Book on Good Practices

The former Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, was mandated by the Human Rights Council Resolution 7/22 in 2008 to:

• Further clarify the content of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation;
• Make recommendations that could help realize the Millennium Development Goals (MDG);
• Prepare a compendium of good practices related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

While the work of human rights bodies has often focused on the violations of human rights, she welcomed the opportunity to identify good practices that address the question of how human rights obligations related to sanitation and water are being implemented.

About the consultation process

First, the Special Rapporteur undertook to determine criteria for identifying ‘good practices’. The criteria were discussed with various stakeholders at a workshop in Lisbon in October 2009. The outcome was the definition of 10 criteria, 5 of which are normative criteria (availability, accessibility, quality/safety, affordability, acceptability), and 5 are cross-cutting ones (non-discrimination, participation, accountability, impact, sustainability).

A progress report on the compilation of good practices was published on 1 July 2010 and is available in all UN languages: EnglishFrançaisEspañolالعربية中文русский

In order to prepare consultations to identify potential good practices, a questionnaire was shared. Based on the answers to the questionnaire, and the stakeholder consultations, the Special Rapporteur presented her compendium of good practices to the Human Rights Council on 15th September 2011.

The compendium is available in all UN languages: EnglishFrançaisEspañolالعربية中文русский

In March 2012 she presented a more detailed book of good practices in realising the rights to water and sanitation, On the Right Track, which discusses the practices in greater detail, and debates some of the more difficult issues.

Book on good practices in realising the rights to water and sanitation: EnglishFrançaisEspañol

Inputs received

Stakeholder consultations

• Consultation with International Organizations
• Consultation with Bilateral Development Agencies
• Consultation with Civil Society Organizations
• Consultation with Service Providers
• Consultation with Private Sector
• Consultation with State Actors
• Consultation with Regulators and National Human Rights Institutions

Member States

Afghanistan

• Advocacy in WatSan Emergency Programmes (Tearfund)

Algeria

• Services d'eau surs et performants (Algeria)

Argentina

• Plan Agua+Trabajo / Plan Cloaca+Trabajo (AYSA)
• Ciudad de Córdoba (CEDHA)
• Recognition of the right to water (CEDEA)

Armenia

• Public participation and water (WECF)
• Drinking water, an essential need (ART)

Azerbaijan

• Azerbaijan

Bangladesh

• Amelioration de l'acces à l'eau potable (Terre des hommes Lausanne)
• Utilization of Upazial Block Allocation (Bangladesh)
• Rooted advocacy for pro-poor water governance (RDRS)
• Empowering communities to access water (LHCB)
• Sanitation, hygiene education and water supply (Unicef)

Belarus

• Law on the Supply of Drinking Water (Belarus)
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Belgium

• Social Water Fund (Protos)

Belize

• IPBDH (PUC)

Benin

• Safe water sources (Helvetas)

Bolivia

• Emergency plan (France Libertés)
• Real Neighborhoods Program (UN-Habitat)

Brazil

• Legal Framework (Brazil)

Burkina Faso

• Productive Sanitation Practises (SEI – CREPA)
• Programme National Eau et Assainissement (Burkina Faso)

Cambodia

• Commerzialization of water supply (1001 Fontaines)
• Making participation count (CWS)
• Sustainable environmental sanitation (UN-Habitat)

Canada

• 8 practices (Canada)
• Integrated Watershed Management (Panterra)

Central African Republic

• Springs of life (ELC)

Chad

• Prise en charge par les beneficiaires (Tchad)

Chile

• Obligatoriedad legal de servicio (Chile)
• Provisión de Agua y Saneamiento de acuerdo a los criterios del Global Compact (ESSBIO)

Colombia

• Planes Departamentales (Colombia)

Costa Rica

• Bandera Azul Ecológica (Costa Rica)
• Manejo Adecuado de Aguas Residuales (Costa Rica)
• Mejoramiento Ambiental de San José (Costa Rica)
• Mejoramiento Ambiental de San José – sensibilización (Costa Rica)
• Mejoramiento y Sostenibilidad de la Calidad del Agua (Costa Rica)
• Sello de Calidad Sanitaria (Costa Rica)

DRC

• Insecticides et qualité d'eau (APDMAC)

Ecuador

• Programa Integrado de Desarrollo Municipal (IOM)
• Promocion y protection del derecho humano (Defensoria del Pueblo de Ecuador)

Egypt

• Revolving funds for household connections (Unicef)

Ethiopia

• Small scale community based water supply (UN-Habitat)

France

• Academie de l'Eau

Georgia

• Reform of the water supply and sanitation sector (Georgia)

Germany

• Water collection from air humidity (SACS)
• Rhine Action Programme (DIMR)
• Sanitation concepts for separate treatment (DIMR)

Guatemala

• Municipal safe drinking water and sanitation (Helvetas)

Honduras

• Projet Honduras (One Drop)

India

• Cost recovery water supply (CEEUGI)
• Continuous water supply (CEEUGI)
• Household connections for the poor (CEEUGI)
• Water and sanitation programme (Gram Vikas)
• Adaptation according to indigenous culture (RSNH)
• Community toilet (Wateraid India)
• From drops to mighty river (CASA)
• Corruption eradication (Bhatt)
• Multifunction agricultural systems (IATP)
• Community managed water supply (UN-Habitat)
• National rural drinking water programme (INHRC)

Indonesia

• Water Supply (WPIA)
• Making water flow (CB Bethesda)

Iraq

• Iraq

Jamaica

• Jamaica Water Sector Policy Strategies and Action Plans (Jamaica)

Japan

• Examples from Japan (Japan)

Kenya

• Implementing the HRTWS (GTZ)
• Accessibility of facilities (KMWG)
• CLTS (Tearfund)
• Bio-sanitation in Nairobi’s Peoples’ Settlements (Umande Trust)
• Kibera Project (UN-Habitat)
• Urban project cycle (KNCHR)
• Service provision to the urban poor and empowerment of right holders (Western Water Services Company)
• Implementing the right to water and sanitation (Kenya)

Kyrgyzstan

• Implementation of the Taza-Suu (Clean Water) programme (Kyrgyzstan)
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Lao PDR

• Community based water supply and sanitation (UN-Habitat)
• WASH Programme (Lao PD)

Madagascar

• 2 practices (Madagascar)

Malawi

• Sunny times for water (CARD)

Mali

• Autofinancement d'eau (Prométhée)

Mexico

• Potabilización del agua (CRIM-UNAM)
• Ley de Aguas Nacionales (Mexico)

Moldova

• Situation in Moldova (Moldova)

Montenegro

• Legislation in the field of use of potable water and wastewater management (Montenegro)

Namibia

• Otji-toilet (Clay House Project)

Nepal

• Rural Village Water Resources Management (Finland Cooperation)
• School Health and Nutrition Water and Sanitation Project (NNDSWO)
• Water resources management (Helvetas)
• Water for all living beings (Pro Natura)

Nicaragua

• Diagnósticos nacionales (ISF/La Cuculmeca)
• Informe Periódico Universal (ISF/La Cuculmeca)

Occupied Palestinian Territories

• Right to clean water-campaign (Aldameer)

Oman

• Oman

Pakistan

• Safety in troubled waters (CWS)

Paraguay

• Agua Potable en Red (Paraguay)
• Saneamiento Básico (Paraguay)
• Junta de Saneamiento (Paraguay)

Peru

• Supervisión de las funciones de administración estatal (Defensoria del pueblo)
• Peru

Philippines

• Alternative Model of Water Service Delivery to the Poor (IWADCO)
• 24h water supply (Munoz)
• Water Provision for the Poor Program (Manila Water)
• Drinking water and sanitation (Maynilad)
• Drinking water and sewerage (Subic)
• Improved Access to Water Services East Zone of Metro Manila (GPOBA, World Bank)

Portugal

• Tariffs and connection costs (ERSAR)

Romania

• Monitoring the quality of the drinking water (Romania)

Senegal

• Programmes en matiere d'eau et d'assainissement (Senegal)
• Programme Régional Solaire (Senegal)

Slovakia

• Drinking water and sanitation and human rights in Slovakia (Slovakia)

Slovenia

• Reconstruction of roma settlement hudeje (Slovenia)

Somalia

• Household and school latrines (Caritas Switzerland)

South Africa

• National policy and implementation strategies (South Africa)
• Soweto water meters (AFD)
• Indigent policy (SAHRC)
• Free basic water and sanitation in Durban (Durban Municipality Water and Sanitation)

Spain

• Acceso universal y sostenible y la gestión compartida (CONGDE)
• Los pequeños españoles guardianes del agua (CONVENIO UCLM-CHG-CEDERCAM)

Sudan

• Safe water for Ikwotos (Caritas Switzerland)

Switzerland

• Sector Reform in Hungary (Switzerland)
• AGUASAN (Switzerland)

Tajikistan

• Water Sector Integrity Vulnerability Assessment (UNDP)
• Participatory WES planning (Caritas Switzerland)

Tanzania

• Sustainability of community managed services (ISF)
• Follow the money! (NCA)
• Full compensation (Tanzania)
• Partnership between the disability and WATSAN sectors (UNICEF, CCBRT, EEPCO)

Thailand

• Quality monitoring for tap water project (Thailand)

Uganda

• Solar Water Disinfection (The Water School)
• Water and sanitation for orphans (UN-Habitat)

Ukraine

• Situation in Ukraine (Ukraine)

USA

• Regulation of private water provision (Human Rights Advocates)
• Training and equipping model (Living Waters)

Uzbekistan

• Uzbekistan
• Water and sanitation services (Uzbekistan)

Vietnam

• Solar water disinfection (Helvetas)
• Community based water supply and sanitation (UN-Habitat)

Zambia

• Devolution Trust Fund (Zambia)

Various countries/Regional

• Eau potable en milieu rural (AFD)
• Arborloo (CRS)
• 10 submissions (EWN-ACT Alliance)
• Improved sanitation (WECF)
• Water Safety Plans (WECF)
• HRBA and Water Governance (UNDP)
• Drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in health care settings (WHO)
• Water safety planning (WHO)
• Protocol on Water and Health (UNECEWHO-EURO)
• Improving access to water and sanitation (Suez)

Consultation with International Organizations (Lisbon, 18-19 May 2010)

• UNDP
• UNICEF
• UN-Habitat

Consultation with Bilateral Development Agencies (Lisbon, 20-21 May 2010)

• AECID (Spain)
• AFD (France) – I
• AFD (France) – 2
• GTZ (Germany)
• IPAD (Portugal)
• JICA (Japan)

Consultation with Civil Society Organizations (Geneva, 13-14 September 2010)

• 1001 fontaines (Cambodia)
• CEDEA: Recognizing the Right to Water (Argentina)
• CEDHA: The Human Right to Water in courts. (Argentina)
• CREPA: Productive Sanitation and Gender (Burkina Faso)
• CWS: Participatory Wealth Ranking (Cambodia)
• DSK: Facilitating Water Supply for Poor Urban Communities (Bangladesh)
• Gram Vikas: Rural Water and Sanitation Programme (India)
• KAWS: Community Water Supply Programme (Kyrgyzstan)
• La Cuculmeca: Recognition of the Right (Nicaragua)
• La Cuculmeca: Universal Peer Review (Nicaragua)
• La mise en œuvre du droit à l’eau à Paris (Académie de l’Eau)
• Los Observatorios: Litigation and Implementation of the Constitutional Right to Water (Ecuador)
• NCA: Public Expenditure Tracking (Tanzania)
• NHASD: Rights‐based approaches to Water and Sanitation (Egypt)
• One Drop: Water and Sanitation in Dry Rural Areas (Honduras)
• Tearfund: Advocacy in WATSAN Emergency Programmes (Afghanistan)
• Umunde Trust: Promoting Human Rights to Sanitation and Water in Nairobi (Kenya)
• UUSC: Affordability and Protection against Water Shut‐Offs (USA)
• VERC: Community Lead Total Sanitation (Bangladesh)
• WASH United (Germany/Africa)
• WECF: Water Safety Plans in Schools (Rumania)

Consultation with Service Providers (Lisbon, 2-3 November 2010)

Argentina

• Ay SA

Belgium

• SPGE

Cambodia

• Phnom Penh

India

• Sulabh International

Malawi

• Phiri

Philippines

• Inpart

Senegal

• SDE

Various

• Veolia

Consultation with Private Sector Representatives (Lisbon, 4-5 November 2010)

• Borealis
• CEO Water Mandate
• Ferrovial
• Fundación la Puerta 1
• Fundación la Puerta 2
• Nestlé
• Netafim
• Northstar Asset Management
• P&G
• Pestana

Consultation with State Actors

• Algeria
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Burkina Faso
• Chile
• India
• Kenya
• Lao
• Mexico
• Paraguay
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Zambia

Consultation with Regulators and National Human Rights Institutions

• Argentina Regulator (LAC)
• Belize Regulator
• Colombia DdP
• England and Wales (OFWAT)
• Indonesia Komnashan
• Kenya KNCHR
• Mozambique Regulator
• Portugal Regulator
• South Africa NHRI