SBR- Content.pmd - INBO

12 - Domestic water and sanitationThe provision of domestic water and sanitation services must be included in development plansthroughout the LMB. The success of social and economic development depends on adequate accessto these services, which will remain an essential indicator of progress.In the chapter that follows, national policy will be overviewed, along with threats to water quality,as an example of a number of basin-wide issues. Available data on water and sanitation coverageand water-related disease statistics will also be presented, as will the need for more appropriateindicators of progress than just the extent of coverage. Finally, some overall conclusions aredrawn.1. The scope of domestic water and sanitationDomestic water use within the LMBtypically includes household use(drinking water, cooking, bathing,washing of clothes etc.), small-scalegardening and, where facilities areavailable, the flushing away of sewage.In urban areas, the water and sanitationsystems established to meet domesticneeds also serve businesses, governmentand public services such as educationalinstitutions and hospitals. However, thewater used for industry, powergeneration, irrigation, livestock andaquaculture is usually excluded from thedomestic water sector.Clean water can easily become contaminated during use ifgood hygiene is not practicedThe water sources used for domesticpurposes and sanitation include not onlysurface water, but also groundwater, springs and rainwater. While cities and many towns in the basinhave systems that pipe water to people’s homes, most rural dwellers get their water from boreholes,wells, springs, streams, rivers, ponds and rainwater, and these supplies are often communal. Incities, human waste is flushed into sewerage systems, septic tanks or cesspits, or, in low-incomeareas, discharged in whatever way is available. In rural areas, people use latrines or pits dug into theground or discharging into ponds or water courses, or people relieve themselves in the open.2. Domestic water and sanitation (DWS) policy within the LowerMekong BasinProviding adequate access to domestic water and sanitation has been identified as one of the mostimportant challenges facing the four riparian states. This is well reflected in national policies, strategiesand plans, as well as those of donor and lending agencies. This is particularly so in Cambodia, LaoPDR and Viet Nam, and is in line with international priorities and commitments. Amongst otherthings, current policy seeks to shift the emphasis from a focus solely on physical coverage as ameasure of success to include a number of other aspects now considered crucial. Among these arethe need to develop water supply, sanitation, hygiene awareness and behavioural change in parallel,and increase emphasis on factors which ensure long-term sustainability.245