La contribución de los mecanismos de financiación solidaria al acceso universal al agua.
Sarah Mackenzie. programme Solidarité Eau (pS-Eau).

Solidarity Financing Mechanisms Contributing to Access to Water for All

With 1.5 billion people lacking water and 2.5 billion lacking basic sanitation in the world, we need to act, and one way of doing so is through solidarity financing mechanisms.
These are mechanisms that are based on direct solidarity and a feeling of fellowship between people in the North who have come to take water and sanitation for granted and people in the South for whom these basic needs are yet to be met.

With the Millennium Development Goals the international community made a commitment to halve the number of people without access to water and sanitation by 2015 (MDG 7, Target 10). Yet, we are nowhere near on-track to meet this goal. Two key points of focus have been particularly emphasised by international players: the need to increase the funding reaching local levels and, at the same time, the need to build local capacities in order to ensure good water resource management. Solidarity financing mechanisms contribute, among other things, to meeting both these needs.

What are Solidarity Financing Mechanisms?

But what are they? We use the term "solidarity" in the sense of creating change through the common appreciation of the importance of access to water and sanitation. Inequality of access to water and sanitation around the world is unfair, and the examples of financing mechanisms we are concerned with here are driven by people who wish to redress this imbalance.
These mechanisms fund projects that are too small for larger programmes, and they target populations who are often overlooked, such as rural populations or those in peri-urban areas or informal settlements. They involve the contact and forming of ties between peoples, enhancing their sustainability and enabling knowledge and capacities to be shared and built. And finally, they attract further funding, because the projects are seen to be viable, people’s commitment is proven and they build the capacities to expand or replicate the project.

These are the general characteristics that are common to these solidarity financing mechanisms that have developed in different countries, but the different cultural and political contexts in each country have shaped the specific way the people wish to show their solidarity. In France for instance, many towns are "twinned" with towns in developing countries, particularly their former African colonies. Through these partnerships, the citizens in France often finance and participate in development projects in their twinned town. The decentralised political system in France means that local authorities have much control over their local budgets, and can decide to contribute a proportion to international development. In 2005 the Oudin-Santini law made it possible for local authorities and the water agencies to apportion up to 1% of their water and sanitation budget specifically to water and sanitation projects in developing countries. In 2006 the City of Paris set aside 1 million Euros for their "Water Solidarity" programme. The five French water agencies combined gave a total of 5 million to international water and sanitation projects. It total, an estimated 8 million Euros was mobilised in France in 2006 thanks to the Oudin-Santini law.

Inspired by this action the Walloon government in Belgium, has created an international solidarity fund for water which will dedicate 0.0125 Euros per cubic meter of water consumed by the citizens to international development. This will generate 2 million Euros annually.

In Italy a tradition of decentralised cooperation has also led some regions to take a special interest in water, connecting the issue of water at home to the issues faced by those in the developing world. The region of Emilia Romagna combines a campaign to save water at home with donating funds to their decentralised cooperation projects.

In other countries, particularly those of the English speaking world, a long tradition of charitable giving leads people to give to specific NGOs. In the UK, WaterAid is an NGO that specializes in bringing water and sanitation to the poorest regions of the world. They work alongside all water sector stakeholders in Britain to raise funds from the citizens, and to ensure they are kept informed of how their donations are being used. This model has inspired similar structures around the world (WaterAid Australia, WaterAid USA, Water for Survival of Oxfam New Zealand, WaterCan in Canada).

The NGO Aqua for All in Holland provides a further example of how people can show their solidarity; they work with employees of water companies who wish to donate their expertise and time to water and sanitation projects. In France similar water company employee NGOs and associations work closely on such projets, Acquassistance for instance is an independent NGO created by the employees of Lyonnaise des Eaux.

In Zaragoza, the launching of the Alianza por el Agua, is a prime example of how all water stakeholders, NGOs, private sector players, public sector, technicians and the citizens themselves can work together to show their solidarity for those without access to water and sanitation. And indeed, in all these examples, it is the collaboration between all these sectors and between all stakeholders that is key to their success.

A Platform to Strengthen and Extend Solidarity Financing Mechanisms

Clearly, there is a desire on the part of citizens of the North to work to help those in the South gain access to the basic services of water and sanitation. In a bid to mobilize even more people to develop or get involved in such actions it was decided to develop a network of solidarity financing mechanism stakeholders in both the North and South. The idea behind this network was twofold, firstly, by sharing ideas, experiences and lessons learned, we could strengthen and improve these mechanisms. Secondly, by communicating widely on such practices, we could inspire others to get involved thus expand them, to reach even more people.

In March 2006 at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico, the initiative to create a global platform to strengthen and extend solidarity financing mechanisms for water and sanitation was launched. The launch was chaired by Angel Gurria, Secretary General of the OECD and Chair of the Gurria Taskforce on Financing Water for All.

One of the first actions within the framework of the platform was to carry out a study on the impact of decentralized financing mechanisms and how they are perceived by stakeholders in the South. Questionnaires were sent out to those involved in projects financed by such mechanisms in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The responses and recommendations made clearly indicate the pertinence of these mechanisms. The key advantages that emerged were that they go directly to those in need which also gives them flexibility, as the direct contact meant adjustments can be quickly made. The organization ERA of Cameroon commented that "This financing mechanism is flexible and the donors are closer to the actions in the field – which makes it possible to readjust things rapidly if problems arise." The mechanisms are also seen to be sustainable, the organization "NGAM une passerelle vers le Sud" stated "Collaborating for three years with the same village was not our intention at the beginning. But it turned out that way as we adapted to the pace of the villagers, as they came to understand and as water management committees were created." And finally the involvement of local populations in the project process is key. The Mayor of Grand Popo in Benin, summarized the advantages thus: "Solidarity financing mechanisms are effective because they create or reinforce sustainable links between countries in the North and countries in the South, they reinforce the decentralisation process and enable the beneficiary populations to fully participate in the projects, enabling them to embark on a process of sustainable changes in mentalities and lifestyle." The responses to the questionnaire also clearly indicated that there is a need for greater and ongoing communication and collaboration to continue to mobilize stakeholders both in the North and the South.

This is the principal objective of the solidarity financing mechanisms platform. By providing an arena to share ideas and experiences, the stakeholders in solidarity financing mechanisms can work to expand these practices, to strengthen and sustain them. In this way we can all continue to work towards the essential goal of access to water and sanitation for all.

If you would like more information on this initiative or would like to join the platform, please contact Sarah Mackenzie at mackenzie@pseau.org, or visit the solidarity financing mechanism web pages at www.pseau.org.

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