Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
their efforts were undermined by the lack of will by the governments to enforce
the recommendation of the NEnPAs for environmental protection (e.g., the envi-
ronmental protection measures specified in a project's Environmental Impact
Assessment.
Summary of DC Problem
A summarization of the typical DC situation is given in the paper, “How Asian
Development Bank can Improve Their Technology Transfer Operations for Water/
Sanitation Projects in Developing Countries”
94
, which is quoted here as follows
(a) Require post-construction monitoring of performance of the systems which are
built. This is basic standard engineering practice which together with periodic per-
formance monitoring is routine in the ICs, to determine how effective the investment
is, and what needs to be done to improve planning/design practices so the system
will become more effective. Despite this fundamental fact, the MDBs have persis-
tently refused to require performance monitoring, hence the MDB staff have not
found out how to improve their practices in guiding DC project planning/design.
Such monitoring will reveal deficiencies in design and in provisions for O&M, so
that practices can be progressively improved
73
.
(b) For each type of sector investment (water supply, sewerage, air pollution con-
trol, etc.), discontinue common MDB practice of allowing systems to be designed
which follow IC design criteria and matching environmental standards, and figure
out for each sector for the particular DC what the appropriate/affordable environ-
mental standards and matching design criteria should be, in recognition that the
monies available to the DC will be only a fraction of that spent in the ICs for
managing the same problem. This is crucial but cannot be done by “Environmental
Generalists” or “Engineer Generalists” but can be done only by skilled sanitary
engineers knowledgeable both in IC practices and how to modify these to suit DC
conditions. Many of the MDB project staff with whom the author has worked have
not had the needed skills in appropriate IC vs. DC practices.
(c) Ensure that the recommended system is realistic with respect to the O&M limi-
tations in the DCs. Most IAA projects have not done this but have pretended to do
it. The Feasibility Study reports commonly include a chapter on O&M which simu-
lates IC practices, even though the writers know the DCs cannot/will not implement
it. This practice is not only counterproductive but is grossly unprofessional. The
reason for the malfunctioning and wastage mentioned above sometimes is poor
design, but even with good design the system often will not function effectively
due to lack of adequate O&M. Usually the DC governments (and the IAA sponsors)
are not aware of this because of the lack of performance monitoring. Sometimes
the DC officials involved may insist on including components in the project which
shouldn't be there (such as a highly mechanized sewage treatment plant). Never
mind, their “money need” must be accommodated, but they take only a part of the
total project budget. The goal is to see to it that the remaining money isn't frittered
away but will produce a useful project. The existing syndrome is that “corruption”
takes a sizeable slice, but the DC can live with that. The need is not to let the rest
of the money get frittered away.
