BOLIVIA: ADVANCING U.S. EFFORTS ON WATER AND

UNCLAS LA PAZ 003098 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/PCI SALZBERG AND BLAINE STATE ALSO FOR WHA/AND LPETRONI USAID FOR MILLER AND DEELY USAID/LAC/AA FOR AFRANCO AND MSILVERMAN USAID/LAC/SA FOR JBAKKEN USAID/DCHA/FFP FOR WHAMMINK AND JDWORKEN USAID/DCHA/FFP/DP FOR JMAJERNIK, MNIMS, AND BBURNETT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV SENV BL SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: ADVANCING U.S. EFFORTS ON WATER AND SANITATION REF: A. STATE 128229 ¶B. LA PAZ 3071 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) Significant numbers of Bolivians lack access to clean water and sanitation. GOB authorities at all levels recognize the problem and have committed to expanding access to basic services; many have worked closely with U.S. and other international donors to boost water and sanitation coverage of both rural and urban populations. In response to ref A, post has outlined below ongoing efforts and opportunities for strengthening U.S. engagement. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. (U) Significant numbers of Bolivians lack access to clean water and sanitation. According to the World Health Organization-UN Children's Fund Joint Monitoring Program, as much as a quarter of the population lacked access to safe drinking water in 2002, and more than 50 percent of all inhabitants lacked access to proper sanitation systems. The same report indicated that while Bolivia was on track to meet internationally agreed goals on water by 2015, it was not on track to meet goals on sanitation. ¶3. (U) GOB authorities at all levels recognize the problem and have committed to expanding access to basic services. The Morales administration has vowed to provide clean water to 2.3 million Bolivians and to extend sanitation coverage to 5 million inhabitants, more than half in rural areas. Authorities at the municipal level are particularly committed to water and sanitation issues, frequently providing counterpart funding to USAID and other donors and working closely with the international community to boost water and sanitation coverage of both rural and urban populations. -------------- ONGOING EFFORTS -------------- ¶4. (U) As illustrated in ref B, the PL 480 Title II Food for Peace program is a key component of ongoing U.S. efforts on water and sanitation. USAID has annually spent an estimated $3 to $5 million on small-scale water and sanitation projects since 2002, providing safe water to an estimated 38,500 
Bolivians in rural and peri-urban areas and extending sanitation coverage to approximately 118,500 inhabitants; all benefited from the water and sanitation elements of integrated health and nutrition, income generation, and natural resource management programs. Thousands more stand to benefit from watershed and water resource management strategies implemented through a Global Development Alliance with Coca-Cola; a partnership with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC); and cooperation with Prometa, a local non-governmental organization. ¶5. (U) U.S. efforts complement those of other donors. The UN World Food Program has introduced several programs similar to those supported by Title II assistance, and German, Dutch, and Canadian NGOs have helped improve watershed protection and water and waste water management systems. Donors committed to the water and sanitation sector have also offered policy guidance and technical assistance and, like USAID and other U.S. organizations, have worked to protect public health through improved hygiene practices. The United States and other international donors have also provided humanitarian assistance in response to natural disasters. -------------- -- OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRENGTHENING U.S. ENGAGEMENT -------------- -- ¶6. (U) Post believes USAID and other U.S. organizations could strengthen engagement on water and sanitation issues by extending and expanding Title II programs beyond their 2007 expiration; pursuing new Global Development Alliances; implementing PAHO/CDC water safety plans in rural and urban areas outside Tarija and El Alto; and establishing stronger partnerships with local NGOs. USAID could also coordinate more closely with other donors and seek a more influential voice in policymaking, even while recognizing that the GOB's unique ideological bent and reluctance to involve the private sector in water and sanitation issues may limit efforts to shape GOB strategies. ¶7. (U) Post believes work in all six focal areas of the U.S. strategy on water and sanitation would be appropriate in Bolivia. The United States could continue efforts to strengthen local, regional, and national authorities to optimize water use; promote sound water and natural resource management strategies; invest in small-scale infrastructure projects to expand access to clean water and sanitation; improve public health by promoting sound hygiene practices; advance science and technology cooperation by introducing water pollution prevention technologies; and provide basic services in response to natural disasters. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (U) Post understands that increasing access to clean water and sanitation and improving water and waste water management systems are key U.S. foreign policy objectives. Existing Title II programs and related efforts directly support these goals and represent an important means of demonstrating U.S. interest in the health and well being of Bolivia's people. With continued funding, existing programs could be extended or even expanded; without it, successful efforts on water and sanitation will be severely undermined. GOLDBERG