Clean Water and Sanitation for Bolivia's Smaller Cities and Rural Communities

Bolivia faces some of the most acute water and sanitation challenges in Latin America. In 2022, only 69% of the rural population had access to drinking water and just 45% to sanitation services. The challenge of fulfilling the universal right to clean water is particularly pressing in rural areas and municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, where a lack of sectoral information further undermines the sustainability of services. The consequences reach across health, the environment and the economy. 

Objectives

Bringing safe water and sanitation within reach of each community 

The project works to improve living conditions in Bolivia's smaller cities and rural communities by expanding drinking water and sanitation coverage, promoting good hygiene practices and developing water and sanitation operators to build the resilience of the system. It takes a human rights and gender-centred approach, involving communities and rights-holders in consultations and decisions, and incorporates infrastructure improvements that help limit carbon emissions, in line with the 360-degree approach promoted by the Global Gateway Investment Agenda. 

Project activities

The project has three core activities: 

• Expanding access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services in rural communities and small and medium-sized cities
• Developing water and sanitation operators in beneficiary communities and cities, alongside capacity building for central, provincial and local actors
• Monitoring and evaluation 

(Expected) Results

The project is expected to: 

• Support 20 communities in adopting a human rights approach to water and sanitation in municipal management
• Provide drinking water access to 12,204 households in rural communities with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants and 10,440 households in small towns with more than 2,000 inhabitants
• Connect 4,584 households to new or improved sanitation systems in rural communities and 12,672 in small towns
• Provide new or improved access to drinking water and sanitation for five community facilities, including schools and health centres
• Operate 90 wastewater treatment plants to design specifications in rural communities across the programme 

Implementing partners

Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) 

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)