Information

SUSWA is a human rights progressive bilateral project building on and continuing the long term WASH sector cooperation of the Government of Finland and the Government of Nepal.

Nepal has been experiencing a gradual shift in its administrative system after the Parliament passed the new Constitution in September 2015. The Government of Nepal has prioritised water supply service level upgrading in National Water Supply and Sanitation Policy, and the 15th Development Plan is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the country. Nepal is committed to pursuing and achieving SDGs by 2030 including those relevant to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

The core goal of Finland’s development policy is to eradicate extreme poverty, to reduce poverty and inequality, and the realisation of human rights. Gender equality, non-discrimination, climate resilience and low emission development are crosscutting objectives in Finland’s development cooperation. The aim is also to strengthen the capacity of individuals and authorities to promote human rights as well as to assure that development cooperation is not discriminatory, and people have an opportunity to participate in decision-making.

SUSWA will work through and with the municipalities and follow the community-based approach of the previous WASH interventions supported by Finland. Earlier, the construction of new schemes has tended to receive higher priority than the rehabilitation of existing schemes. Rehabilitation is substantially faster, generally involves less technical and labour inputs, and is cost effective. Hence, SUSWA will continue to construct new schemes, but focus more on functionality of existing systems. The Project aims to support the establishment of an efficient and transparent WASH governance at a municipal level that would be capable to ensure safe, sustainable, inclusive WASH services and conditions for all. The municipal level must first internalise the concept of lifetime services (and costs) of schemes. The principles of lifetime management shall also be rooted at the community level. Attainment of this target is the main key to the long-term sustainability.

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