funding and activities across the sector.
• Investment Plans: Develop detailed investment plans that include subsector requirements and funding sources.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish a national information management system and conduct annual reviews to track progress.
• Sanitation Strategy: Develop a national sanitation strategy, especially for urban areas, and test innovative approaches.

Conclusion

The document emphasizes the need for a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach to improve the effectiveness of water supply and sanitation services in Liberia. It highlights the importance of institutional reform, better resource allocation, and the implementation of a clear, actionable strategy to meet the national targets set by the PRS and MDGs. The CSO2 scorecard provides a diagnostic tool to identify bottlenecks and guide reform efforts, underscoring the importance of aligning policy with practice and ensuring that finance is effectively turned into services.