An Assessment of the Sustainability in the Provision of Water and Sanitation Projects in Wakiso District: A Comparative Study of Nsangi and Kakiri Sub-Counties in Wakiso District.

Abstract

NAKIJOBA LILIAN (2008-MO92-20081)

An Assessment of the Sustainability in the Provision of Water and Sanitation Projects in Wakiso District: A Comparative Study of Nsangi and Kakiri Sub-Counties in Wakiso District.

Water and sanitation are such inseparable requisites in life that any attempt to compromise the realisation of such basic needs puts human life to jeopardy. For this matter, many individuals and cooperate actors such as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and government erect water and sanitation projects to ensure that human kind is not deprived of water and sanitation services. However, in spite of the good will of the actors in erecting water and sanitation projects, it is regrettable that the sustainability of these projects leaves a lot to be desired. This study, thus, embarked to ascertain why sustainability of water and sanitation projects, is a major problem taking a comparative study of Kakiri and Nsangi sub-counties in Wakiso district and guided by the theoretical framework of Maslow‟s hierarchy of needs. The study was informed by both secondary information of similar studies and primary information acquired through field interviews. A comparative research design was used to compare rural and urban settlements in regard with sustainability of water and sanitation projects. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used. Interviews, observation, were among the data collection techniques used in the study. Secondary information asserted that water and sanitation are not only basic needs but also basic rights, which ought not to be compromised. However, the ideal of realising the basic needs and rights has not been realised for all human beings. As such, the study reveals the role of government and other development partners in realising the right to water and sanitation for all humankind and community effort in sustaining what is provided for them by the government and NGOs. After a critical survey of 12 water sources and interview sessions with 68 respondents, it was realised that sustainability of water and sanitation projects is still a big challenge in communities as most projects collapse barely before they have served 10 years vis-à-vis the ideal of 20 years and beyond. This was attributed to project implementation approaches, mainly paternalism and contracting out, which deprive the actual beneficiaries to participate in the process of erecting projects, thereby reducing the morale of beneficiaries to own results. This study, therefore, recommends a sustainability framework for water and sanitation projects which essentially embraces full participation of the actual beneficiaries in all stages of project development and implementation. This enables them to understand and own the projects erected to their service. As a result they will be socially and morally obliged to safeguard the projects to serve them in the present and future times. Key words: Sanitation, Water, Sustainability