Insight
What can the Ethiopian and Nepalese WASH sector projects learn from each other?
SUSWA's Pauliina Meskus (left) and Sari Aroalho from COWASH IV.
This year marks a significant milestone in Finland’s collaboration with Ethiopia and Nepal in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector: 30 years with Ethiopia and 35 years with Nepal. Through bilateral projects like Community-led Accelerated WASH phase IV (COWASH IV) in Ethiopia and Sustainable WASH for All (SUSWA) in Nepal, Finland continues its commitment to improving access to water and sanitation. Recently, a unique learning exchange took place between these two initiatives. Sari Aroalho, Project Management and Development Advisor for COWASH IV, travelled to Nepal to join Pauliina Meskus, Field Specialist for SUSWA, and the SUSWA team for a two-week study visit. Their collaboration highlighted both the shared challenges and distinct approaches of these projects, offering valuable lessons for cross-border learning in the WASH sector.
December 3, 2024
A meeting of minds: Learning across contexts
Sari’s visit to Nepal was designed to foster an exchange of experiences and insights between the two young professionals. “For me, this was an eye-opening opportunity to see how a WASH project operates in a different part of the world,” she shared. "The SUSWA team’s motivation and commitment to project implementation were incredibly inspiring." A highlight of her visit was travelling to the beautiful but remote Salyan district in Karnali Province, where she engaged with local communities and observed their resilience and resourcefulness in their approach to rural water management. “The biggest takeaway from this trip was realising that no matter the country or context, people working in the development sector share a common trait: big hearts and a genuine desire to help those in need. This deeply resonates with me and reinforces why this work is so important.”
Pauliina, in turn, gained valuable insights into Ethiopia’s WASH governance. "Learning about the COWASH IV implementation modality and partnership structure deepened my understanding of how institutional settings shape project approaches. The implementation of SUSWA and COWASH are also influenced by different contextual challenges," she noted. For example, while Ethiopia faces conflict-related restrictions that impact travel and monitoring, Nepal contends with natural hazards in its mountainous terrain.
Similar goals, different contexts
Both SUSWA and COWASH IV are part of a long-term bilateral collaboration and host a wealth of institutional knowledge captured in various documents and guidelines over the years. There are also several similarities in the projects’ strategic priorities and outcome level objectives, such as those related to the right to safe water and sanitation, gender equality and social inclusion, climate resilience, and community empowerment.
Although both projects work across multiple areas and rely on efficient information management for planning, monitoring, and reporting as well as quality control and assurance, there are key differences that reflect the unique challenges and resources of each context.
Targeting 1.1 million beneficiaries across eight Ethiopian regions, COWASH IV focuses only on community-based water schemes and constructs mostly spring development schemes and shallow wells. In contrast, SUSWA targets 262,500 people in Nepal’s Karnali Province, repairing and constructing gravity-fed water systems with household connections. The difference in the infrastructure type influences the implementation approaches: In COWASH IV, using contractors and artisans is a typical practice due to the requirements of scheme constructions and project modality. In SUSWA, the work is carried out by locally hired municipal WASH Units and community members who are trained by the project.
COWASH IV’s strength lies in community ownership and long-term maintenance strategies. While community-level work is also at the heart of SUSWA’s approach, the project invests heavily in building the capacity of local governments to ensure sustainable water management. “The objective is to help establish institutional structures to ensure that the community level water users and sanitation committees have access to sufficient financial resources, skilled personnel, equipment, and so on, to maintain the functionality of the water supply system in the long run,” Pauliina said.
Despite their differences, both COWASH IV and SUSWA share a common foundation: a commitment to gender equality, climate resilience, and community empowerment. These projects also navigate similar logistical challenges, such as reaching remote areas and maintaining robust information systems for planning and monitoring.
One key similarity is their approach to addressing dignified menstruation hygiene management (MHM). Both projects prioritise this issue but apply different strategies. “In SUSWA, MHM is integrated into toilet facilities by providing running water, trash bins, and sanitary pads. In contrast, COWASH IV addresses MHM through the construction of separate four-room buildings near toilets. Nepal’s approach offers valuable lessons, and I hope COWASH IV can pilot similar models in the future,” Sari observed.
Fostering connections for the future
The study visit concluded with a joint online event bringing together the COWASH IV and SUSWA teams to share successes and challenges such as the logistical difficulties of working in remote areas, the struggle of the Governments of Ethiopia and Nepal to keep their financial commitment during challenging times, and issues related to database management. This first-ever collaboration between the two projects highlighted the potential for cross-project learning within Finland’s development portfolio. It was an eye-opening experience for everyone involved, as it reinforced the sense that they are not alone in facing challenges.
By fostering connections between Ethiopia and Nepal, this exchange not only deepens mutual understanding but also underscores the shared mission of WASH projects worldwide: empowering communities to access safe water and sanitation, regardless of their location. But the visit was not just about technical learning—it was also about building lasting professional relationships.
"Pauliina and I are at similar stages in our careers, and the two weeks we spent sharing our experiences were incredibly valuable. I learned so much from her, and even though we work in different countries, having her in my life now as both a friend and a peer support is an enormous advantage," Sari said. Pauliina echoed this sentiment: "The reflections and discussions we shared were incredibly enriching. I hope this visit sets the stage for future collaboration and knowledge-sharing between our teams."
