Baseline Survey Factsheet on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Bule Town, SNNPR, Ethiopia

This Factsheet presents Bule town summary of the baseline survey conducted by IRC WASH as part of the independent monitoring and evaluation of the KfW funded “Durable WASH Solutions to Drought in Southern Ethiopia - Planning for the Future” programme implemented by UNICEF Ethiopia between 2020-2015 (referred to as “Three Town Project” in this report). This town factsheet presents the status of WASH services by the end of 2020 and before implementing the project. It covers water and sanitation services in the town and in selected satellite villages, as well as WASH services in schools and health care facilities.

Bule town water supply systems have not been maintained since construction and are inadequate for serving the increasing population. Investments in water supply infrastructure and capacity development of town water management are expected to address these challenges. Pro-poor measures need to be taken to ensure affordability of piped water. In rural communities open defecation needs to be eradicated. Market-based sanitation activities are to move urban dwellers up the sanitation ladder. In schools and health care facilities access to reliable water is a major challenge, they should be connected to the town water supply system. Once that has happened handwashing facilities should be installed. Introductio