Resumen de Rural water sustainability in latin america and the caribbean. The sanitation boards in paraguay
Water is an essential resource and a fundamental vector in sustainable development. The lack of access to improved water resources has important impacts on health, economy, and education, especially for the most vulnerable populations. However, access does not guarantee an appropriate level of service that is affordable, equitable, and universal. Significant efforts in the international arena have pushed the agenda to improve access, especially in rural areas where levels of access have been historically lower and unevenly distributed. Several models of water management, embracing both public and private sector participation, have been promoted in countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Traditionally, community-based management has been the most common approach in rural areas, supported by governments and international aid institutions, although results have been mixed.
In Latin American and the Caribbean levels of access to improved water resources have improved significantly in recent decades, achieving and surpassing the Millennium Development Goals. However, challenges are still enormous. Sustainability is a target that must be hit in order to ensure an optimal level of service in the long-term, with strategies that guarantee the environmental, institutional, management, financial, technical, and social dimensions of a system¿s sustainability.
This research is based on an extensive review of literature on rural water, the current situation related to access in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the evolution of water sector management under different models. A probing assessment on sustainability in the rural water sector, on measurement tools, and on international experiences in water management has also been conducted. The analysis of more than 1,100 indicators shows that institutional, management, technical, and financial dimensions are associated with between 21 and 23 percent of the indicators defined in the 29 tools assessed. Environmental aspects, at a mere 4 percent, are the least common.
The case study of 100 rural communities in Paraguay aims to combine theories on sustainability tools and indicators with a practical approach. Existing information was rounded out with a follow-up survey administered to a sample of users and 100 sanitation boards that manage the water systems, together with a water system assessment in each of the communities. Results show a high level of service in almost all of the 100 communities, with a high likelihood of long- term sustainability, which is due in large part to the high levels of management and social capital of the communities. The main challenges identified to ensure water sustainability were related with the quality of the source ¿ negatively impacted by climate change effects and the lack of standards for controlling source use ¿ and the lack of financial capacity to expand systems. The cultural value of water is a key aspect affecting user willingness to both pay and responsibly manage the system. The constant support of the Paraguayan government in the rural water sector through the Ministry of Health¿s autonomous institution (SENASA) also plays a positive role.
The study confirms that the challenges in measuring sustainability in rural water systems and in developing a common framework are enormous. Official data regarding access does not reflect sustainability problems, which can jeopardize significant investments in new and rehabilitated infrastructure. Community participation in addressing these challenges in the rural areas is strategic, but other conditions also require governmental support. Availability of data and appropriate indicators for measuring sustainability are the first steps to understanding the whys, the hows, and the whos involved. From there, national and sub-national governments should prioritize strategies for ultimately improving population welfare.
