Sector Programme Support to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Vietnam

Objectives:

To provide budget support for the Vietnam’s National Target Program on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation

The development objective of the assistance is improved health and living conditions of the rural poor including ethnic minorities through provision of clean water, sanitation, hygiene promotion and protection of the environment.

Australian Contribution: A$7 million (for 2006-2008) – expected to contribute a total A$48 for 5 years up to 2011.

Total cost: US$125 (from Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands)

Duration: 2006 - 2011

Location: Nine provinces for 2-year pilot phase 2006-07, national rollout 2008-2011.

Program description:

The program provides support to Vietnam's National Target Programme (NTP) for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Phase II based on the National Rural Clean Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy. The main component of financial support will be delivered through Vietnam's NTPII as ‘Targeted Programme Budget Support. This approach represents a major commitment of support through Vietnam's own financing and implementation structures, consistent with the principles established by the Hanoi Core Statement on Aid Effectiveness. This approach simplifies, harmonizes and aligns donor support to a much greater extent than previous support from Denmark, Australia and Netherlands for water supply and sanitation.

A pilot phase of two years (2006-2007) will provide Targeted Programme Budget Support, through Vietnamese government channels, to nine provinces and in so doing identify the necessary safeguards and trial approaches to strengthen NTPII implementation with a view to the donors subsequently providing TPBS on a national scale. During the pilot phase, technical assistance will be provided at both national and provincial level and will focus on strengthening the institutional, management and technical capacities required for effective implementation of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation NTPII. A number of clear triggers and benchmarks have been agreed with the Government of Vietnam. These are defined in the programme document and will provide a joint Government of Vietnam and donor framework for assessing progress in strengthening NTPII service delivery, and for guiding decision-making on ‘rolling-out’ TPBS support for NTPII from the nine pilot provinces to the country as a whole.

Outcomes:

By the year 2010, 85% of the rural population will have access to clean water and 70% of rural households will have latrines. Approximately 7.4 million people will be served with clean water and will have had the opportunity to improve hygiene practices. More than 10,000 school and institutional latrines will have been built and some 1.3 million households will have hygienic latrines..

Funding Donors:

AusAID, DANIDA and the Netherlands

Vietnamese Counterparts:

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (The Standing Office for RWSS NTP-II, 2 Ngoc Ha, Ha Noi, Vietnam)

Ministry of Health

Ministry of Education and Training

AusAID Contact:

Mr Nguyen Van Thuan

Activity Manager, Rural Development Section

No. 8 Dao Tan, Ba Dinh, Hanoi

Tel.: 84 4 8317754/ 55 ext 175

Fax: 84 4 8317706

Email: van-thuan.nguyen@dfat.gov.au

2008