Environmental degradation has a large negative impact on communities’ health, agriculture and well-being. Lack of information and infrastructure often leads to food and water contamination and inability to efficiently dispose of waste.

Our work in the Water and Environmental Sanitation Project has a number of phases to ensure that projects are community driven, sustainable and will have positive impact on the community. The project has a special approach that emphasises training, education and skill building before assisting in building and hardware support.

When we begin a Water and Environmental Sanitation Project we first start with a pre-planning or preparation stage where we examine communities’ willingness to manage the projects and to share costs and improve the condition of sanitation in their community. We also evaluate community need as well as determine how improved water and environmental sanitation would positively contribute to the community. Next is the planning and design stage where community members participate in mobilisation activities and communities choose the most suitable latrine technology, which could range from biogas to twin pit or urine diverting latrines. We also create an implementation plan with community members. Next is the implementation stage where community members take charge of cleaning their communities, identifying suitable places for latrine or water supply construction and then construction begins.  Lastly, we work with community members and appropriate committees to monitor and evaluate the work and provide follow-up sanitation training and support.

Build latrinesCreate or retrofit water supply systems Develop management systems for natural resourcesPave rural access roadsIntroduce irrigation schemesHold workshops and training on water and environmental sanitation

In the fiscal year 2007 Plan China’s work in Water and Environmental and Sanitation assisted 125 communities or villages and benefited 99,250 people in Jiaxian, Yulin, Chunhua, Pucheng and Xixiang counties.

We work with government organisations at the national, provincial and county level to implement the Water and Environmental Sanitation Project. Partners include Foreign Capital Project Management Centre of State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the provincial-level Environmental Protection Bureau and county level organisations such as the Patriotic Sanitation Movement Committee and water, environment, agriculture and health bureaus. We also work with the National Center for Rural Water Supply Technical Guidance of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, which provides training and supervision for our work in Water and Environmental Sanitation.

In 2008 we will work with communities to provide water and environmental sanitation improvements. Specific activities will include building new water supply systems or upgrading existing water supply systems, waste disposal, managing natural resources, building pit and urine diverting latrines, introducing biogas systems, paving rural access roads, developing irrigation schemes, community toilet blockings and holding trainings, workshops and conferences. We will also integrate our Water and Environmental Sanitation project with our Community Driven Development project in 30 villages.