This four-year program is an initiative of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and funded by the Australian aid program’s Civil Society Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (CS WASH) Fund.

It is set to benefit up to 780,000 people in the East Asia region through increased access to basic sanitation and up to 153,000 people with increased access to safe water. Globally the AUD103 million CS WASH Fund (www.cswashfund.org) is supporting 29 projects in 19 countries. In the 2016-2017 period, three NGOs: East Meets West, iDE and Plan have received AUD12 million to deliver different projects in Vietnam.

“The 15-year National Target Program on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation has delivered impressive results. 86% of rural population now have access to water and 65 % of rural households have access to hygienic latrines. However, provision of access to clean water and sanitation remains a challenge, especially for poor households. Innovative measures including greater private sector participation can provide a solution for sustainable water and sanitation services” said Hoang Van Thang, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The conference aims to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of projects within the CS WASH Fund by facilitating knowledge exchange and learning. “Accelerating progress on water and sanitation for sustainable development in East Asia is possible. It will require a lot of ambition, innovation and, more importantly, strong working relationships between civil society organisations, Governments and other agents of change including the private sector and social enterprises.” said Layton Pike, Chargé d’Affaires of the Australian Embassy in Hanoi.

In the East Asia region, sanitation coverage lags behind water coverage, and this is particularly true for the poor. Whilst improvements have been made in increasing access to sanitation during the Millennium Development Goal period, problems remain. In particular, a challenge is how to gain access to the necessary finance.

In Vietnam and in other East Asian countries, public funding to sanitation is an important element of service delivery.

Besides, the conference will focus on how to use private and public finance and expertise to deliver improved sanitation and explore the roles of CSOs, relevant local government agencies and latrine suppliers in fostering market-based approaches./.