GOOD PRACTICES IN SANITATION INFRASTRUCTURES FOR PERIURBAN POOR COMMUNITIES: A CASE IN HANOI

In the context of high urbanization in South-East Asia, peri-urban areas suffer increasingly from environmental pressure and from lack of access to environmental infrastructures. At a time when urban financial resources are not available and deteriorated environmental conditions require expensive urban drainage structures, adapted practices are greatly needed. A pilot wastewater management community project by an international NGO serves as a case study for capacity-analysis at the local level. Through interviews with experts and user-oriented focus groups, the capacity of the village and households to participate in the project is analyzed. Even with the absence of credit, contribution from the poorest population is much more significant than one would expect. The Lai Xà project demonstrated that the resulting participation could be highly profitable for the authorities compared to the traditional approach of government supply and maintenance. Local communities can, with proper training, manage and maintain a simple sanitation system. The sustainability of these community services however depends on specialized technical and managerial support from water and sanitation authorities. This orientation with regional agencies will be a strategic option for international cooperation to support sustainable sanitation development