On paper Nepal appears on track to meet both the water and sanitation MDGs. The NDHS figures for access to potable water are 90% urban, 81% rural and 82% overall. The figures below show Ministry of Physical Works and Planning (MoPPW) records of national coverage, and how performance needs to be accelerate. In 2004 WaterAid argued that Nepal needed dramatic improvements in service access, especially in santed to meet the national 2017 target of universal access.
But it is commonly accepted that these figures do not reflect the challenging realities of the sector on the ground1. Nepal, with about 80% of its fast growing population
of 27.6 m. living in rural areas, has a fragile ecology, rugged and difficult terrain (40% of inhabited areas have high hills and no roads) and is one of the poorest countries
in the world (annual per capita income is under $250). The country is emerging from nearly a decade of internal armed conflict and political instability. In the water sector, a high level of rural breakdowns (up to 56% of schemes need major repairs, according to a recent WaterAid study) limits actual functional coverage. In addition to serving the unserved, Nepal is facing a huge repair and rehabilitation challenge that needs a comprehensive approach.
Access is also heavily skewed by wealth: the richest quintile is eight times more likely to have access to sanitation, and 13 times more likely to have a household water connection. Urban areas are characterized by a high population growth rates (up to 6% per year, driven by poverty and insecurity), an aging infrastructure and significant management and resource constraints. As a result, access to water is for just a few hours a day, and frequently that water is polluted. For sanitation, the recent JMP ladder shows
that while service coverage is increasing, half of Nepal’s rural population (13 m. people) practice open defecation. This has serious health equity and economic implications 13,000 Nepalis die every year from sector related illnesses.
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Publisher:
UNDP
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(2010
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Type / Script:
Progress Report
in English
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Keywords:
WATER, SANITATION, DRINKING WATER, WATER SUPPLY, WATER RESOURCES, WATER CONSUMPTION, WATER CONSERVATION, WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT, WATER POLLUTION, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, CAPACITY BUILDING, WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT, SEWERAGE, AWARENESS
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Thematic Group:
UNDP
:
Social and Institutional Developoment
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Thesaurus:
03.05.00
- Water
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Reference Link:
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