Economic Assessment of Sanitation Interventions in Vietnam - WSP

Economic Assessment of Sanitation Interventions in Vietnam | Discussionlow-cost wastewater treatment options (maturation pond),which allow an environmental-friendly pathogen removaland polishing/maturation treatment step, before treatedwastewater is discharged into Ha Long Bay. Besides, withwastewater treatment plants and capacity building componentfor the Urban Environmental Companies, septictank sludge management has been improved. Furthermore,adding a solid waste management component todrainage and sewerage activities reduces negative impactsfurther.The environmental sanitation project for Buon Ma ThuotCity has shown that separate, small-bore sewerage systemswithout a septic tank can work in urban areas of Vietnam.The experience gained through the connection of householdsto a separate sewerage system in Buon Ma ThuotCity should provide valuable insights for future similarprojects in Vietnam. The use of waste stabilization pondsin series and water reclamation in Buon Ma Thuot alsoprovides a good demonstration of successful low-cost sanitation.The Water Supply and Sanitation for Small Towns in VietnamProgram (WSPST) provides good examples of scalingup. The project shows the importance of studies andtraining to support implementation, including: a socio-economicsurvey; and studies into willingness to pay and commitmentto connect, capacity building, a human resourcedevelopment strategy, awareness-raising programs, evaluationof different technological options, and project monitoringand evaluation. Currently the project is conductingits second phase, in which lessons learned are being utilizedin water supply and sanitation in another four provinces inthe northern mountains.The Cuu Long Delta Rural Water Supply Project has alsodemonstrated key findings for dissemination. The Vietnamesecentral and local authorities should make moreeffort to set up continuous community participation andhealth promotion programs within and beyond the projectframework. A clear mandate and operational mechanismfor financing, implementing, and monitoring andevaluating these activities at the provincial level should beset up. Co-financing among relevant local authorities increasesthe efficiency and sustainability of services.Models of Sanitation, Hygiene and Water ImprovementProject (SHWIP) supported by international NGOs, suchas Plan in Quang Ngai, YWAM in Lai Xa, Hanoi, InternationalDevelopment Enterprises (IDE) in Quang Nam,and SNV biogas program with the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development, are very good demonstration cases.The Quang Ngai project shows that better coordinationand integration between project and government activitiesis necessary for better resource mobilization, efficiency andsustainability.An important finding in the project supported by IDEwas that the increase in demand was achieved without usingcapital cost subsidies. This was accomplished by usinglocally available market innovations that suited local lifestyles,and most importantly, through effective communication.Now that the project has been completed, privatesector providers can continue to serve rural communities.It has been shown that masons can now supply spare partsand provide post-sale services to existing customers, caterto the demands of new customers, and even expand theircustomer base and business through innovative local promotionalstrategies.At Lai Xa, the population’s interest in maintaining cleanlinessand wastewater reuse were key factors in promotingparticipation demand and willingness-to-pay for wastewatertreatment. Analysis also shows that hamlet and communeadministrations can play an effective coordinatingrole in the project when management capacities are reinforced.As Vietnam aims to improve sanitation coveragein the coming years, a pilot effort like the Lai Xa projectdemonstrates the promising option of investing in decentralizedwastewater management. A decentralized low-costsanitation approach that involves appropriate technical optionsand management schemes, and increased investmentin IEC and behavior change activities should be stronglypromoted in future projects.As seen in Lai Xa, some level of decentralized sanitationresponsibility could effectively improve sanitation coveragein Vietnam if management and technical capacities are reinforcedat lower institutional level. This supporting taskcould be undertaken by the government water and sanitationagencies, or by urban water and sanitation companies.106Economic Assessment of Sanitation Interventions