Planning for Sustainability

As the need to satisfy the ever increasing demand for water continues and the inextricable link between public health and water service prevails, the temptation to provide intricate and over technical solutions to essentially simple problems in developing countries must be tempered by the ability to maintain the resulting infrastructure and thus ensure sustainability. In many cases worldwide projects have not fulfilled their long-term objectives because the money, in-house management, or the technology are not available locally to maintain and upgrade the assets after the implementer has left. Particularly in the developing world, where heavy reliance is placed on lending agencies, it is vital that appropriate solutions incorporate Asset Management, which is matched with the ability to maintain and operate the asset throughout its useful life. Often small design inadequacies or the use of inappropriate materials and/or inadequate protection of metallic surfaces cause failure. This paper draws upon overseas experiences to explore some of the techniques that can be implemented, including a system of better in-house management, to avoid pitfalls and bring about sustainable solutions.