Rethinking urban water supply and sanitation strategy in developing countries in the humid tropics: lessons from the international water decade

Abstract

Four major lessons can be derived from the Decade. First, technology alone is not enough; managerial, organizational and social issues must also be considered in designing efficient systems. Second, appropriate and low-cost technology maximizes the value of investments. Third, innovative cost recovery programs are essential to sustainable projects. Fourth, community participation in planning, operation and maintenance tasks is the key to successful overall system performance. Whereas the objectives were technology oriented and were defined in terms of "coverage' at the beginning of the Decade, the emerging approach goes beyond coverage to emphasize institutional aspects and the "human factor' as central to achieving "sustainable, effectively used services'. -from Author