VZCZCXYZ0024
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLP #3098/01 3211853
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171853Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1328
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7485

UNCLAS LA PAZ 003098 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI SALZBERG AND BLAINE 
STATE ALSO FOR WHA/AND LPETRONI 
USAID FOR MILLER AND DEELY 
USAID/LAC/AA FOR AFRANCO AND MSILVERMAN 
USAID/LAC/SA FOR JBAKKEN 
USAID/DCHA/FFP FOR WHAMMINK AND JDWORKEN 
USAID/DCHA/FFP/DP FOR JMAJERNIK, MNIMS, AND BBURNETT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV SENV BL
SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: ADVANCING U.S. EFFORTS ON WATER AND 
SANITATION 
 
REF: A. STATE 128229 
     ¶B. LA PAZ 3071 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (U) Significant numbers of Bolivians lack access to clean 
water and sanitation.  GOB authorities at all levels 
recognize the problem and have committed to expanding access 
to basic services; many have worked closely with U.S. and 
other international donors to boost water and sanitation 
coverage of both rural and urban populations.  In response to 
ref A, post has outlined below ongoing efforts and 
opportunities for strengthening U.S. engagement. 
 
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BACKGROUND 
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¶2. (U) Significant numbers of Bolivians lack access to clean 
water and sanitation.  According to the World Health 
Organization-UN Children's Fund Joint Monitoring Program, as 
much as a quarter of the population lacked access to safe 
drinking water in 2002, and more than 50 percent of all 
inhabitants lacked access to proper sanitation systems.  The 
same report indicated that while Bolivia was on track to meet 
internationally agreed goals on water by 2015, it was not on 
track to meet goals on sanitation. 
 
¶3. (U) GOB authorities at all levels recognize the problem 
and have committed to expanding access to basic services. 
The Morales administration has vowed to provide clean water 
to 2.3 million Bolivians and to extend sanitation coverage to 
5 million inhabitants, more than half in rural areas. 
Authorities at the municipal level are particularly committed 
to water and sanitation issues, frequently providing 
counterpart funding to USAID and other donors and working 
closely with the international community to boost water and 
sanitation coverage of both rural and urban populations. 
 
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ONGOING EFFORTS 
--------------- 
 
¶4. (U) As illustrated in ref B, the PL 480 Title II Food for 
Peace program is a key component of ongoing U.S. efforts on 
water and sanitation.  USAID has annually spent an estimated 
$3 to $5 million on small-scale water and sanitation projects 
since 2002, providing safe water to an estimated 38,500 
Bolivians in rural and peri-urban areas and extending 
sanitation coverage to approximately 118,500 inhabitants; all 
benefited from the water and sanitation elements of 
integrated health and nutrition, income generation, and 
natural resource management programs.  Thousands more stand 
to benefit from watershed and water resource management 
strategies implemented through a Global Development Alliance 
with Coca-Cola; a partnership with the Pan-American Health 
Organization (PAHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 
(CDC); and cooperation with Prometa, a local non-governmental 
organization. 
 
¶5. (U) U.S. efforts complement those of other donors.  The UN 
World Food Program has introduced several programs similar to 
those supported by Title II assistance, and German, Dutch, 
and Canadian NGOs have helped improve watershed protection 
and water and waste water management systems.  Donors 
committed to the water and sanitation sector have also 
offered policy guidance and technical assistance and, like 
USAID and other U.S. organizations, have worked to protect 
public health through improved hygiene practices.  The United 
States and other international donors have also provided 
humanitarian assistance in response to natural disasters. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRENGTHENING U.S. ENGAGEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶6. (U) Post believes USAID and other U.S. organizations could 
strengthen engagement on water and sanitation issues by 
extending and expanding Title II programs beyond their 2007 
expiration; pursuing new Global Development Alliances; 
implementing PAHO/CDC water safety plans in rural and urban 
areas outside Tarija and El Alto; and establishing stronger 
 
partnerships with local NGOs.  USAID could also coordinate 
more closely with other donors and seek a more influential 
voice in policymaking, even while recognizing that the GOB's 
unique ideological bent and reluctance to involve the private 
sector in water and sanitation issues may limit efforts to 
shape GOB strategies. 
 
¶7. (U) Post believes work in all six focal areas of the U.S. 
strategy on water and sanitation would be appropriate in 
Bolivia.  The United States could continue efforts to 
strengthen local, regional, and national authorities to 
optimize water use; promote sound water and natural resource 
management strategies; invest in small-scale infrastructure 
projects to expand access to clean water and sanitation; 
improve public health by promoting sound hygiene practices; 
advance science and technology cooperation by introducing 
water pollution prevention technologies; and provide basic 
services in response to natural disasters. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶8. (U) Post understands that increasing access to clean water 
and sanitation and improving water and waste water management 
systems are key U.S. foreign policy objectives.  Existing 
Title II programs and related efforts directly support these 
goals and represent an important means of demonstrating U.S. 
interest in the health and well being of Bolivia's people. 
With continued funding, existing programs could be extended 
or even expanded; without it, successful efforts on water and 
sanitation will be severely undermined. 
GOLDBERG