Urban training and studies institute UTI

1
Urban training and studies institute
(UTI) Housing and Building National Research
Centre (HBRC) In cooperation with Development
Planning Unit (DPU) University College London
(UCL)
International Seminar Titled Governance of
Peri-Urban water and sanitation services The
role of external support agencies (ESAs)
By Dr. Ayman Ibrahim Kamel ElHefnawi
Cape Town, South Africa, 17-18 October 2005
2

• Many countries face a governance crisis rather
  than a water crisis. Good water governance
  requires effective and accountable socio
  political and administrative systems adopting an
  integrated water resources approach with
  transparent and participatory processes that
  address ecological and human needs.
  www.worldwatercouncil.org/

3
Introduction to GCR and the two localities, some
basic information

• 12-16 million inhabitants
• 850 thousand Feddans
• Formed of three governorates (Cairo, Giza and
  Qualiobiya).
• No body charged with its daily management
  (governance of GCR)
• Huge development built over agricultural land.
• Important (only) metropolitan region for its
  central political position at the national,
  regional and international levels
• Water and sanitation in this agglomeration is
  managed mainly by two provisional agencies.

4
The research identified the following
characteristics which characterize PU areas in
both localities

• PU areas are extending, on agriculture land
  located on the peripheral of cities such as
  Cairo, Giza, Alexandria
• PU form is characterised by its random housing
  (synonym to informal housing ashwaiatt)
• These areas suffer from poor utilities
  (facilities) and improper social infrastructure.
• PU settlers are residing with or near their
  relatives, forming foci of interrelated families.
  
• They work mostly in the informal sector earning
  low and unsteady wages.
• They have limited social mobility
• Settlers have fragile and weak economy
• They lack the capability to work in groups
• submission

(Yousry et al 1997, Moawad 1998, Elhefnawi 2001).
5
PUI areas in Greater Cairo Region Cairo 11
areas Giza 25 areas Qalyoubia 5 areas (In
addition some additional areas especially in
Qualiobia governorate in the northern parts of
GCR, which are shown as spots in the upper part
of figure)
PU areas inside GCR
6
PU areas in GCR -1
Invasion to agricultural lands
7
PU areas in GCR -2
2
Chosen localities
1
8
Types of activities and tools

• Primary data Collection and analysis
• Survey A 57 questions structured interview
  (questionnaire) was undertaken in the two study
  localities. Overall, 404 questionnaires were
  conducted in person taking full control over the
  process
• Focus group discussions
• A total of 11 focus group meetings were
  conducted with different social groups to
  represent various economic activities as well as
  gender.
• Key informant interviews
• A number of key informant interviews were
  conducted with City Heads, Village Heads,
  Environmental Unit Officers, private informal
  service providers and officials of key
  information in specific themes.
• Transect walks and field observations
• Key informants, community leaders or local
  government officials were helpful in this regard
  and they joined some walks. General observations
  were supported by brief and informal interviews
  focusing on any issue of concern.
• Photographs of problems
• Photography was used to enhance participatory
  methods and reflect community problems.
• Secondary data sources

9
Current debates in WSS IN GCR
Processes of change are those related to tariff
restructuring, new regulatory framework, the
institutional reforms and the role of the local
contractors or the informal private sector to
cope with the WSS challenges in the PU localities
10
Debatable tariff changes and cost recovery
challenges

• Currently, there is ongoing debate about a new
  tariff structure The main argument behind that
  increase was to
• firstly, recover the operation and maintenance
  costs.
• secondly, to recover the depreciation costs
• finally to recover partly the capital costs.
• This conflict reached its peak in October 2004
  where the Egyptian government retreated from its
  previous position represented in the sudden
  increase of the WSS tariff from 13 PT/m3 to 23
  PT/m3. The Egyptian government cut that sudden
  increase and levied it into a one year
  instalment.
• - The impact in both localities was variant
  there was an anger and distrust in the first
  locality and less opposition in the second,
  however, both interviewees expected that the
  people will cooperate with the government
  especially after the sudden retreat of the
  government to levy the new tariff.

11
The role of the informal private sector

• The intervention of the local contractors or the
  informal private sector in both localities was
  crucial,
• Local contractors providing the service of
  latrine evacuation do already exist in most of
  the two PU localities they cover more than 75
  of that service in both of them where the role of
  the public sector in that respect, is minimal.
• The second important role for local contractors
  or the informal private sector is in selling
  water (water vendors) to the inhabitants.
  Although, both localities declared their doubts
  in the quality of sold water, it is the first
  locality which showed that more than 80 of the
  total great dependence on this type of water
  provision with less dependence on informal water
  vendors in the second locality.

12
Impact of change on the governance of WSS

• The Egyptian government, in its reforms, has
  given enormous weight to the role that MOHUUC
  could play rather than the other actor's roles
  and responsibilities.
• It is remarked as well that the role of the
  local authorities in the WSS is shrinking.
• There is prevailing focus on urban areas rather
  than rural or PU areas, the limitation of non
  conventional sanitation services could reflect
  the non-recognition of another set of wider
  actors and partners involved in developing and
  servicing this sector such as the civil society
  organisations and the local contractors or
  informal private sector.
• The Egyptian government realised the heavy
  coordination burdens required to provide WSS,
  MOHUUC is expected to fill this gap in big urban
  agglomeration.

13
Main government and non-government bodies
involved in WSS in Egypt
Ministries
Mega governorate
Other governorate
Corporate companies
Others
Ministry of Housing
GCR
Local Units
Economic Agencies (7)
Beneficiaries
NOPWSD
GOGCPW
SFD
Housing and infra. Directorate/ Potable water and
sanitary drainage dept.
Stock companies (3)
CAC
GOGCSD
Donor agencies
EAGCSDP
Alexandria
Private companies
Other ministries
NUCA
GOAPW
Ministry of Local Administration
GOASD
Informal private sector
14
Responsible actors for the different steps of
water and sanitation cycle in GCR
15
Stakeholders profile in the two localities
Governor
Complete segregation
Provincial Government Agencies (GOGCSD) (GOGCPW)
Provincial Government Agencies (NOPWSD)
Secretary General
Environmental Management Units
Special agencies (SFD Shourouk NGOs
CDAs) Informal private sector
Heads of Markaz
LGU City Tier 1st locality
LGU - Village Tier 2nd locality
EU (Environmental Units)
Engineering department
Dept. of Water and Sanitation Or housing
directorate
16
The Web of Institutionalisation
POLICY SPHERE
ORGANISATIONAL SPHERE
Central Government

MOH
MOP
MOHUUC
MOIWR
MOLD
MOA
MSEA
MOIC
PC
EEAA
HBRC
DA
SFD

People's SPHERE
Giza Gov.
Qualiobia Gov.
Cairo Gov.
LA
GOGCPW
EAGCSDP
GOGCSD
NOPWSD
Sherouk
Markaz
DELIVERY KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION SPHERE
Informal private sector (Water tankers)
LGU
Informal private sector (latrine evacuators)
Standard top-down relationship Weak
relationship Non-regulated relationship Strong
top-down relationship
17
Sectoral institutional reforms in the public
sector
(2000 - 2004)
Infrastructure Committee
Minister of Housing, Utilities and New Communities
NOPSWAD
ADWSPC
Central department for private sector
participation
Holding Company (HCWS)
Housing and Utilities Sector
Central department Regional level
14 organization, economic agencies and stock
companies
Cairo
Giza
Qualiobiya
18
Regulatory reforms

• The first decree, 135 for 2004 is concerned with
  the creation of a Holding Company for Drinking
  Water and Sanitation (HCWS) and its affiliated
  companies. The mandate of the holding company and
  its affiliates covers purification, distribution
  and sale of drinking water as well as collection,
  treatment and safe disposal of sewage.
• The second Presidential decree, 136 for 2004,
  covers the creation of Authority for Drinking
  Water and Sanitation Sector, and the protection
  of the consumer (ADWSPC) This decree aims at
  regulation, monitoring, and supervision of all
  that relates to drinking water and sanitation
  activities and interventions so as to achieve the
  highest level of performance.

The main question is do these decrees have any
significant impact on WSS provision in PU areas?
19
PU areas in GCR -2
20
PU areas in GCR -2
Research Project Case Study Areas
First Locality
Second Locality
21
PU areas in GCR -2
22
MAJOR FINDINGS

• Empirical study and examination show significant
  disparities between socio-economic
  characteristics and environmental challenges in
  both localities.
• Higher activity rates in second locality (29.9)
  compared to the first locality (15.7).
• Lower unemployment rates in the first (3.5)
  versus (4.5) in the second

23
Environmental disparities

• 1- In the second locality, water supply is no
  longer an environmental challenge, and water
  quality is less of a problem than in the first
  locality, where the following problems are
  dominating
• - Severe water supply problem, reflected in
  frequent water cuts and dependency on private
  informal services of water supply, i.e. private
  water vendors.
• - More severe is the problem of unsafe
  quality of artesian water, which is mixed
  together with potable drinking water in the main
  water-pipe network that results again in buying
  water privately for drinking and cooking
  purposes.
• 2- However, sanitation remains a higher priority
  for residents and officials

24
Poverty characteristics

• Didifferent participatory techniques show similar
  characteristics of poverty as follows
• Increased number of family members with its
  impact on increasing density and congestions,
  increasing dependency rate, poor housing
  conditions, i.e., lack of safe potable water,
  safe sanitation.....etc.
• Low household incomes, lack of productive assets,
  lack of savings opportunities and lack of
  collaterals for micro credits.
• Increased illiteracy rates (especially between
  females).
• Spread of many infectious and endemic diseases
  due to insufficient health services and increased
  infant mortality rates as a direct impact of
  several water borne diseases and lack of adequate
  sanitation services
• Community participation limitations
• There is no adequate role of the community
  organisations and the NGOs in that respect.
• The community participation in the Egyptian
  context of WSS is mainly focused in their
  participation in financial contributions only
  (i.e. paying levied fees for public and informal
  private sector involvement in the WSS service
  and/or paying for their individual pipelines
  connections)

25
Internal immigration and urbanisation caused by
illegal land occupation over agricultural
land Internal immigration " the so called by
indigenous communities as strangers" has a
negative impact on available services. However,
immigrants participation can be partly triggered
off through adequate mobilisation. Impact of
huge infrastructure projects built in PU
areas Field study shows some positive impacts of
the ring road on the community (second locality),
but also some other negative impacts. Discussions
within focus groups and key informants interviews
confirmed the positive impacts especially the
economic and social benefits directly resulting
from better access and transportation. As for
negative impacts, participants claim that the
ring road also caused damage of large
agricultural land and added noise and air
pollution due to increased traffic.
26
Conclusions -1

• Peri-urban dwellers are exposed to a combination
  of rural and urban health hazards associated with
  water consumption and waterborne sanitation
• Rural-urban interactions are not taken into
  account in the Egyptian WSS.
• In the peri-urban interface, the gap in coverage
  between water supply and sanitation is larger
  than in urban areas

27
Conclusions -2

• Water governance in GCR is mostly dominated by
  government agencies with very little role played
  by the formal and informal private sector and the
  community organisations.
• Decision making process in the WSS was and still
  representing a very centrally driven sector with
  very little role-played by the private sector.
  There is no clear standpoint in the Constitution
  which attract the private sector in the WSS as
  other utilities in Egypt (electricity,
  telecommunications, roads).
• The existing institutional set-up for WSS in GCR
  and in the two localities have shown great
  challenges such as lack of coordination between
  the different government bodies, lack of trained
  and skilled technicians, lack of regulations to
  regulate the role of the informal sector, lack of
  financial mechanisms to support the institutions

28
Conclusions -3

• The peri-urban poor rely mainly on a wide
  spectrum of informal practices to access water
  supply and sanitation , which often remain
  invisible to policy makers and lie outside
  formal supportive strategies
• The two localities have shown the involvement of
  the informal private sector in selling of water
  tankers.
• In the case of sanitary drainage, the role of
  the private sector was essential where they
  cooperated with the local government in latrine
  evacuation in return of a normal fee. Their role,
  in both localities, represents more than 50-75
  of the total efforts performed.