The marginalized mountainous areas in Tajikistan are challenged with the lack of access to reliable and safe drinking water, sanitation and health services. Some 380’000 people in the Eastern Tajikistan are using water from open sources (canals, rivers etc.), suffering from water borne diseases and over-whelming women and children with additional workload for water fetching and extra efforts to ensure basic domestic sanitation. This further limits their development perspectives, causes education and health challenges. In the same time women have limited possibilities to improve the situation as the infrastructure development and maintenance are traditionally male tasks. Difficult socio-economic situation, existing social inequalities and the inability of the Government to deliver basic services such as water supply result in a growing discontent of people. The limited access to drinking water and sanitation hits the poor population most.

The overall goal of the project is to improve quality of life of  rural population through sustainable mechanisms of water and sanitation management in Eastern Khatlon and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO).

The project’s target group are:

• 70’000 population in approx. 80 communities in the Eastern Khatlon and GBAO
• Government bodies, Family Medicine/Primary Healthcare centres, and schools
• Community water management bodies, including Water User Committees and Water User Associations, state district units, and private water management bodies

• Rural population in targeted areas has sustainable and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation and adopts healthy behavior
• Community, state, non-state actors manage sustainable water and sanitation systems
• Enhanced policy and legal environment for sustainable and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene is in place

Principaux résultats attendus:  

• Improved water supply systems constructed and water quality tested
• Improved community latrines installed and households incentivised to build private latrines as demonstrations of best hygiene practice
• Capacity building activities delivered to increase awareness and improve practices related to health, hygiene and sanitation
• Inclusive, disaster resilient water and sanitation management systems and institutions strengthened /established at the community level with active participation of women and youth
• Policy reform recommendations developed with inputs from communities including women's groups and followed up at existing national and district policy dialogue platforms

The project will create synergies/coordination with other Swiss funded WASH projects and embrace an open and pluralistic approach to partnership, including government ministries and agencies, local authorities, international organizations, UN agencies, INGOs, civil society and the private sector. The effective policy dialogue at both the national and local levels will act as the primary forum to encourage and manage partnership opportunities with all relevant stakeholders.

Phase 1 01.03.2017 - 31.03.2022   (Completed)