Water supply and sanitation in Ecuador

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Water supply and sanitation in Ecuador is characterized by (i) low coverage levels, particularly in rural areas; (ii) low service quality and efficiency; and (iii) limited cost recovery and a high level of dependence on financial transfers from national and sub-national governments. Furthermore, there are overlapping responsibilities both within the national government and between different levels of government.

Contents 1 Access 2 Service quality 3 Tariffs 4 Responsibility for policy and service provision 5 Financing 6 references 7 External links

[edit] Access

In 2004, water supply coverage (house connections) stood at 82% in urban and 45% in rural areas while sewer coverage was 62% of urban and 16% of rural households.

		Urban (62% of the population)	Rural (38% of the population)	Total
Water	Broad definition	97%	89%	94%
	House connections	82%	45%	68%
Sanitation	Broad definition	94%	82%	89%
	Sewerage	62%	16%	45%

WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (2004) based on an extrapolation of data from the 1990 census and national surveys undertaken in 1994, 1998, 1999 and 2003.^[1]

Coverage for both water and sanitation services tends to be lower in the costa and oriente than in the sierra. In addition, water supply coverage varies greatly by income, reaching about 90% for the top three income deciles in urban areas compared with levels of only about 60% for the bottom three income deciles.

[edit] Service quality

In many small and medium size cities, water supply services are intermittent and water pressure is well below standard, particularly in poor outlying areas. While service efficiency is often difficult to estimate in small municipalities (where they are often provided directly by the municipal government in conjunction with other services), many municipal water companies in medium-size cities have between 5 and 14 employees/1000 water connections, a number well in excess of regional best practice (below 3 employees/1000 water connections).

[edit] Tariffs

A study commissioned by the government under financing by the World Bank concluded that nationwide, tariffs covered only about 2/3 of system operation and maintenance costs in 2001. National and sub-national (provincial and municipal) government transfers are required to cover the operation and maintenance gap and to finance coverage expansion.

[edit] Responsibility for policy and service provision

The Sub-Secretariat of Water Supply, Sanitation and Solid Waste (SAPSyRS) of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MIDUVI) is legally vested with the role to set sector policies, while the country’s 219 municipalities are responsible for service provision either directly or through autonomous municipal companies. However, there is no clear definition of roles and responsibilities between various national and sub-national actors, nor is there an independent regulator of water supply and sanitation services. Stakeholders in the sector include the Fondo de Solidaridad, the Banco del Estado, the Social Fund FISE, regional development corporations, various government ministries and provincial and municipal governments, among others.

While Ecuador has a National Water and Sanitation Policy ^[2], it is set out in relatively vague terms and avoids a clear position on such sensitive issues as investment subsidies (by national and sub-national governments) and who should receive them. A draft Water and Sanitation Sector Law has been prepared, but has not yet been presented to Congress, given unstable political conditions.^[3]

[edit] Financing

Financing for urban and rural water supply investments is provided by a multitude of national and sub-national actors under different terms. However, the government has recently taken a bold step to improve Ecuador’s incentive framework for water and sanitation investments by adopting an Executive Decree ^[4] on national government transfers to municipalities earmarked to WSS investment under a special tax on telephone calls (Impuesto sobre Consumos Especiales, ICE). The level of the transfers is higher for poorer municipalities, and – most notably – higher for those that improve operator performance or choose to delegate service provision to autonomous operators. The system of sub-national transfers thus provides incentives to improve both performance and more sustainable institutional arrangements at the local level.

[edit] references

1. ^ WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program for water and sanitation water Sanitation
2. ^ Política Nacional de Agua y Saneamiento under Executive Decree No. 2766 of 30 July, 2002
3. ^ Anteproyecto de Ley Orgánica para la Prestacíon de los Servicios de Agua y Saneamiento Ley Organica
4. ^ Decreto Ejecutivo No. 2562 published on 21 February, 2005

[edit] External links

• Organización Mundial de Salud (OMS): Evaluación de los Servicios de Agua Potable y Saneamiento 2000 en las Américas Ecuador
• Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (in Spanish): Ministerio de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda - SUBSECRETARIA DE AGUA POTABLE, SANEAMIENTO Y RESIDUOS SÓLIDOSMIDUVI Agua
• Drinking Water, Sanitation and Solid Waste Sector Information System (in Spanish): SISTEMA DE INFORMACIÓN SECTORIAL DE AGUA POTABLE, SANEAMIENTO Y RESIDUOS SÓLIDOS SISASAR
• Article on the success of the water and sanitation concession in Guayaquil Guayaquil concession