Australia grants $8.1m for water

Source: The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA: The Australian government has donated US$8.1 million to support Indonesia's nationwide clean water and sanitation project.

Australian Ambassador to Indonesia David Ritchie said in a statement on Wednesday that the grant expressed Australia's seriousness in supporting Indonesia and hoped that the aid could benefit thousands of people.

The grant is part of the World Bank's Water and Sanitation program that has helped the country's districts in developing infrastructure for clean water over the past three decades.

Minister counselor Robin Davies represented Australia in the handing-over ceremony on Wednesday, while Indonesia was represented by Suyono Dikun, deputy for infrastructure of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas). --JP

Water and Sanitation Policy Formulation and Action Planning Project (WASPOLA 2) Phase 2 (Click here to go to web site)

Estimated budget A$8.1 million
Commenced 2004
Scheduled completion 2008
Counterpart Agency TBA
Working Group members TBA
Managing Agency Water and Sanitation Program – East Asia and Pacific (WSP-EAP World Bank)
Location TBA
Australian Team Leader Mr Russell Abrams
Contact Details Tel/Fax: (62-21) 3989 9649/314 2046

Project Description

The aim of the project is to enhance the capacity of the Government of Indonesia to develop and adopt policies for water supply and sanitation that encourage consumer/user demand-driven and participatory initiatives and to test policy-related options in selected provinces that encourage consumer/user demand-driven water supply and sanitation initiatives for poor communities. The project will provide technical assistance over a period of four-and-a-half years with a strong focus on policy implementation at district level under Indonesia's autonomy laws, maintaining the expanded policy reform process, and giving greater attention to environmental sanitation and institutionally managed water supply. The components of the project will focus on: operationalising policy implementation at the district level; enhancing the capacity of GOI to undertake ongoing water supply and sanitation sector policy reform; and strengthening GOI capacity in collecting, analysing and disseminating information.