National Awareness Campaign for Urban Water Crisis

1. National Awareness Campaign for Urban Water Crisis Working Paper about the current crisis and its impact on water utilities Hodeidah-Aden-Sana’a 2 - 13 July 2011 Eng / Anwer Sahooly Head of Technical Secretariat for the urban water sector reform Saleh Al-HakamyPublic Awareness Advisor  Tareq Al-Dubaee Monitoring and Evaluation –Local ExpertEng / Ali Nashwan Director General of reform and development of water sector local expert

2. Index Introduction. Difficulties and obstacles faced by the water sector during the current period. Strengths and weaknesses of some of the Utilities and Local Corporation Lessons learned. Awareness Campaign in the water sector

3. Introduction • Political crisis in the country. • Continues Interruption of Power Supply . • Shortage of fuel (Petrol and Diesel). • Low capability of some water utilities and Local Corporations to provide sustainable water services for consumers. • Low collection efficiency resulting from the reluctance of some consumers to pay the bills. Therefore the Yemeni-German Water program (GIZ) in cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Environment communicated with the local corporations/Utilities to determine their status and help in finding solutions to mitigate the frightening effects of this crisis and thus by inaugurating the National Awareness Campaign .

4. Performance Indicators To assess the condition of the this crisis ,GIZ has prepared two questionnaires that had been sent to the Local Corporation/Utilities that include number of indicators by which to provide an initial assessment for the situation of the Local Corporation/Utilities, such as: - • Collection Efficiency • Non-Revenue Water • Continuity of water services • Cost Coverage

5. Difficulties and obstacles Problems facing the water sector can be summarized as follows: - • Frequent power interruption that last for long periods in some areas. • Lack of fuel necessary for operating private generators. • Low collection efficiency • Inability to cover the costs.

6. Addressing the difficulties and obstacles • It is natural that these difficulties are sufficient to think in a number of actions to address them and develop immediate solutions. • The Yemeni- German Water program (GIZ) in cooperation with LCs/Utilities agrees for the preparation of an awareness campaign to improve the collection efficiency and the development of emergency plans to overcome those difficulties and the possibility of assistance in solving the problems. • All the LCs/Utilities should monitor the implementation of the awareness campaign, which will be presented and discussed on the Second day of the workshop. • The community authority should support the LCs/Utilities to obtain diesel from the oil company with official price

7. Performance Assessment(Strength and Weakness) After viewing the difficulties and obstacles faced by LCs/Utilities in the current period, it is necessary to assess the performance and identify strengths and weaknesses. In this context, some of the tables will be displayed that contain a number of indicators that illustrate some of the strengths and weaknesses as follows: -

8. Collection Efficiency

9. Non –Revenue Water

10. Billed Operational Cost Coverage

11. Collected operational Cost Coverage

12. Frequency of Supply

13. Capacity of Generators

14. Lessons Learned To overcome the problems that was referred to in the Introduction and can be illustrated by the following important aspects: - • Place short and long term plans to overcome these difficulties and solve problems that have emerged during this period and guarantee not to be repeated in the future. • Involve public in the process of awareness. • Intensify awareness campaigns to encourage subscribers to pay off their obligations up to date. • Management of financial resources in ways that reduce costs to a minimum and increase revenues to the maximum. • Reconsideration of the very basic needs taking into account the scarcity of funds available. • Need to consider the use of depreciation account to cover part of the investment needs as this one of the main objectives of depreciation expense. .

15. Awareness in the Water Sector • Gains to be preserved:- Supply of potable water and sanitation- Independent LCs/Utilities work commercially with no profit , depends on the principle of cost recovery- Direct and indirect Community participation since the beginning of implementing the projects in 1997- Transparency and continuity

16. Current Status • The current situation shows that we are facing a real problem that threatens the gains:- A decline in operating hours- Services of LCs/Utilities may stop • Humanitarian disaster (environmental - health - economic)(Water is Life)

17. What must be done urgently • What to do and Who is responsible: - LCs/Utilities - the concerned departments as well as awareness teams and customer relationships- Relevant authorities - local authorities, civil society organizations, boards and advisory committees...- Consumers   All partners is bearing the responsibility of the continuity of water supply and provide operational and maintenance services

18. National Campaign • Principles: - financial and administrative decentralization, autonomy, transparency, community involvement (Resolution 237 in 1997 on the reform of the water sector) - Articles (27,4,3)Understanding of these principles are basis for the National Awareness campaign

19. Agencies responsible for implementation • LCs/Utilities responsible for the implementation of the campaign and the participation of related parties. • Improving the level of service is an important factor to motivate consumers •   Boards and advisory committees are participants parties in the campaign •   Customer relationships and awareness team implementing the campaign with the participation of all staff •   Scholars and preachers, teachers and social figures have an active role

20. Ways of implementing the awareness campaign • Ideas can be applied in the National Awareness Campaign :     - Awareness teams and Customer relationships are preparing an awareness plan aimed at raising the efficiency of collection by: -- Preparation of awareness messages- Implementation of the campaign- Involve everyone- Activate and use the information center and the building of the utility and places available

21. Ways of implementing the awareness campaign-Continued -Identify target groups and how to be accessed - Coordination and cooperation with related parties and influential people- Women play an effective key role in the family- Civil society organizations and charities are partners in the implementation- Posters of the facts and information- Meaningful messages behind the bills

22. Ways of implementing the awareness campaign-Continued • The preachers and scholars can contribute in this humanitarian mission (enlightening the public is a legitimate duty) • The general public are affected by the spreading of rumors or wrong orientation • Boards of directors and advisory committees have a lot of information and have the ability to influence the community

23. Ways of implementing the awareness campaign-Continued • Media such as radio at this stage can contribute to the awareness campaign through:@ Media messages to raise awareness@ Dialogues such as the influential Figures@ Interviews with administrative leaders   - Involvement of schools is important but not now   - The health sector and other sectors

24. Summary • - In conclusion • * LCs/Utilities and all its employees are working to provide the population with water and carry out operation and maintenance services* Consumers bear the expenses of operation and maintenance, depreciation .. The obligation to pay the water bill is to ensure continuity* National campaign to raise awareness will contribute to strengthening the relations of the parties through the formation of a new awareness aim to increase the efficiency

25. Thank you for listening and follow-up