Synthesis of Existing Knowledge and Experience on the Provision of ...

The Universal Access ProgramThe Universal Access Program (UAP), adopted by the Ethiopian government in 2005, is meant toprovide access to safe water for 98% <strong>of</strong> the rural population <strong>of</strong> the country by 2012, focusing on theuse <strong>of</strong> low cost technologies at the community level. To meet UAP/PASDEP targets, the currentgrowth rate in water point development <strong>and</strong> access coverage needs to double. Accordingly, 110,460new rural water supply schemes, 82% <strong>of</strong> which are low cost technologies, are planned for the period2009-2012 to meet this target (MoWR, 2009). The rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> existing schemes is also planned,with a target <strong>of</strong> reducing malfunctioning schemes from 30% to 10% by 2010 (MoWR, 2009). Box 8discusses some <strong>of</strong> the main themes <strong>of</strong> the UAP.Box 8: Comments on the UAP (revised in 2009)• The program plans to construct an additional 110,460 water supply schemes in the period 2009-2012. Thissuggests a major focus on hardware construction in the coming years.• No mention is made <strong>of</strong> pastoral areas, where communities are both mobile <strong>and</strong> sedentary, each with differentneeds. There is also little mention <strong>of</strong> livestock.• Planning, design, <strong>and</strong> placement <strong>of</strong> schemes is primarily tasked to technical staff at zonal, woreda, <strong>and</strong> kebelelevels. Beneficiary involvement in planning <strong>and</strong> implementation will be through Water, Sanitation <strong>and</strong> HygieneCommittees, which are user elected committees set up based on generic selection criteria imported from thehighl<strong>and</strong>s.• Water use for livestock, <strong>and</strong> other multiple uses, is only briefly mentioned in the recommendations, with littleelaboration.OpportunitiesA need to consider local contexts <strong>and</strong> conditions in pastoralist regions is evident. Two opportunities presentthemselves:• Guidelines for UAP planning <strong>and</strong> implementation management are currently being drafted.• The Plan recommends developing “community mobilization, planning <strong>and</strong> management <strong>and</strong> technologyguidelines” with opportunities to tap into this process.Food Security Program <strong>and</strong> the Productive Safety Net Program – Pastoral Areas Pilot (PSNP PAP)Under the MoARD, this program was designed to focus on the development <strong>of</strong> long term solutionsto food security issues as an alternative to crisis response based solely on food aid appeals, whichwere found to do little to protect livelihoods, preserve or generate community assets. The FoodSecurity Program is meant to complement the emergency response system, <strong>and</strong> focuses on a)providing a safety net for chronically food insecure people, b) supporting household <strong>and</strong> communityasset building, c) resettlement (World Bank, 2009: Productive Safety Net APL III).Originally launched in 2005 as part <strong>of</strong> the Food Security Program, the PSNP aimed to protect <strong>and</strong>build household assets <strong>and</strong> increase resilience to shock among the country’s chronically foodinsecure, by injecting food or cash into communities in exchange for contributions to theconstruction <strong>of</strong> public works. Multiple donors contribute to funding the program, including USAID,the World Bank, DFID, the EU <strong>and</strong> Irish Aid.Pastoral areas were not included in the early phases <strong>of</strong> PSNP due to capacity constraints <strong>and</strong> arecognized need for a different approach in terms <strong>of</strong> program design <strong>and</strong> implementation in thepastoral context. Consequently a pilot programme for pastoral areas was designed, the outcomes <strong>of</strong>which should provide clear guidelines for full-scale implementation (The Productive Safety NetProgramme in Pastoral Areas: Pilot Design, PTF Version 4, 2007). Piloting on a small scale allowslearning by doing, <strong>and</strong> aims to minimize large scale negative impacts. Proposed pilot areas includenine woredas in Somali, six in Afar, three in Oromia, <strong>and</strong> three in SNNPR.53