The goal of this sustainability evaluation was to determine the sustainability of the water and sanitation interventions implemented by the American Red Cross (ARC) in Central America post-hurricane Mitch in 1998. A 3-year survey of the health improvements of the interventions was completed by CDC in February of 2000, 2001, and 2002. The survey was done in eight communities in four countries - El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. This sustainability evaluation was conducted in 2006, four years after the 3-year survey was completed in 2002, and was conducted in six of the eight communities that received ARC interventions.
- Kind of Study: Survey. Grey literature.
- Sample Size: 6 communities within 4 countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua).
- Timing of Study: 2006, four years after a 3-year survey was completed in 2002.
- The ARC post-Hurricane Mitch water and sanitation interventions were sustainable after four years on a regional basis.
- In communities with an active water committee with long-standing members, the ARC water systems were still functioning and being maintained. However, this general result masks some important differences in results for different program elements as well as important differences among individual communities. Some communities were experiencing major problems with physical infrastructure during this sustainability evaluation.
- Even when the water systems were well-managed, most experienced periodic service disruptions due to seasonal flood damage.
- Regional results show that the physical infrastructure interventions may have been more sustainable than the hygiene behavior based interventions, such as hand washing and maintenance of hygienic latrines.
- Populations in the rural communities served by the ARC projects can change relatively rapidly, and can affect infrastructure.
- The ARC should consider appropriate projection of water fees and level of service that communities will be able to support for future interventions.
- Ensure that adequate attention is given to forming, training, and providing ongoing support to local administrative structures (like water committees) to operate water and sanitation infrastructure.
- Ensure that adequate attention is given to ensuring that water fees are set at a level that will allow sustainable operation of infrastructure.
- Develop more focused and effective indicators for water/sanitation/hygiene education programs.
- Ensure that site selection and project designs effectively take into account information like local demographic trends, employment opportunities, the possible consequences of severe storm events, and water source capacity.
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- Copyright 2008 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Geography
- North America (Central America) / El Salvador
- North America (Central America) / Nicaragua
- North America (Central America) / Honduras
- North America (Central America) / Guatemala
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