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WATER COOPERATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND POVERTY ERADICATIONImage: Sari HuuhtanenThe Dry Toilet project in Zambianologies that will enable multiple use of services and use of waterresources for productive purposes. The key requirement for supportis a village-level Water Uses Master Plan that allows the prioritizationand optimization of water resources use. The project is basedon a step-by-step approach through learning on the spot and otherexternal support. In the second phase (2010-15) cooperatives havebeen – and will increasingly be – established with the aim ofpromoting small-scale farming by households.Finland has also supported the UNICEF WASH programme inNepal. By partnering with this multilateral organization, Finlandaims to upscale the bilateral lessons it has learned on the nationallevel and support the move towards a sectoral programme in Nepal.Viet NamIn 1986 Viet Nam started to reform its planned communisteconomy. Finnish support to Hanoi Water Works started in 1985and Haiphong followed in 1990. Both projects lasted some 15 yearsand involved several phases. They began with crisis support for keyareas of the networks in urgent need of rehabilitation and expansion,and developed towards building an independent and operationallysustainable utility.In 1993 a long-term general plan was prepared for Haiphong, afterwhich the World Bank became the major financier while Finlandsupported planning, supervision and management, and governancedevelopment. The commitment to long-term support provedimportant. Other preconditions for success included trust in Finnishknow-how and maintaining a balance between construction, leadership,financial management and human resources development.Water users, especially women, were considered inthe planning, distribution and management of waterservices. The autonomy of water utilities was increased,water tariffs were set at a reasonable level, water meterswere installed, and water leakages were reduced.Finnish support to Hanoi Water Works ended in2000 and for Haiphong in 2004. Thereafter, the latterhas been supported by concessional credits (interest-subsidizedloans). Haiphong Water Works hasimproved its operations considerably, and its benchmarkindicators are of a high international level. In2003 the Water and Sanitation Programme for SmallTowns (WSPST) started, originally in 22 townships.Experience has taught that building adequate capacitiesin conditions like these takes more time than anticipatedas all the same steps need to be taken irrespectiveof the town’s size. The key lesson taught by the WSPSTis that while secure water supply is very high on theagenda of communities, sanitation places much lower.In the current policy and regulatory framework it is alsodifficult to place management of wastewater treatmentfacilities on a sustainable footing.In Viet Nam, Finland also cooperates closely with theWB-WSP, as it is partly funded by Finland and is ina strong position to create key sector knowledge andinfluence the regulatory framework effectively. Finnishexperience is at the disposal of the Government of VietNam and other development partners.[ 243 ]