Presented by: Siddhartha Das, FANSA Regional Coordinator

1. Reaching the Unreached: Technical Focus Session Equity and inclusion in South AsiaRecommendations for targeting vulnerable groups in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka Presented by: Siddhartha Das, FANSA Regional Coordinator

2. Equity and Inclusion and WASH “Equity involves recognizing that people are different and requires specific support and measures to overcome the specific impediments that stand in the way of their being able to access and use safe sanitation and adopting hygiene practice services sustainably”

3. SACOSAN IV commitments • to design and deliver context-specific equitable and inclusive sanitation and hygiene programmes including better identification of the poorest and most marginalized groups in rural and urban areas, including transparent targeting of financing to programmes for those who need them most;  • to adopt participation, inclusion and social accountability mechanisms from planning through to implementation in all sanitation and hygiene programmes at the community level, particularly for the most marginalized areas and vulnerable groups.

4. Purpose of the study • Identify the key barriers • Analyze the best practices • Suggest recommendations

5. Geographical Areas and Vulnerable Groups

6. Key Findings – Bangladesh (Satkhira district) • Persistent water logging in Satkhira district - homes and livelihoods (land erosion) affected. • An estimated 12.6% of the population exposed to arsenic contaminated water • Salinity in soil and water erodes the latrines affecting quality of construction and longevity of facilities • Menstruating women face inconvenience in disaster affected areas- little privacy in using, lack of proper sanitation facility in the make-shift arrangement.

7. Key Findings – Pakistan (Sindh Region) Estimated 10% of Pakistan’s total population suffers from some form of disability and 66% of this live in rural areas • WASH service delivery process excludes disabled people, their concerns & needs remain unattended • Significant gap in social welfare & special education for disabled population provisions in rural & urban areas • No specific mention of PLWDs or their needs in National Sanitation Policy

8. Key Findings – Nepal(Bardiya District & Kathmandu Municipality) • Percentage of population above 60 years of age has nearly doubled in the last ten years - from 4.6 in 2001 to 8.1 in 2011 • 86% of elderly people in rural Nepal have no access to toilets either lack of toilets or the designs adopted are not convenient to them • Kathmandu Municipality has many charitable homes and orphanages for poor and aged – these are individual initiatives and sanitation is not priority • Aged people do not feel that their voices are heard in the Village Councils meetings

9. Key Findings – India(Warangal District) • Government and Private schools in Warangal face acute water shortage (ground water depletion, no pipelines to schools, no storage facility etc) • Lack of water has direct bearing on usage of toilets by students in schools –School Management Committees have limited budgets for proper maintenance of school toilets • In some schools, toilets are exclusively used by teachers/ staff • Disposal systems either non existent in most schools or poorly maintained • Access to school buildings do not have ramps, no special toilet construction with elevated seat or supports for children with disabilities

10. Key Findings – India (Jharkhand State) • Jharkhand’s has large share of rural population (76%) with substantial ST (26%) and SC (12%) population • Jharkhand tops the list among Indian states with 77% of homes having no toilet facilities • Frequent drought situation leading to rapid depletion of ground water table, leading to water crisis • Low demand due to deep rooted cultural practices and illiteracy • Resource allocations not released in timely manner • Unfinished trainings and knowledge gaps persist in JalSahiyas, hampering their work

11. Key Findings – Sri Lanka(Nuwara Eliya and Kandy Districts) • Sri Lanka is leading in terms of achievement of MDGs in WASH • 48% of the people without improved sanitation in plantation areas is a clear indication of exclusion • The terrain and land availability are major constraints • More than 3 million estate workers are living in line rooms and limited toilet facilities- one toilet for 10families

12. Recommendations • Special legal instruments to ensure that sanitation rights and entitlements of the poor are protected. • Special plans and budgets targetting the coverage of identified excluded population. • It should be mandatory for service providers to follow criteria and guidelines to ensure toilets are accessible to people with disabilities. Non-compliance should be treated with punitive measures. • Civil Society Organizations and INGOs working on sanitation provision should prioritize awareness raising, fostering demand and capacity building of poor and marginalised communities. • Capacity building of service providers on the needs of the poor and marginalized is needed to ensure sensitivity, appropriate capacity and responsiveness to effectively deliver sanitation services.

13. Recommendations • Reliable baseline data and robust reporting and monitoring to track the progress of sanitation provision to the poor and marginalized. • Sanitation should be integrated as an essential component in guidelines for disaster preparedness, climate change resilience programmes and post disaster relief and rehabilitation. • Research, training and implementation agencies responsible for vulnerable and marginalised groups should be mobilized to promote sanitation in their target communities • All school infrastructure development plans and designs, budgets for operation and maintenance, reporting and monitoring systems should integrate parameters on 'assured access' to WASH facilities. • Labour laws and other regulatory guidelines should define employer responsibilities for ensuring access to sanitation in work places and residential areas allocated for workforces. • The media should be engaged to raise awareness and demand amongst the poor and marginalised for improved sanitation services.

14. THANK YOU