Appraisal of Health, Education, and Income Outcomes from a Water and Sanitation Program in Rural Senegal

The Millennium Development Goals adopted by the Government of Senegal envision that 82% of rural households should have access to drinking water by 2015, as compared to 64% in 2005. On the sanitation side, 59% of rural households should have adequate on-site systems by the same time as compared to 17% in 2005. Within this context, the proposed program is aimed at expanding the rural water and sanitation program in Senegal. It involves the construction of new rural water supply and sanitation infrastructure, the rehabilitation of existing facilities and setting up of a program coordination unit that will manage the implementation of the program. The purpose of this appraisal study is to assess the impact of the proposed program and quantify, in monetary terms, the various socio-economic benefits that accrue to the targeted populations. Such benefits typically include time savings for consumers; reduction in water related diseases; increased school attendance especially among girls; women empowerment; and an overall improvement of the quality of life. The sustainability of such programs must also be examined to determine the risk factors that affect the performance of the water operators.