ADF

Goal: Improve and secure the living conditions of the rural population in the participating regions.

Specific Objective: The population 9in the program villages is reliably supplied with hygienic, clean water in sufficient quantity based on cost-covering and socially accepted tariffs.

Geographic coverage: About 45 villages in the mountainous areas of Diber, Kukes and Shkoder regions.

Funding partner: German government (KFW); 9.6 million Euro. Communes and beneficiary villages; 1 million Euro.

Main Implementing Partners: Albanian engineering contractors, local government units (commune authorities), beneficiary villages.

Main beneficiaries: Approximately 45.000 persons in villages of northern Albania.

The technical infrastructure is installed and in good working order.
The operators of the infrastructure are able to operate and maintain the water systems.
The target group is aware of hygiene, health and operation aspects of water supply and sanitation

Following political, social and economic changes in Albania in the 1990s, responsibility for existing water supply has been decentralized to local government units. However, most existing water service providers are in urban areas and for many years water supply for the villages in rural areas has been largely neglected.

As a result of this situation, water supply systems and the institutional capacity to sustainably manage them have not yet been developed in most rural communities.
Inadequate water access and water quality in rural villages contribute to perpetuating poverty in rural areas. This situation is slowly changing and the ADF is playing a significant role in bringing about this change.

ADF approach and achievements: The ADF approach to rural water supply is based upon the principle of providing water for rural communities that is:

Safe (water quality meets WHO drink standards)
Sufficient (piped water supply, house connection, 100 liter/person/day)
Reliable (throughout the day, no seasonal deficiency)
Affordable (affordable water tariffs based on consumption)
Sustainable (service can be continuously operated and maintained based on customers paying for the water used)

In the last 16 years, ADF has successfully implemented over 1,600 infrastructure projects throughout Albania, including over 300 projects involving rural water supply (RWS) and sewerage systems. KFW has supported ADF from 1999 to 2006 through three phases of the Social Investment Fund (SIF) Project. The SIF project implemented small infrastructure projects, including RWS projects in the poorest areas of Albania. Its success directly led to KFW's support to ADF for the RWSP in northern Albania.

This component is concerned with understanding the socio-economic situation of the communities that request assistance with water supply. In particular, the level of poverty and the willingness and ability of villagers to contribute towards the cost of water supply systems and to pay for the water provided. A key activity is to inform villagers about the requirements to be included in the RWSP to promote their understanding and participation
Social component activities also include supporting beneficiary villages to establish Beneficiary Water Groups both to assist in implementing the project and subsequently to establish an entity to manage the completed water system.

This component is responsible for the technical feasibility study to determine whether a suitable water source is available for the construction/renovation/extension of a cost-effective gravity flow water supply system. The technical component is also concerned with the procurement of services for the design, construction and commissioning of the water supply system

The completed water supply schemes will become the legal property of the relevant local government unit that will be responsible for operating, maintaining and managing the system. This may be already existing, e.g. a municipal water authority or water supply unit within the Commune office. If not, an appropriate type of institution will need to be established.
This will need suitably qualified and experienced staff as well as the necessary licences and approvals from the national Water Regulatory Authority (WRA).

In all cases, the water service provider must be able to cooperate and maintain the system based on payment by all consumer households for the water that they use.