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12 - Domestic water and sanitationthem for some years). Cambodia has alsoundertaken a major drinking water qualityassessment. 14 In rural areas, there is anincreasing movement towards localmonitoring of drinking water quality,leading to early and appropriate action, withless reliance on national or centralisedmonitoring programmes that sometimesproved ineffective in the past.Measures to prevent the decline of waterquality at its source or point of use – or anystage in between - and its recontaminationafter treatment need as much attention assetting standards and monitoring whetherstandards are being met. Water sources needIn the LMB, drinking water quality increasingly needsto be monitored at the local level and be linked toearly and appropriate actionto be protected to avoid contamination, leaking systems in urban areas need to be repaired andpeople need to understand the importance of hygiene and how to change their behaviour to preventcontamination between source and point of use.4. Data on water and sanitation in the Lower Mekong Basin4.1 The importance of monitoring equity, use, sustainability and impact – not just coverageTraditionally, in the LMB as well as elsewhere in the world, progress in domestic water and sanitationprovision has been measured in terms of number and types of improved water and sanitation facilities,numbers of people served, amount invested or quantity of water delivered. However, this “supplyside” approach to monitoring is now recognised as giving no real indication of whether theimprovements are: (a) equitable, (b) actually used, (c) maintained and financed, and (d) likely toyield positive health and socio-economic benefits to users (Box 5). Assessment of continuing use,sustainability and impact has not been widely attempted. It is also quite difficult to assess andcompare data on the investment and recurrent costs for domestic water use and sanitation. This areaclearly needs much more work in future, within the basin as well as globally.Box 5. Some suggested definitions for equity, use, sustainability and impact• Equity means that everyone (e.g. men and women, rich and poor, social minoritiesand major groups) has equal voice and an informed choice in decision-making, equalaccess to information, external inputs and benefits, and shares burdens and responsibilitiesfairly.• Use means that water and sanitation improvements are actually used by all, and thatusers prefer them to their previous arrangements.• Sustainability means that the improvements are maintained, repaired (and eventuallyreplaced), and that this is fully financed by the users.• Impact means that the improvements actually have a positive health and socio-economicbenefit through reduced disease, time saving, convenience, security of women, etc.Source: After Dayal et al. 2001 and others253