Video

Global Dialogue on Water and Sanitation with Case Studies from Albania and China Watch Video Connection Speed: High Speed Low Speed Audio    Event Title : Scaling Up Poverty Reduction Shanghai Conference (Videos Archive - Global Dialogues) Date : 4/20/2004 Duration : 161 minutes Language  : English Country/Region : World Keyword :  Water Resources Management  Water Supply and Sanitation  Agriculture and Rural Development Presenter : Vahid Alavian Ylli Dedja Xiao Donglou Tracy Hart Phillippe Marin Bujar Reme | Related Material | Recommendations |Related B-SPAN Videos |  DESCRIPTION  Scaling Up Poverty Reduction: A Global Learning Process is an initiative that will allow key development actors to share their experiences and policy lessons learned from poverty reduction initiatives around the world. Learning events and activities over a nine-month period will draw on leading-edge information and communication technologies to bring together participants from across the development community. A series of case studies, multi-country interactive videoconferences, online dialogues, and field visits will lead up to a working Conference in Shanghai, May 25 - 27, 2004. As part of the process, this global dialogue focused on access to rural water and sanitation services and featured case studies from China and Albania. The Chinese case study described programs that targeted poor counties through the use of community-based, participatory approaches to improve access to safe water. The presenters also provided data to illustrate the social, economic, and institutional effects of the program as well as current challenges and future directions. The Albania case described efforts to reform the water sector in the country in order to overcome the dire condition of water supply services. Since 1993 it has been implementing a major institutional reform in the irrigation sector aimed at transferring the managerial responsibilities to farmers’ group in rural areas and to private contractors in urban areas to increase efficiency and reliability of the water distribution network. The presenters explained efforts to empower local governments by transferring responsibilities to them from the central government. Other activities included bundling of smaller cities to attract the private sector to take over the management of water utilities, the establishment of water utility associations, introduction of demand management, development of sector related communication programs, and coordinating metering and lifeline tariffs to make services functional and affordable for the poor. Throughout the event participants from China, Albania, Vietnam, Tanzania, and Washington, DC discussed the lessons learned from the two case studies and how these activities can be adapted and scaled-up in other countries.  RELATED MATERIALS   More information on the Scaling Up Poverty Reduction: A Global Learning Process, and Conference in Shanghai Presentation materials from this event B-SPAN coverage of Scaling Up Poverty Reduction events RELATED B-SPAN EVENTS Water Resources Management (33) Water Supply and Sanitation (31) Agriculture and Rural Development (26) RELATED WORLD BANK LINKS International Partnerships: Their Role in Water and Sanitation Sector Development Water in Public Hands - An Alternative Perspective