Second Rural Water Supply & Sanitation

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The development objective of the Second Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (RWSSP) for the Kyrgyz Republic is to assist the Borrower in: (i) improving access to potable water for the participating communities; and (ii) to improving hygiene, sanitation and water-related practices at individual, family, and institutional levels in the rural areas. There are four components to the project. The first component of the project is water supply infrastructure and equipment. This component will provide financing to local communities represented by Community Drinking Water Users Unions (CDWUUs) to rehabilitate or expand existing village water supply systems. As part of the civil works contracts, this component will also finance the following: refurbishment or construction of demonstration sanitation facilities at schools and medical posts; equipment supplied to selected CDWUUs and/or their associations to maintain the water systems; and consultancy services for technical supervision of construction activities to ensure the quality of infrastructure financed by the project. The second component of the project is the Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Program. This component will support village-level promotion of healthy hygiene and sanitation practices through technical assistance, including sanitary latrine construction. The third component of the project is institutional development. This component will finance consultancy services to assist the Government to ensure sustainability of the rural water supply programs, including support to: (a) endorse and implement the sector strategy prepared under the earlier project; (b) develop or revise legislation to ensure synergies among CDWUUs and local self-governance, including develop and institutionalize new agreements between Ayil Okmotu and CDWUUs; (c) train and assist CDWUUs and Department of Rural Water Supply (DRWS) to build on the experience and tools developed by RWSSP, including ensuring that gender, voice, and choice in participatory processes are taken into account; and (d) strengthen the project management information system by adding a Geographic Information System (GIS) interface and consolidating a country-wide database on village-level water supply and sanitation. The fourth component of the project is project management. This component will finance the following: limited equipment and vehicles, operating costs (staff salaries, in-country travel, and mandatory employer contributions to the Social Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic) and training associated with project implementation; monitoring and evaluation activities, including regular impact survey/assessments and annual audits.