Research in Sri Lanka

SecureWater research in Sri Lanka centres on two case study villages in the North Central dry zone. These are Diyabeduma in Polonnaruwa district and Kailapothana in Anuradhapura district. Livelihood patterns in the two villages are broadly similar, i.e. predominantly dependent on irrigated agriculture, and both have recently been the subject of new water supply schemes following a 'demand-responsive approach' (DRA). Detailed field research was conducted to examine the impact of recent changes in water access arrangements and the distribution of associated costs and benefits within each community. The research has focused on how DRA implementation might be enhanced to ensure an appropriate balance between financial sustainability and poverty reduction objectives. This is a complex challenge and stakeholders at district, regional and national level have expressed considerable interest in the outcomes of the research. The SecureWater case study (read there the case study report ) aims to inform both donor and government policy in the water sector in Sri Lanka.

Rajindra de Ariyabandu visited the UK (20-26th September, 2003) to discuss emerging project findings. Director of Policy and Planning at the Water Resources Secretariat (WRS) he has been closely involved in the development of national water policy in Sri Lanka. He gave a series of presentations (ODI, DFID, BGS, WaterAid) outlining recent policy debates and the contribution of the SecureWater research project.

There has been a significant recent shift in Sri Lankan water policy towards the provision of water supplies through public-private-community partnerships with the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) functioning as a facilitator and regulator. The demand-responsive approach (DRA), piloted by the World Bank Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSSP), has now been adopted by ADB and other big donors and is being implemented across Sri Lanka. The new policy implies significant changes in the roles and responsibilities of water sector stakeholders from government down to beneficiary communities. The SecureWater research traces the evolution of policy in Sri Lanka, how it is understood by decision makers and how it is interpreted by practitioners.

Emerging research findings show that the development and implementation of DRA in rural Sri Lanka is relatively sophisticated (as compared with Africa for example). Rural water supply development is overseen by the NWSDB which has developed detailed guidelines for implementing agencies. Partner organizations (POs) and community-based organisations (CBOs) play a pivotal role in the Sri Lankan context and participatory planning processes are well-established. The management and financial capacity of CBOs is a key determinant of the success of community-based schemes but important unresolved questions surround their legal status and relationship to the various decentralised institutions of government. DRA implementation to-date has been mostly linked to major donor projects e.g. CWSSP, ADB II and ADB III but successful scaling-up will depend on identifying an institutional model capable of responding flexibly to changing patterns of demand in the longer-term.

One emerging problem in DRA implementation in Sri Lanka is targeting communities marginalised or excluded under the current selection process. A further crucial issue is targeting marginalised households within communities. It is increasingly recognised that existing approaches will not be sufficient to achieve agreed supply targets (85% coverage by 2010 and water for all by 2025) unless these issues are addressed. NWSDB has expressed particular interest in using the findings of the SecureWater project to develop guidelines for including those who are excluded under current decision-making processes.

Communities typically select service options on the basis of majority consensus but water needs and priorities can vary substantially within the user community. Furthermore there tends to be a bias in community decision making towards the best available rather than the most appropriate technology option. This has important implications for both the institutional and financial sustainability of 'community-based' schemes. Case study analysis has focused on the costs and benefits associated with accessing water for households in different wealth groups. It shows that the impact of changing water access arrangements at household level varies according to access to other livelihood assets. It further suggests that both the relative costs and the relative benefits of scheme membership are greatest for the poorest households. Building this understanding into implementation processes will be important if DRA schemes are to successfully balance sustainability and poverty reduction objectives.

Issues arising from the SecureWater research were discussed at a national-level workshop in December 2003 . The workshop was unusual in bringing together such a wide range of different sectoral stakeholders (government, policy makers, researchers, NGOs and implementing agencies) and as such provided a valuable opportunity for constructive dialogue. The agenda was structured sequentially to address issues of policy, implementation, impacts and ways forward. The event was also filmed as part of the WRS public awareness campaign on water reform, and clips and short interviews are being used in forthcoming documentaries on Sri Lankan TV.

There exists considerable interest from NWSDB, government and NGOs alike in the idea of developing decision-support tools to assist decision-making and implementation of DRA. A timetable for piloting these tools in Sri Lanka will be finalised following the elections in April 2004.