Pooling experience in water and sanitation

"pS-Eau is active alongside the Greater Lyon Fund for Solidarity for the Development of Water, and Veolia Water, in which I participate as an instructor. I'm familiar with my profession as a water specialist, but I'm unaware of the institutional, traditional and socio-economic aspects prevailing in the countries of the south, indispensable for the accurate scaling and progress of the projects. I appreciate the regular clarifications that pS-Eau gives us of the beneficiary countries of our outreach projects."

David Poinard

Programme Solidarité Eau (pS-Eau) was created on the initiative of the French government in 1984 to support local French initiatives in international cooperation concerning water and to give them overall coherence. It works with the players (municipalities, NGOs, researchers, water professionals, water agencies, corporate foundations, etc.) to back them in formulating, financing and implementing their projects for access to water and sanitation. This accompaniment enables pS-Eau to have a continuous and comprehensive view of the types of project conducted, as well as a clear understanding of the support needs of French municipalities and NGOs. pS-Eau is internationally recognized and is also involved in running research/action programs, and producing and disseminating information.

After creating the digital library in 2009 with the support of the Veolia Foundation (500 documentary references, a directory of over 20 000 contacts, a catalogue of projects), pS-Eau continues to network players and to pool expertise on three major challenges: sanitation in the South countries, warning indicators on water quality, and access to water and sanitation in Madagascar.

Spreading expertise on sanitation

The lack of sanitation, which affects 2.5 billion people worldwide, is the main culprit for diarrhea infections, which kill 2 million people every year across the world, 90% of them children under the age of 5. Access to sanitation is also a challenge in terms of dignity, security and schooling (especially for young women). Sanitation, particularly the disposal and treatment aspects, is also a major challenge for environmental conservation. It also has a demonstrable impact on the regions: it helps avoid health expenditures while fostering development by public investment and the creation of a pool of private entrepreneurs and operators.

Besides its participation in international discussions on sanitation, pS-Eau promotes capitalization on the five continents on sanitation services by mini-sewers. The aim is to spread the tools created by its members and enable them to appropriate them while intensifying their thinking on the various sanitation related issues.

Networking the water players of Madagascar

Over a third of Madagascans lack access to drinking water, and half of them have no sanitation (2008 figures). At the same time, a large number of private and public players, national and international, are active on the island, but they are unaware of one another and don't exchange their experiences sufficiently. pS-Eau continues to support the activities of the R'aneau network in order to enhance the effectiveness of the programs launched in Madagascar.

Alongside Agence Française du Développement, Greater Lyon, the Rhone-Mediterranean-Corsica Water Agency, and Ircom, the Veolia Foundation continues to support pS-Eau with the project, following on the creation of the digital library.