Can right-based approach resolve equity problem in Water and Sanitation Services?

Despite global effort to ensure universal access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene services, inequity makes process assessment difficult. It is very common to see one community having so many improved sources within a square Km and another having none. I have witness such cases both in Uganda and South Sudan. Wealth of reasons might exist including security, but when one interact with planners and implementers, the common word you may hear is "demand-driven project approach". However, you get deep to understand the process used, you might find that demand-driven was used instead of need-driven approach. Now as we are obliged to aim at universal access, can we apply right-based approach to water and sanitation programming? Like in the case of need-driven approach, what will be the implication on sustainability?

1 Answer

1. Need-driven approach is the key I assume. Forget about the demand driven projects, they will always bring the inequity. I know what you are talking Titus as I have experienced the same everywhere on small or big scale. People are dying of hunger and water and some are just wasting it.

   1 Comment

   1. Thank you Peter for your contribution. Yes, I have also witnessed projects that claim principle of needs still argue "needs of 1000 people is greater than 100 people". At end of the day, the 100 people will miss it all. How can we ensure WASH projects are designed based on needs to eliminate inequity? In Uganda, the WASH sector preach principle of "some for all, but not all some", but we still experience similar inequity problems.