Programme description

Title: Sector programme Water and Sanitation Programme (PROSECEAU) in Burundi
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Burundi
Lead executing agency: Ministère de l’Eau, de l’Environnement, de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de l’Urbanisme (Ministry of Water, Environment, Territory Management and City Planning); Ministère de l’Eau, de l’Environnement, de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de l’Urbanisme
Overall term: 2006 to 2015

Context

The outbreak of civil war in Burundi (1993) had a serious impact on the population’s water supply and sanitation. Even now, in 2010, a large proportion of the population still does not have access to safe drinking water or to hygienic sanitary facilities. Poor conditions in the water sector and inadequate water resources management pose an obstacle to improvements to the water supply and sanitation.

The programme supports the reforms to the water sector introduced by the Government of Burundi with a view to improving the institutional and legal framework. A decentralisation process is strengthening capacities at municipal and regional level and thus improving supply security for the poor.

Objective

The introduction of integrated water resources management and decentralised, professional, service-oriented and cost-covering operations, including the creation of reserves, leads to sustainable improvements in the population’s water supply and sanitation.

Approach

GIZ (until December 2010 GTZ and DED) and KfW Entwicklungsbank work at different administrative levels, with ministries, provincial administrations, local authorities and operators. Investment, consultancy, studies, back-up measures, training measures and other interventions mutually reinforce one another to promote a supply of drinking water to the population that is oriented to their needs. Germany is currently the largest donor in Burundi’s water sector and plays a key role in coordinating support from the other donors.

The programme’s key functions

• Support for the Ministry of Water and participating institutions in designing and implementing the sector reform
  Water policy and the legal and institutional framework are being revised. The sector reform aims to decentralise the water sector and to achieve an institutional and tariff reform. The project executing agencies receive support in organisational development and in change and knowledge management.
  
  
• Improving strategic sectoral planning
  The partners receive assistance in sectoral coordination and a nationwide inventory of all water and sanitary facilities. They are advised on developing and introducing suitable methods and instruments for data management, on setting up a national water database and on developing medium-term and long-term national investment planning for rural and urban areas.
  
  
• Strengthening management capacities in urban water supply and sanitation
  Capacity development in the participating institutions helps them develop a professional and economically sustainable urban water supply and sanitation.
  
  
• Structural development in water supply and sanitation systems for small towns and rural areas
  The management skills of community water committees are promoted through support for the technical and commercial operation of the plants, through the introduction of a national operator system to professionalise the water supply plants in small towns, and through support for monitoring and supervision.
  
  
• Improving the institutional and legal framework for integrated water resources management (IWRM)
  Sound information about the availability of water resources is provided in order to improve the institutional and legal framework for integrated water resources management (IWRM). Support is given to help implement Burundi’s IWRM Action Plan, and the Ministry of Water is advised on how to set up a Directorate-General for Water.
  
  
• HIV/AIDS control in the water sector
  Prevention and care are improved through counselling measures in the two pilot provinces Rutana and Ruyigi. Awareness-raising material for the population is standardised, and trainers and multipliers are trained. A situation analysis has been conducted, which addressed the topic of HIV/AIDS and how to deal with it in the programme’s partner institutions. On the basis of this, measures are being identified and planned to improve the way the fight against HIV/AIDS is mainstreamed in the water sector.

Results achieved so far

A single ministry has been responsible for reform and coordination of the water sector since the beginning of 2009. At the same time, water resources management has been separated from water supply services. The Ministry of Water promoted the rapid and targeted agreement of a water policy, which was adopted by the Council of Ministers in December 2009. Water policy defines the strategic axes of the sector reform and serves as a guide for the reform process.

An initial assessment was carried out in March 2010 as a key element of sector coordination in accordance with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005).

A national water and sanitation database provides an overview of the existing water supply and sanitation services and provides the basis for national monitoring, for the preparation of sector investment planning and for local development planning.