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Water and
Environment |
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Program
Overview |
The principal focus of USAID/El Salvador’s Water and Environment
(WE) program
is the provision of clean water to the rural poor. The lack of safe
drinking water is a far more acute problem in the rural areas where it
translates into much lower living standards for rural residents than
their urban counterparts. The program targets 18 municipalities in the
three major watersheds in the Departments of Ahuachapán, Usulután, and
Morazán. The program seeks to develop integrated and sustainable
technologies that can be replicated nationwide. |
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As evidence of the success of the
Mission’s program, Salvadoran access to clean water in USAID target
municipalities rose to 53% in 2001 from 40% the year before. This is a
most impressive result given that the earthquakes had produced a 10%
decline in national coverage through extensive damage to water sources
and systems infrastructure.
The Water and
Environment program includes activities in four areas and also
integrates and coordinates its assistance with
water-related activities that have been undertaken by the Mission’s
other technical offices.
Improved Quality of Water Sources:
Improvements in agricultural, conservation, and water management
practices; and increased solid and liquid waste treatment.
Improved Performance of Water Delivery Systems:
Improvements in physical infrastructure, administrative & technical
capabilities, and cost recovery mechanisms.
More Effective Citizen Actions to Address Water
Issues: Increased awareness of causes and
consequences of insufficient and unclean water; increased knowledge of
options/solutions for clean water; and increased numbers of
communities that are organized around water issues.
Improved Municipal Management of Water Resources:
Increased municipal technical and managerial capacity; and more
effective regulatory mechanisms for water resources and water delivery
systems.
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