Data driving action on inclusive WASH in Timor-Leste

Representatives from WaterAid, HAK and other implementing partner organisations following completion of the review of the Community Score Card indicators (WaterAid / Antoneta Soares)

Across rural Manufahi and Liquiçá in Timor-Leste, new climate-informed data is placing the needs of people with disabilities and other marginalised groups at the core of government processes and funding for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.

With suppoort from Australia through Water for Women, WaterAid is currently implementing a revised, climate-informed Community Score Card (CSC) tool as part of the HALIRAS BESI project, which is feeding data into WASH decision-making. This data is helping to drive improvements to WASH systems and services that ensure everybody's needs are being met, including rural residents living with disabilities.

In rural communities throughout Timor-Leste, access to water and sanitation can become completely cut-off, left dysfunctional or destroyed due to climate-related events like the recent flash floods and landslides experienced. New data captured through the CSC is helping to inform government funding allocations for operations and maintenence to improve accessibility and the climate resilience of these essential services.

“WASH actors need to continue to support the government to provide better WASH services to the community through high consideration of climate changes and participation of women and people with disabilities.”

Carlito da Costa, Program Manager, HAK

The CSC was first used as a social audit mechanism that proved powerful in understanding community WASH issues and perceptions and raising concerns with relevant government and WASH sector stakehoders to action during the first phase of Water for Women, The CSC was implemented by WaterAid partner, HAK, a national rights organisation, with more than 40 rural water systems across Liquiçá and Manufahi.

Despite these inroads, partners continued to observe issues relating to the operation, maintenance and sustainability of rural water systems, water source depletion in the communities, and a lack of representaion among people with disabilities, women and girls in WASH decision-making, Partners came together to collaboratively review the existing indicators and identify amendments and additions to the CSC to improve the collection of gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) and climate resilience insights.

Through this process, discussions also led to the inclusion of additional indicators to understand if and how communities protect or conserve their water sources, how different governance mechanisms, like the Tara Bandu (local customary law) are used to govern water resource management, and how people with disabilities, women and girls participate in GMFs (local water management groups) and community WASH activities. Suggested changes, including the alignment of indicators with definitions in relevant national policies and guidelines, were shared with national WASH and GEDSI actors for feedback, including the National Authority for Water and Sanitation (ANAS), public utility company Bee Timor-Leste (BTL), and the Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion (SEII).

In addition to its implementation in Manufahi and Liquiçá, the renewed CSC is also being trialled in new municipalities across the country as part of the HALIRAS BESI project,

Water for Women partners with WaterAid to strengthen systems for sustainable and inclusive WASH services in Liquiçá and Manufahi through the project, HALIRAS BESI - Haforsa Ligasaun ba Igualidade, Resiliensia, Adaptasaun no Sustentabilidade ba BES, which means 'Strengthening Connections for Equality, Resilience, Adaptation and Sustainability of WASH in Timor-Leste.' It aims to directly benefit 18,615* people, including at least 300* people living with disabilities, across the two districts by the end of 2024.

*Project targets are based on partner Civil Society Organisations (CSO) project baseline studies. Project targets are updated periodically in response to changes in context as appropriate.