Brazil, Sao Paulo: participatory sanitation project wins Mario Covas Award 2009

On April 8, 2009, the Project “Environmental Rehabilitation of Vila Machado: shared territorial management linked to Action Monitoring for Effectiveness” received the ‘Mario Covas Award 2009′ under the category Innovation on Public Management. The project, coordinated by the São Paulo State Basic Sanitation Company SABESP in a partnership with the Post-Graduate Programme on Environmental Science of the University of São Paulo PROCAM, uses an adaptation of Action Monitoring for Effectiveness (aMe) to involve city dwellers in the implementation of improvements on sanitation in a peri-urban community. An earlier development of IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre by Katheleen Shordt, aMe was considered an innovative element of public action. Maria Lucia G. Borba, a former IRC staff member and now with PROCAM, is collaborating with SABESP in this project.

The Mario Covas Award was created in 2004 as an effort by the São Paulo State Government to continuously search for the modernization of administrative action through its Secretariats and other governmental institutions. In 2009, of 184 public initiatives featuring projects being implemented in the state of São Paulo which were received by the organizers of this important event, 15 received the Award under two categories: Excellence on Public Management and Innovation on Public Management. For more information on the 2009 Award (only in Portuguese) see here and here.

For more information on the project contact Maria Lucia G. Borba, maluborba [at] yahoo.com 

Prize winners: from left Márcia Alice Alves – SABESP, Carlos Roberto Dardis – SABESP, Maria Lucia G. Borba – PROCAM/USP and Dilmara Veríssimo de Souza – SABESP.

Peru, Lima: Govt invests US$184mn to expand basic services

The Peruvian government has invested 600mn soles (US$184mn) to expand potable water and sewerage services to over 60% of Lima’s low-income neighborhoods, President Alan García said in a government release. By 2011, all of Lima’s citizens will have potable water services, the president added. The government is currently preparing the tenders to install potable water services in the city’s San Pedro and Lomas de Carabayllo areas, García said.

Source: BNamericas [subscription site], 26 Feb 2009

Brazil: Espirito Santo Water and Coastal Pollution Management Project [Additional Financing]

WASHINGTON, February 24, 2009 -

The World Bank has approved a US$71.5 million IBRD loan for the  the Espirito Santo Water and Coastal Pollution Management Project. The project will provide improved quality of and access to water supply and sewerage services. Specifically it aims (a) to improve the efficiency of the water supply and sewerage systems of State Water Company of Espírito Santo (CESAN) by supporting its efforts to operate on a commercial basis with financial self-sufficiency; (b) to increase the coverage level of CESAN’s water supply and basic sanitation services (sewage collection, treatment and disposal) in the urban areas of the municipalities of the Metropolitan Region of Grande Vitória; and (c) to provide appropriate water and sanitation infrastructure in low-income urban areas of the municipalities of the Metropolitan Region of Grande Vitória.

For more information on this project go here

Source: World Bank, 24 Feb 2009

Brazil, Minas Gerais: Copanor to carry out US$232mn of sanitation projects

Brazil’s Minas Gerais state governor Aécio Neves has approved 545mn reais (US$232mn) for sanitation projects in 463 locations [benefiting] 400,000 people [in 92 towns]. Copanor, a subsidiary of state water utility Copasa, will implement the projects.

Copanor was created by the state government in August 2007 to provide water supply and sewage treatment services with lower rates than those charged in the rest of the state. About 70% of the population served by Copanor paid 60% less on their monthly bills than those under Copasa.

The company serves towns and villages with 200-5,000 people. The Jequitinhonha, Mucuri and São Mateus regions have the lowest human development index and the most severe shortage of sanitation services in the state [with water supply coverage rates of 65% in urban areas and 31% in rural areas and sewerage coverage rates of]  39% and 12%, respectively. Only 48% of garbage is collected overall.

Between 2008 and 2010, Copanor and Copasa will provide 1bn reais [US$ 420 million = € 328 million] in discount vouchers for the Jequitinhonha, Mucuri, Itanhém, Buranhém and Jucuruçu areas.

Source: BNamericas [subscription site], 19 Feb 2009

Peru, Lima: Govt to invest US$52mn in water, drainage project

The president of Peru’s ministers council, Yehude Simon, announced that the biggest water and drainage project in the country will be carried out in Ate district, in Lima’s metropolitan area, with an investment of 165mn soles (US$51.8mn). [It will] benefit [an estimated] 65,000 inhabitants in [...] marginal and low-income communities, the report said. State water and sewerage utility Sedapal, serving Lima and neighboring Callao, said the contract to begin works will be signed on February 20, [2009]. Works include digging wells [...] as the area is too far from the La Atarejea potable water plant to use its resources.

Source: BNamericas [subscription site], 27 Jan 2009

Chile: Bachelet affirms law to exempt low-income families from basic service connection fees

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet announced a new law that exempts low-income homeowners [of homes costing under 750 UF = inflation-linked unit, US$24,117] from paying [UF 30] potable water and sanitation connection costs.

The initiative will speed up coverage in non-urbanized areas by helping water and sanitation utilities expand their operations to areas that are not currently under their responsibility.

The government expects to grant 46,000 housing subsidies to low-income families in the country.

Read the government press release [scroll down to Promulgación de ley 20.307] here [in Spanish]

Source: BNAmericas [subscription site], 01 Dec 2008