Policies and strategies
- Nepal’s National Sanitation Policy and Guidelines for Planning and Implementation of Sanitation Programmes were formulated in 1994. The policy recognizes sanitation as both a basic need and a basic right. It emphasizes community-centred approaches and collaboration between government agencies and NGOs, donors and the private sector.
- The new Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Policy and accompanying Strategy (2004) provide guidance on water and sanitation service provision in rural areas using community led participatory approaches. The policy introduces, amongst other things, minimum expenditure commitments for sanitation and hygiene promotion. It has further set a national goal to provide basic water supply and sanitation facilities to all Nepalese by 2017.
- More recently, the National Water Plan 2005 included a commitment to provide basic sanitation facilities to 70% of the population by 2010, and to 90% by the end of 2012. This consolidates commitments made in The Tenth Plan, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for 2002-2007.
- The National Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Policy has been approved by the Government of Nepal (see Draft, February 2009) . The policy places emphasis on strategic activities such as public health, economic growth, social inclusion, protecting and optimizing investment, environmental protection, etc.
- A Master Plan for Sanitation and Hygiene in Nepal, 2009-2017, has been drafted. It is driven by a local bodies-led approach to accelerated and sustainable universal coverage.
- National Drinking Water Quality Standards and Implementation Directives for National Drinking Water Quality Standards were launched in 2005.
Institutions
- The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW) is the lead agency for water and sanitation. The Department of Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS) under the MPPW has presence at district level. Though responsibility for projects serving less than 1,000 beneficiaries lies with the Ministry of Local Development (MLD). In practice their roles overlap.
- The District Water Supply and Sanitation Coordination Committee (DWSSCC), led by the District Development Committee (DDC), takes overall responsibility to promote water, sanitation and hygiene related activities through local level planning and facilitation for the district.
- At local level, Water User and Sanitation Committees (WUSC) are linked to Village Development Committees (VDC). The whole decentralized DDC/VDC/WUSC structure falls under the Ministry of Local Development (MLD) and is technically supported by the District Technical Office (DTO) and the Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads (DoLIDAR).
- Coordination: The Steering Committee for National Sanitation Action (SCNSA), chaired by the Director General of the DWSS, has been playing a proactive role in promoting hygiene and sanitation sector activities in partnership with ministries, departments, UN agencies, International/Non Governmental Organizations (I/NGOs).
