ECO-Asia Water and Sanitation Program
In Asia, AECOM International Development is implementing USAID's regional water and sanitation activities through the Environmental Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia) Water and Sanitation Program. We are developing and implementing pilot projects that demonstrate innovative strategies for expanding, improving, and financing water services delivery in Asia.
The ECO-Asia Water and Sanitation Program is the primary vehicle in Asia for carrying out the provisions of the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005. ECO-Asia strengthens the U.S. government's commitment to enabling access to safe water and sanitation for developing countries and supports achievement of Target 10 of the UN MIllennium Development Goals to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015. ECO-Asia has program activities in eight countries: Cambodia, China, INdia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Major Results
- Pioneered the first continuous water supply system in India.
- Developed a city-wide septage management program in Marikina, Philippines, that improved sanitation for more than 42,000 residents.
- Catalyzed development of a regional leadership center for water utility managers and demonstrated new ways to provide piped water for the urban poor in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
- Established utility-to-utility "twinning" arrangements between India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- Developed an innovative loan product to finance efficiency improvements for water utilities in the Philippines.
- In partnership with the ASEAN Initiative on Environmentally Sustainable Cities, developed a regional action agenda to promote improved access to water and sanitation in 24 cities in ASEAN countries at a regional workshop hosted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). This agenda provides a regional framework for cooperation with ASEAN.
